Smithsonian Institution
Solomon G. Brown: Letter Writing
Personal correspondence in the form of letters is not as common as it once was. This resource presents an opportunity for you to introduce your class to letter writing and cover topics in social studies. Learners read a letter written in...
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Butterflies: Fly into Science
Engage young learners with these great interdisciplinary lesson ideas for teaching about butterflies!
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Beauty of Anglo-Saxon Poetry: A Prelude to Beowulf
Riddle me this! What do kennings, caesura, and alliteration have to do with the Nowell Codex? Introduce class members to Anglo-Saxon poetry and prepare readers for a study of Beowulf with a series of activities that...
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Beloved Test
Which character in Toni Morrison’s Beloved personifies evil? What does Seth overhear Schooteacher instruct his pupils to do? The 50 multiple choice and matching questions on this exam focus on points of plot; therefore, test takers could...
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Exploring Photographs
Students explore the basic tools for analyzing images using description, reflection, and formal analysis. In this photography analysis lesson plan, students analyze a photograph as a class and then in small groups. Students write...
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Writing About Art: Comparing Portraits
Students write a composition comparing and contrasting two portraits. In this comparing and contrasting lesson, students will observe two portraits and compare them through their writing. They then will write a letter to the artists...
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A New Ending for Of Mice and Men
Students rewrite the ending of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. For this Of Mice and Men lesson, students enter a fictitious contest in which they compose a new ending for Of Mice and Men in which Lennie is not killed. The...
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Getting Your "Hands-On" a Great Outline
Learners write with controlled and/or subtle organization. They learn three ways to arrange a formal outline. Students demonstrate this knowledge by creating an outline as class. They cover the concepts of anticipation, investigation,...
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"The Necklace" and "Cinderella"
Tenth graders complete literature analysis activities using Guy de Maupassants "The Necklace" and the Grimm Brothers "Cinderella." In this literature analysis lesson plan, 10th graders discuss the life and career of Guy de...
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Christmas Carol Project
Eighth graders create a researched presentation comparing and contrasting holiday celebrations from the period surrounding Charles' Dickens 'A Christmas Carol.' In this Christmas celebrations lesson, 8th graders discuss differences...
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Theatre: Meaningful Monologues
Students perform dramatic monologues. In this drama lesson, students write their own monologue and perform it in front of their peers.
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Mystery Box
Students use their sense of touch to describe an object in the mystery box. In this mystery box lesson, students use linguistic abilities to describe the object. Students give as much detail as they can as to what they feel that object...
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Reading to Your Child
Students listen to a story and are encouraged to read. In this reading lesson students share tips on reading and complete a group activity.
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Resilient Poetry
Young scholars read The Seven Resiliencies, a Maya Angelou poem, and complete writing activities to analyze the concept of resiliency. For this poetry lesson, students group in a circle to read the resiliency handout and discuss the...
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Using Fabrics in Your Art Curriculum
Learners use a dicut machine to do block printing on fabric. In this fabric lesson plan, students draw, carve, and print onto blocks for this art project.
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Reading Primary Source Documents: Historical Content
Why do we read primary source documents? What can they give us that other writings cannot? Provide your learners with any of the primary sources attached here (there are seven), and have them complete the graphic organizer (which opens...
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Secret Life of Bees Research
The Secret Life of Bees provides high schoolers an opportunity to connect the events in the novel to events in America’s history. After choosing a topic from a provided list, individuals research how the event affected the Civil Rights...
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Roller Coasters: They're Fun, But Are They Safe?
Students survey people to find out what roller coasters they like, conduct Internet research to find information on dangers in amusement parks, contact experts on subject, and write feature that shows pros and cons of coasters.
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Whose History Is It Anyway? Patterns in History
Read and examine primary source material in order to analyze, synthesize, and debate information about the Great Depression. Critical analysts research various source materials related to the Great Depression. They work in teams to...
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Spelling Relay
Looking for a way to review and practice spelling words that's fun and creative? Use this spelling relay activity for any grade level. Using three spelling lists, ranging in difficulty, teams of young spellers choose words from the lists...
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Life in the Crystal Palace
Marine biologists research sea ice communities. Assign some groups to construct paper models of sea ice communities in winter, and some to construct models of them in summer. The activity is simplistic, but the Internet resources...
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Don't Let the Earth Down
Although recycling is definitely beneficial, reducing our waste and conserving our natural resources should really be the focus of environmentalists. Encourage the future generation to create a public service announcement about a...
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Anti-Semitism Workshop
Originating from the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem, here is a resource to support your world historians in their study of World War II, the Holocaust, your cultural scholars learning about anti-semitism, or your...
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Assessment Strategies in the Elementary School Classroom
Twelfth graders in a teacher education program research various assessment strategies to use in an elementary classroom. In groups, they use the internet to discover different types of rubrics. Using this information, they create their...