Learning for Justice
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou's poem, "Still I Rise", offers young scholars an opportunity to consider how poets use literary devices to create powerful messages. After a close reading and discussion of the poem, class members reflect on how they can...
Curated OER
Beowulf: Songs of Ancient Heroes
Introduce your class to epic heroes with these activities for Beowulf. After watching a video clip, taking notes on heroes, and tracking characteristics of heroism throughout Beowulf, class members retell an episode of Beowulf using a...
Free Library of Philadelphia
Resources for Ghost Boys
Jewell Parker Rhodes, the author of Ghost Boys, wanted to bring the historical legacy of Emmett Till and the current topic of racial prejudice into today's young readers' mindsets. Use a reading guide and set of discussion questions to...
Curated OER
The Synagogue on Praska Street
Students discover the significange of a synagogue that was destroyed during World War II. As a class, they identify and describe Jewish symbols and are introduced to Croatian Jewry. They review the characteristics of a minority and read...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Animal Farm: Allegory and the Art of Persuasion
Introduce your class members to allegory and propaganda with a series of activities designed to accompany a study of George Orwell's Animal Farm. Readers examine the text as an allegory, consider the parallels to collective farms...
Curated OER
Getting to Know You
Students complete a survey of interests to allow the teacher to become quickly acquainted with each student and introduce themselves using an alliterative adjective that best describes their personality.
Curated OER
Introduction to Traditional Oral Narratives
Students are introduced to the idea of traditional oral narratives and divide them into genres. They explore the genres of context, motifs and variants. Each student finds oral narratives in their own lives and practice retelling them in...
Curated OER
Boogie Woogie with a B: Using Alliteration while Exploring Patriotic Tunes
Are you looking for a way to bring writing into your history lesson - or history into your writing lesson? This cross-curricular activity is helpful and fun, no matter what class you're teaching! Using "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" by the...
Curated OER
Simple Symbols and American Children
Students are introduced to a variety of symbols representing the United States. As a class, they identify places in which they have seen the various symbols and discuss what they mean. To end the lesson, they state the words from the...
Curated OER
Half Man, Half Limping Rabbit
Students explore culture and change through reading "Half Main, Half Limping Rabbit" by Nina Porzucki. In this literature and cultural lesson plan, students discuss Dracula and other folk stories from Romania. Students identify the ways...
Curated OER
Citizenship
Students investigate patterns of immigration in the US while comparing and contrasting the ideas of citizenship and non-citizenship. They decide how education plays a role in citizenship.
Curated OER
Coming Home:From the Life of Langston Hughes
Third graders listen to the non-fiction book: COMING HOME: FROM THE LIFE OF LANGSTON HUGHES. They identify examples of metaphors and similies within the book and understand how this figure of speech is used in writing. They then create...
Curated OER
Say Hi to Haibun Fun
Students examine the Japanese writing form of Haibun. They identify the elements of Japanese prose and poetry, analyze a haibun for writing devices, complete a graphic organizer, and compose an original haibun as a form of journal keeping.
Curated OER
Goddesses Are Personifications Too!
Students explore the use of personification as a way of expressing ideals. They transfer this understanding to the present by creating an allegorical depiction of a contemporary ideal or value inspired by precedents in the...
Curated OER
Social Studies: African Banner Boxes
Students write creation stories and design stamps to use on banners accompany them. They discuss the use of stamps in African culture to take the place of words. Students use a handout of stamps and their own creations to create banners...
Curated OER
United States Map- Map Legend/City Symbols
Students investigate the United States map. In this map skills geography lesson, students explore city symbols on the map legend and identify them. Students use post-it notes to mark various symbols.
Curated OER
Spiritual Power of Symbols
Students examine how symbols are used in some societies to influence spirits and to protect rooms. They discuss and view examples of doors decorated with symbols, and create a door mural using African and American symbols.
Curated OER
Ancient Myths Retold
Students are introduced to mythology and create modern versions of ancient myths based on figures represented on modern U.S. coins.
Curated OER
Michigan Symbols
Third graders are introduced to the symbols of the state of Michigan. Using the symbols, they discuss how they represent the differences in Michigan's environment. They use various websites to collect their information and share it with...
Curated OER
The Olympic Rings
Students are introduced to the Olympic rings and their historic significance as an international symbol. Working in small groups, they research the history behind the Olympic symbol using traditional research methods. Using the intended...
Curated OER
A Map Mystery
First graders solve a mystery by following map clues. In this map clues lesson plan, 1st graders follow a computer program called Neighborhood Map Machine. In this program, it gives students directional and spatial clues in order to...
Curated OER
Olympic Mascot Lesson
Students investigate the 1968 Olympics by identifying their mascots. In this Olympic history lesson, students participate in a group activity where they match countries with their representative mascots. Students analyze the...
Curated OER
Flags
Students explore flags. In this social studies civics lesson plan students listen to Flags of the Metis by Calvin Racette. Students identify examples of symbols used in the 21st century. Students research information about flags, design...
Curated OER
Social Studies: Aztec Calendars and Culture
Sixth graders analyze the Aztec calendar and create their own examples of them. They determine the meaning of the symbols used in the calendars and record their ideas in journals. Students host a parent breakfast for them to observe...