Curated OER
Picture Perfect Poetry
Do your language arts students love to draw? Use this lesson to reinforce poetic techniques with illustration. After drawing what they think poem would look like with no words, middle and high schoolers work on several different...
Curated OER
The Effects of Slavery
The emotional and spiritual oppression of slavery in the African-American experience is the focus of this instructional activity. Middle schoolers analyze various texts by Frederick Douglass and Maya Angelou related to freedom...
Curated OER
Fantasy Allegory of Air
Students analyze the painting Jan Brueghel and design their own book. In this art and book lesson plan, students discuss the elements of fantasy from the painting and create their own book. Students illustrate the book and create a...
Curated OER
Lesson Plans for Fantasy: Allegory of Air
Students use combinations of real and imaginary objects to create illustrations for a book. In this Fantasy in art lesson, students discuss the elements of fantasy in Allegory of Air. Students study the work of Salvador Dali...
Curated OER
Landscapes of the Mind
Students review Emily Dickinson's biography and examine themes and forms of some of her poems. They measure ways Graham integrates aspects of Dickinson's life and the themes and forms of her poetry into Letters to the World.
Curated OER
The Negro Speaks of Rivers Themes
In this poetry analysis worksheet, students respond to 5 discussion questions that require them to investigate the symbolism of rivers in the Langston Hughes poem “The Negro Speaks of Rivers."
Curated OER
Statue of Liberty: Liberty Enlightening the World
Students explore reasons that people immigrate to the United States. In this Statue of Liberty lesson, students read a handout regarding immigration, analyze the poem, "The New Colossus," and complete the provided worksheet activities.
Curated OER
What is a Haiku? How Do You Write a Haiku?
Haiku poetry is explored in this language arts lesson plan. Yong readers identify the characteristics of haiku and read several examples. Students make connections between their study of Japan and the poetic form of haiku, and they write...
Novelinks
The House on Mango Street: Biopoem
Young poets demonstrate their understanding of a character from Sandra Cisneros' The House on Mango Street by crafting a biopoem that captures the essence of this person.
New York State Education Department
Comprehensive English Examination: June 2011
Get those pencils sharpened—it's time to see what the class knows! Using the resource, scholars complete a four-part English examination. They read passages and respond to multiple-choice comprehension questions. They also complete two...
New York State Education Department
Comprehensive English Examination: June 2015
Heroes rise from adversity. That theme forms the focus of the critical lens essay in a sample comprehensive English examination. The exam, which is part of a larger series of sample standardized tests, also includes two short response...
Indiana University
World Literature: "One Evening in the Rainy Season" Shi Zhecun
Did you know that modern Chinese literature “grew from the psychoanalytical theory of Sigmund Freud”? Designed for a world literature class, seniors are introduced to “One Evening in the Rainy Season,” Shi Zhecun’s stream of...
Curated OER
Graham's Appalachian Spring: A Study
Students explore choreographic narrative. In this choreography lesson, students explore the elements of Appalachian Spring as they develop a series of written responses to assignments that challenge them to investigate the structure of...
Curated OER
Positively Poetry
Students complete a unit on poetry. In this poetry lesson, students complete 19 lessons that focus on reading and writing poetry as well as learning about literary elements and sound devices. Students read poetry orally, debate poetry in...
Curated OER
Enrichment Activities - "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH"
Fifth graders read the novel "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH." They discuss the various characters in the book, and the different types of conflict that take place within the book. They also research owls and rats to make comparisons...
Curated OER
Poetry
Fourth graders participate in reading and listening to poetry. They are exposed to a variety of poems and examine and identify basic elements of poetry. They write their own poems and recite a poem with enthusiasm, expression, and props.
Curated OER
Our Town
With the songs "My Hometown" by Bruce Springsteen and "Allentown" by Billy Joel, learners examine external versus internal conflict. When they have finished the first part of the lesson, they create their own poem (or song) about the...
Curated OER
Bio-Poems and U.S. History
Students explore U.S. History by writing poems. In this United States leader biography lesson, students identify elements needed to create a good poem, and write a Bio-Poem about themselves. Students utilize the same form to write a...
Curated OER
Literature-Poetry
Students review themes they have seen so far in their study of poetry. They compare four poems and one set of song lyrics as they search for meaning in each. They compare and contrast all five and then give a presentation of their...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
A Midsummer Night's Dream Acts 1-2
Blank verse, stichomythia, soliloquy, allusion, oxymoron, malaprop? Readers of A Midsummer Night’s Dream will need to know these terms to successfully complete a study guide designed for the first two acts of Shakespeare’s comedy. The...
Curated OER
Life Size Characters
Sixth graders analyze character traits and create a life size character outline. In this character analysis instructional activity, 6th graders analyze character traits of a character using character webs and poems. Students then create...
Curated OER
BioPoem Multicultural Activity For A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
Students write a biopoem. In this literature and poetry writing lesson, students write a biopoem about the characters in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry following a specific given format. Examples and format are included.
Curated OER
In the Poet's Shoes: Performing Poetry and Building Meaning
Middle schoolers explore poetry by completing a webquest in which they hear poets reading their own work. Later, they examine the dramatic impact of reading poetry out loud. Finally, they practice reading poetry aloud and performing.