Overcoming Obstacles
Communicating Constructively
Some conversations are easy and enjoyable, while others are horrific! To begin a lesson on communicating constructively, class members list examples of conversations that are easy, average, and those that are difficult and identify what...
Curated OER
Hidden Messages
Young scholars take a closer look at literary elements within the horror genre. In this literature lesson, students identify themes in the horror genre as they read and analyze War of the Worlds and Cemetery Path.
Curated OER
I Just Want to Say
Eighth graders study poetic devices included in conversation poems and explore their eloquent messages. They read and discuss poems by Langston Hughes and Don Marquis.
Curated OER
Music With a Message
Students write a line by line analysis of a song which they feel expresses a powerful message that can change society for the better. They then present their analysis to the class in an oral report.
Curated OER
In Daddy’s Arms I Am Tall Teacher’s Guide
Students read the book I Am Tall and complete several reading response activities relating to the poems in the book. In this reading response lesson, students focus on the subject of fathers and make speculations about what the poems in...
Curated OER
8.SP.1Texting and Grades I
Here is a fitting question for middle schoolers to consider: Is there a relationship between grade point average and frequency of sending texts? Starting statisticians examine a scatter plot and discuss any patterns seen.
Scholastic
Think it Through
What does the media tell the teenagers about using marijuana? Help class members decipher what they are being told about drug use with a lesson on editorial cartoons, subliminal messages, and critical thinking skills.
PBS
The Sixties: Notes from the Ho Chi Minh Trail
Young historians research the rationales for fighting the Vietnam War, and the controversies surrounding it. They watch film clips, examine photographs, and read Lyndon B. Johnson's message to Congress to gather information for a...
Curated OER
Satire and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Does Mark Twain’s satire become sarcasm and does he cross the line of propriety in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? As an introduction of satire, class members view an excerpt from The Daily Show and discuss Stewart's use of this...
Maryland Department of Education
A Raisin in the Sun and Dreams Deferred
To conclude a study of A Raisin in the Sun and to prepare for a visit to the Lewis Museum, class members analyze Langston Hughes' poem "Harlem." Learners then draw connections to characters in the play and to their own experiences by...
Wordpress
Notes on Romeo and Juliet – Act 2
If your purpose in using Romeo and Juliet with your classes is to share enjoyment rather than to just read the play by rote, come and inspect these materials designed for the scenes in Act II of Shakespeare's tale of star-crossed lovers.
Curated OER
Talk It Out Lesson #1: Calm Down
Students study communication, feelings, and calming down. In this sociology lesson, students play a game about feelings and discuss how to use I-messages to calm anger.
EngageNY
Launching the Performance Task: Thematic Statement and Narrative Prompt
Scholars think about what message Laura Hillenbrand tries to convey to readers in Unbroken. They begin by sharing their thoughts as thematic statements. After sharing, learners work on explaining their ideas in an Unbroken Thematic...
Curated OER
Who Am I?
Here are several activities intended to allow learners to understand who they are and how they can reach their personal career goals. They discuss community, support, personal achievement, and believing in oneself. It is a positive...
EngageNY
Author’s Craft: Poetry and Prose
During a drama circle, scholars closely examine the play created in the play A Midsummer Night's Dream. The pupils read Act 3 Scene 1 and turn and talk to their partners about the scene. They then complete a handout and discuss the...
Curated OER
Making an Inference from an Implied Message Within a Text
Show your scholars that they make inferences every day and might not even know it. Through scaffolded instruction, they break down the process of drawing information from context. Using example sentences and didactic questioning,...
Anti-Defamation League
Building a Foundation for Safe and Kind Online Communication
Put a spotlight on internet safety with a lesson designed to boost positive online communication. Scholars listen to the story, Yettele's Feathers by Joan Rothenberg, and answer questions. An emoji-themed handout challenges pupils to...
Curated OER
Persuasive Writing I
Examine the characteristics of an effective persuasive paper. In a group, eighth graders discuss the analogy of a debate being like a persuasive paper. After brainstorming topics, they write an argument and then debate it. Secretly, the...
Curated OER
What Can I Do?
Students understand situations that cause different feelings. In this conflict resolution lesson, students read a story and complete an e-sheet about making good choices during conflict. Students to discuss the choices in the story and...
Curated OER
Lesson 2 Introduction Part 2
Ninth graders explore I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. In this introductory lesson, 9th graders read Maya Angelou's poem "Still I Rise." Students write a journal telling what they believe is the message contained in the poem and discuss...
Curated OER
1th Grade U.S. History from 1877
Eleventh graders engage in a lesson that is about the study of history in the United States after the end of World War I. They conduct research using a variety of resources and then summaries are written to explain the reasons for The...
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Electric Messages: Then And Now
Learners engage in a instructional activity that is concerned with the history of communication devices that are used today and in the past. They practice using morse code as a look into the past and then cover the modern subjects of...
Curated OER
Take A Message
High schoolers practice accurate note taking skills, recording only pertinent information. Using proper grammar and useage, they record accurate phone messages. This lesson is intended for students acquiring English.
Curated OER
Still I Rise: Maya Angelou
Students read the poem, Still I rise, by Maya Angelou. They examine how language, poetic devices, and format contribute to the poet's message. They identify poetic devices used in the poem.