Curated OER
No Regrets: a Poetry Analysis
Learners read a poem and use the TPCASTT strategy for analysis. In this poetry analysis lesson, students journal about their future goals and read John Updike's "Ex-Basketball Player." Learners discuss the purpose of the poem and...
Curated OER
More of, Less of
Have your class discuss behaviors they like from other people. They will then get into groups and list behaviors they want to see more of from people in their community, classroom, or school. This is a great Character Counts lesson!
Curated OER
Sticks and Stones
Students explore bullying. In this character development activity, students discuss verbal and nonverbal bullying. Using the "sticks and stones" adage, students write a sentence describing a hurtful act on a gray piece of paper, crumple...
Curated OER
Creating Character: Courage
Students explore the concept of courage, both in themselves and in others. In this history and character education lesson, students discuss the characteristics of courage and what it means and how one can show it. Students listen to...
Curated OER
Macbeth - Analyzing Characterization in Drama
The writing activity in this lesson could be used to assess student understanding of previously taught concepts of how language reveals character.
Curated OER
Traits Needed for Effective Group Process
Students brainstorm characteristics that are needed to succeed in various occupations. They observe the list and discuss the most-listed traits. The list is left up in the classroom for inspiration.
Penguin Books
A Teacher's Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of William Shakespeare's King Lear
King Lear is a powerful and complex tragedy that looks deeply into political power and family dynamics, loyalty, betrayal, aging, and madness. This teaching guide includes scene-by-scene plot summaries, information about the elements of...
Star Wars in the Classroom
"Shakespeare and Star Wars": Lesson Plan Day 11
Class members take center stage as groups perform scenes from Ian Doescher's William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope. Actors are encouraged to add stage directions to the script, as well as create costumes and props to...
Channel Islands Film
The Legendary King of San Miguel: Lesson Plan 3 - Grades 9-12
The documentary, The Legendary King of San Miguel Island, introduces the fascinating tale of Herb Lester, his family, and their life on San Miguel Island. Viewers have an opportunity to expand their study of the island and of Lester's...
Channel Islands Film
Cache: Lesson Plan 4 - Grades 4-5
After viewing the West of the West's documentary Cache, individuals craft either a newspaper article chronicling the discovery of the cache on San Nicolas Island, a historical narrative of the placement of the cache in the cliff side, or...
Pace University
Short Stories
A reading of Kevin Lamb's short story "Lost in the Woods" launches a study of how writers use elements such as foreshadowing, mood, character development, setting, and conflict to engage readers. Class members then demonstrate what they...
Penguin Books
A Teacher's Guide to the Signet Classics Edition of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
A 24-page teacher's guide to Romeo and Juliet includes scene-by-scene plot summaries, focus, discussion questions, and suggestions for individual and group projects.
Penguin Books
A Teacher's Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of George Orwell's Animal Farm
Not all teacher's guides are equal, but some are pretty good. This guide for George Orwell's Animal Farm includes chapter synopses, chapter-by-chapter discussion questions, journal and essay prompts, and suggestions for various activities.
Curated OER
Themes in Literature - Langston Hughes "Thank You Ma'm"
Eighth graders study Langston Hughes, "Thank You Ma'am" to discover the elements of plot, character motives and reactions. They express the effects of trust and kindness by writing a reflective personal narrative. They illustrate the...
Curated OER
Responsibility and Jobs
Students identify community helpers. In this philanthropy lesson, students read Strega Nona and identify different characters' responsibilities in the story. Students use character traits to describe the main characters and make a list...
Curated OER
Deciding Theme
Fifth graders explore the theme of a story by identifying the effects of a character's decision. In this theme study lesson, 5th graders refer to the events in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Students discuss as a whole class how...
Curated OER
The Water of Life
Students listen to the fairy tale "The Water of Life" by the Brothers Grimm. Using the text, they answer comprehension questions and retell the story to their classmates. They identify the plot and the main characters and role play...
Curated OER
As Seen on TV
Sixth graders research how minority groups are represented in media. In this media literacy lesson plan, 6th graders investigate two YouTube clips of Hugo Chavez and discuss different points of view.
Curated OER
Utilizing Art, Literature and Film to Teach Black History
Fifth graders are introduced to different aspects of African-American history through literature, art, and films. As a class, they are read a story about the Underground Railroad, identify the main characters and put the events into...
Curated OER
Eggs
Third graders examine a variety of information about eggs. They complete a class KWL chart, and read "Green Eggs and Ham" and "The Eggs Are Hatching" by Monica Incisa and discuss the fictional and non-fictional aspects of each book. In...
Curated OER
We Need More Than Money
Students identify examples of private resources. In this philanthropy instructional activity, students read the book A Chair for My Mother and identify the private resources the characters used in the text. Students name private...
Curated OER
Translation Into Reality
Students read a variety of short stories that focus on teenage protagonists. In groups, they answer comprehension questions and discuss the characters and setting for each story. Individually, they choose one writing assignment to...
Curated OER
Faces of the Family
Students and teachers share their individual concept of families to begin the lesson. As they read different pieces of literature, they keep a journal of the activities and problems each main character gets into. To end the lesson,...
Curated OER
Explore Puss In Boots
Learners listen to a fairy tale "Puss in Boots". Using the text, they answer comprehension questions and discuss them as a class. They discover the story structure and identify the main characters. They also have a chance to share their...