Curated OER
Poetic Teapot Card
Students recognize the role of loved ones in their families and the many things their parents and others contribute to their lives. They write an acrostic poem about their mother, father, or other important person. They then make a...
Curated OER
Who Can Achieve the "American Dream"
Exploring the idea of working to achieve the American Dream, the class reads an excerpt from How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents by Julia Alvarez. Following, the class analyzes the excerpt and discusses the theme of the reading using...
Curated OER
A Light in the Attic
Review selections from Shel Silverstein's A Light in the Attic and recognize characterization and tone used. Discuss and compare the various tones of each poem. Learners complete a character map and a pair share activity as well....
Curated OER
Visualize and Draw to Increase Comprehension
Improve readers' comprehension with a pair of visualization opportunities. First they listen, eyes closed, as you read a description from Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach, and discuss ideas about what they "see." After you read...
Curated OER
Haiku In Color
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the concept of Haiku Poetry. They read a variety of samples of text to create the context for practicing the composition of new poetry. The lesson contains questions for the teacher to use.
Curated OER
Night Along the Water
Students visualize themselves standing by the sea or a river at night as part of a prewriting experience to generate ideas. They paint their impressions of night near the water. Afterward, they write poetry based on ideas sparked by...
Curated OER
Writing ABC Poetry
Third graders discover the background of alphabet poetry and as a group construct a poem on the board. Using all the letters in the alphabet, they individually create their own poems.
Curated OER
Boombox Classroom: Music and Language
In this music and speech worksheet, students find similarities between language and music. Students also tell about their own language. Students also may write the 7 music letters.
Curated OER
Making a Magical Story
Fourth and fifth graders use their knowledge of developing character, dialogue, and setting to produce an original story. An excerpt from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is used as inspiration to get everyone's...
Curated OER
Introducing Poetry
Students explore poetry. In this language arts lesson, students discuss the elements of poetry and students rewrite a lyric or poem.
Curated OER
Patterns in Poetry: Part I--Rhythm
Students explore patterns in poetry. In this language arts lesson, students discuss rhythm in poetry. Students read poems and discuss the rhythm of each poem.
Curated OER
Poetry: Serve Warmly and More Often
Students identify the mood and theme associated with the language of poetry. They discuss personal interpretation in small groups, and as a class and * experiment with language and rhythm.
Curated OER
Deciphering the Mechanics of Poetry
Eighth graders study poetic devices and use them in their own writing and apply them when reading poetry. In groups, they describe an item using poetic devices.
Curated OER
Deciphering the Mechanics of Poetry
Eighth graders analyze a variety of poems to develop the ability to recognize and explain a variety pf poetic devises.
Curated OER
Lesson 1: Author's Voice in a Poem
Second graders use the title and text clues from a poem to determine what the author's voice is. In this author's voice lesson plan, 2nd graders participate in a directed lesson plan using the poem "Amazing Bats." They discuss their...
Curated OER
Poetry and Photography
Students determine how to use photographs to depict the feelings and meaning of poetry. In this poetry expression lesson, students work in teams as production companies to design a short film of photos. They use the film as a medium to...
Curated OER
Paper Spiders
The positional words up and down are the focus of a language and visual arts lesson. Learners get a paper plate and eight strips of construction paper. They create a spider out of their paper plate, and cut out a circle out of a piece of...
Curated OER
Compare and Contrast Author's Voice
Follow the procedural details here to model for your class how to identify author's voice in two poems, "Since Hannah Moved Away" by Judith Viorst and Mirriam Chaikin's "I Hate Harry." Together, determine voice and the words that reveal...
Curated OER
Similes & Metaphors
Similes and metaphors are the focus of a 57-slide presentation that your class members should find engaging. Although your students may find the musical selections dated, the color coding highlights the similes and metaphors found in...
Curated OER
Jellybeans Up Your Nose
Jellybeans Up Your Nose, by Jeff Moss, prompts a discussion of responsible and irresponsible behaviors. After reading and discussing the poem, groups of fifth graders examine a Dr. Seuss-ism, from Geisel’s Seuss-isms, and report back to...
Curated OER
Shapes Activities and Lessons
A fabulous lesson plan on identifying circles, triangles, squares, and rectangles awaits your students. They use large motor skills hopping from shape to shape, use visual and kinesthetic skills passing a ball of yarn between three...
Curated OER
Life, Death, Dirt, & Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman was a composter? Certainly the cycle of life and death he describes in "Leaves of Grass" parallels the processes going on in a compose pile. The interdisciplinary approach detailed here could be used to foster a deeper...
Penguin Books
An Educator's Guide to Matched by Ally Condie
Even supposed Utopian societies have their flaws. Using an educator's guide, individuals explore the society Ally Condie creates in Matched. Reflective writing prompts double as discussion questions and cover key themes in the novel, as...
Carolina K-12
The Cold Within
“. . . one of the great challenges to humanity is acknowledging and overcoming a natural tendency to think less of and discriminate against people who are different from us . . .” Launch an examination of competition and cooperation, of...