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Red Gold-The Epic Story of Blood
In this blood instructional activity, students watch a video called "The Epic Story of Blood" and answer 24 questions about the creation of blood, how it is produced, blood donation, blood banks and transfusions. Students take an short...
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The Outsiders Journal Guide for Chapter Six
For this novel guide worksheet, students respond to eleven short answer questions about the plot and literary elements of Chapter Six in The Outsiders.
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Literature Through Silent Movies
Middle schoolers participate in an engaging, alternative assessment activity: making a silent film of an Edgar Allen Poe story. This project offers them an additional way to demonstrate their mastery of the topic.
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Movie Analysis
Fourth graders discuss main concept, supporting details, plot, setting, major events, problems, conflicts, and resolution in two short stories. They apply these terms to a movie of their choice. They compare analysis of movies to...
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And Tomorrow's Forecast Is...
Students create original short stories that feature distinctive weather phenomena, such as rainbows, snowstorms, tornadoes, thunder and/or lightning. They use a story map, imbedded in this plane, to help them organize their story.
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Learning Plot
Tenth graders identify certain literary elements such as conflict, and exposition within the text of a variety of studenT books. Aspects of literary elements such as theme, and allusion are explored in this lesson.
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Cause and Effect
Students identify cause and effect relationships in a short story. After reading a short story, they participate in a discussion of how one event in a story can lead to several others. Students are then paired for a matching task that...
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Silly Nilly
Fourth graders create their own stories with a life instructional activity and illustrate them.
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Portrait of a Ruler
Students create a full-length portrait of the Emperor Hadrian that conveys his role through attributes and explain how this bust of Hadrian conveys a story about life as an emperor in ancient Rome.
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Splendid China: Chinese Folktales
Students investigate Chinese culture by reading their folk tales. In this creative writing lesson, students practice identifying the different elements in a folk tale and examine the related vocabulary. Students organize...
National First Ladies' Library
Writing (and Rewriting!) History
Middle schoolers differentiate between fiction and non-fiction, discuss historical fiction, which combines both genres, choose historical novel from list and read independently, and write original short stories that combine elements of...
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Comparing Fiction and Nonfiction
Fifth graders compare and contrast an informational article with a fictional story. They read the story "The Contest" as a class, and discuss the different types of literature genres. Next, they complete a vocabulary worksheet and a...
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Prince Ibrahima
Sixth graders read and utilize the facts from the story "Abd al-Rahmen Ibrahima" by Walter Dean Myers to analyze the main character's life which is ruined by conflict, jealousy, and greed. Journal entries are created in response to the...
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Comparing Themes Across Texts
Read various texts to compare the themes across each text. Learners write a journal entry describing the most beautiful scenery they've seen and use a map of the United States to locate the Sequoia National Park and Muir Woods. They then...
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Extreme Poetry Vocabulary
Challenge your class with this comprehensive list of literary vocabulary words. Learners take a pre-test, look up definitions, come up with an example, and then take a post-test. You might use this prior to a unit about poetic devices in...
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Introducing Mythology
Students look closely at a poster of a Rembrandt painting and/or a transparency of a Greek vase, both of which represent the mythological story of the abduction of Europa. Studnets consider how two artists interpreted the same subject in...
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Setting And Plot
Students engage in study of plot and setting with the reading of many familiar texts. They identify the plot and setting with the help of a worksheet. The teacher works with the class for scaffolding and helps them to recognize the...
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Silly Sally
Students examine character traits. In this literary elements lesson, students read 2 short stories paying special attention to the actions and descriptions of the characters. Students add themselves as characters in the story.
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And The Oscar Goes To?
Third graders complete a graphic organizer to determine what a good story looks and sounds like. Using various forms and conventions, they determine which style to use for different audiences and purposes. They write their own story and...
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Three Essential Soft Skills That Span Every Content Area
Reading, writing, and arithmetic are just the start of what young people need to know to be successful.
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Unit Plan for Mark Twain and American Humor
Students create brochures about the humor of Mark Twain. In this literature-analysis lesson plan, students read "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" and other short stories by Twain. Students write analytical paragraphs and...
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Greek Mythology: Cultures and Art
Young scholars examine literary arts. In this Greek mythology lessons, students read Greek myths and select characters from the myths to study. Young scholars create watercolor illustrations of the characters, write short stories about...
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Legends Old and New
Students listen to a Native American legend and discuss the basic elements of story. In small groups they read and analyze more legends from books and Websites. Then they compose and present an original legend.
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Children's Book Creations
Students create a children's book version of the Japanese folk story "Momotaro Boy of the Peach" and present the story to elementary students. For this children's book lesson, students design their book to explain Japanese culture to...