Curated OER
Rhythm and Art: Gesture Drawing
Students explore connections between non-verbal language and art. In this visual and auditory art lesson, students investigate the science of sound and principles of drawing. They then use various genres of music to directly apply that...
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Comparing Key Ideas and Details in Fiction and Nonfiction
Students recognize the differences between fiction and nonfiction texts. In this genre study lesson, students discuss what nonfiction means and write the definition. Students listen to a read aloud and vote whether the text is fiction or...
Curated OER
3-D Design - Painting
Students explain elements of relief sculpture. They create a sculpture from foam. They identify characteristics of the art of Clayton Pond and Pop Art. They develop skills in working with color.
Curated OER
Wanted- Dead or Alive
Students identify the characteristics of trickster tales. For this literary genres lesson, students read trickster tales from Africa and create a clay model of a trickster character. Students design a "wanted" poster with a description...
Curated OER
The Rhythm of R & B - Lesson 8
Students describe some of the distinguishing characteristics background rhythms used in R&B. They perform typical R&B accompaniment patterns and develop their own horn section to play background rhythms.
Curated OER
The Short Story: A Slice of Life
Learners are introduced to the characteristics of the short story. Individually, they use their own personal experiences to write a poem about their families to get them used to writing. Next, they practice reading various short...
Curated OER
Finding Nonfiction Features
Students review the differences between a fiction and non-fiction book. In groups, they use different non-fiction books to identify the eleven features that distinguish it from a fiction book. To end the lesson, they create a chart...
Curated OER
Transcendentalism and Epiphany in Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine
Twelfth graders examine the characteristics of transcendentalism. For this transcendentalism lesson, 12th graders determine what this type of writing entails before reading a passage from, Ray Bradbury's, Dandelion Wine. They cite three...
Curated OER
Exaggeration
Students read the tall tale of Pecos Bill and identify an exaggeration in the story which they state as being part of a tall tale. In this exaggeration lesson plan, students identify the exaggeration by drawing a picture.
Captioned Media
Creating Dramatic Monologues from The Grapes of Wrath
Set in Oklahoma in the 1930s, The Grapes of Wrath presents a powerful view of life during the Great Depression. An insightful lesson plan takes a closer look at the characters in John Steinbeck's classic novel, combining the descriptions...
Midwest Clinic
Latin Rhythms: Mystery Unraveled
There is an indescrible energy to Latin American music—but if you know your music theory, it's not so indescrible after all. A thorough packet provides definitions for terms like bolero, charanga, shekere, and tumbao before listing...
Curated OER
Good and Evil Characters
What makes a character good or evil? Young readers discuss the characteristics and actions of good and evil characters in given fairy tales. They then read Snow White and discuss the characters in the story.
Curated OER
Historical Period
Students identify and describe ways in which life was different in the time historical period of Rosa Parks. In this historical time period lesson plan, students explain that one characteristic of a biography is that it takes place in a...
Curated OER
Table of Contents and Index
Have your class investigate the use of a table of contents and index to find information. They identify characteristics of informational books and add them to a chart, then demonstrate how to use the index and table of contents by trying...
Curated OER
Realistic Fiction
Explore the characteristics of realistic fiction by reading and then analyzing the book, Allie’s Basketball Dream by Barbara E. Barber. Using the I do, we do, you do model, learners practice identifying realistic fiction based on how...
Curated OER
Narrative Poetry
Sixth graders explore narrative poetry. In this language arts lesson, 6th graders create a group story. Students discuss the characteristics of narrative poetry and use a story elements checklist to determine which poems are narrative...
Curated OER
Classical Greece and Rome
Covering the playwrights and characteristics of ancient Greek dramas, this presentation would be a good starter to a unit about the culture or about the genre of tragedies. Though titled "Classical Greece and Rome," there isn't any...
Curated OER
The Prairie Dog That Met the President
Students study the history of jazz music. They listen to various examples of jazz music and complete a worksheet in which they must identify the individual instruments they hear and identify characteristics of the genre of jazz music.
Curated OER
Crane, London, and Literary Naturalism
Students identify the key characteristics that comprise American literary naturalism in Jack London's "To Build a Fire" and Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat." In this naturalism analysis lesson, students identify characteristics of the...
Curated OER
And You Don't Stop-30 Years of Hip-hop
Students identify the musical genre of Hip-Hop and make a connection with other styles of music. A time line of musical styles is developed and discussed.
Curated OER
Gospel Beginnings - Lesson 1
Students identify genres of music that influenced musical style of Aretha Franklin. They identify musical characteristics of gospel and sing a gospel selection. They pay particular attention to the call and response style.
Curated OER
Write a Myth
Students explore myths in ancient times. For this mythology lesson, students read or view a video production of a myth to determine specific characteristics of myths. Students work in groups to write a myth that explains an occurrence...
Curated OER
The Great Gatsby
Learners read "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In groups, they research the events and spirit of the 1920s and relate events in the novel to actual historical events. They compare the characteristics of various genres and...
Curated OER
How Tragic!
Learners study and interpret a classical tragedy and role play a character from the play. In this tragedy lesson, students discuss a specific work to discover the form, structure, and characteristics of the genre and interpret the...