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Find Figurative Language
Meet with the school library specialist and work together to plan a visit and presentation on figurative language. After defining and examining examples of targeted terms, the class travels to the library where the SL has collected...
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What's In a Name?
Students examine the origins of the names of U.S. states, focusing on names that were derived from Native American words. They are provided with lists of the names of the 50 states, and then research online or in library resources the...
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Citing Sources
Practice citation skills with this activity, which takes learners to the Library/Media center. There, they will view a Powerpoint presentation and practice collecting data in both print and non-print sources. All necessary materials are...
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Akron: This City Reads
Young scholars write their thoughts about the value of reading and of Akron launching a city wide reading campaign. Students also research literacy in their own community, finding out how it compares to Akron's statistics where it has...
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Give My Regards to Broadway
Learners investigate aspects of Broadway shows. They apply word attack skills to decide what the titles of actual Broadway shows mean. They discuss the history of Broadway shows and why they become successful before completing the...
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Email Buddies
Collaborate with another class (or school) and have your learners share ideas about their reading through the use of email. Perhaps you'll create a specific question or a few questions for writers to choose from. Not only will they...
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In the News
Fourth graders will use AlphaSmarts/Neos to create a one page newspaper in Word which features an early explorer. This lesson plan can be done entirely in the classroom. The students will perform research about the explorer prior to the...
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Guess Who's Coming to Our Classroom
Learners use their research skills to determine the famous person given in clues. Using a character recently dicussed in their classroom, they discuss how they would create a costume for them. They write sentences to be used as dialogue...
Foreign Policy Research Institute
Islam and Islamic Culture
Whether democracy will ever take hold in Islamic nations continues to be a topic of great debate. Here, a series of questions, research, and discussion provide a foundation for class members to come to their own conclusion which they...
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Civil War Slang
Young scholars explore the language of the Civil War time period. In this Civil War lesson, students work in groups to research the meanings of Civil War slang.
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Analyzing Sonnets
Model for your class how to craft an analysis of a sonnet by examining the literary techniques used, the background of the poet, and critical reviews of the poem. As guided practice, learners are assigned a sonnet, complete a preliminary...
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The New Deal: North Carolina's Reconstruction
Eighth graders study North Carolina's reconstruction through an interdisciplinary project that emcompasses social studies, language arts, visual art, music, and technology.
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Unlocking Soliloquies and Unleashing "the Dogs of War"
What is a soliloquy, and who is Julius Caesar? Explore soliloquies with this lesson that gets your kids up and moving! Learners line up, facing each other. Then they read the soliloquy (one side reads one line, and the other side reads...
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Preparing for the New SAT
Read the College Board's explanation of changes in the SAT for 2005, including essay and grammar questions, use College Board's suggestions for ways to study, practice sample questions, and explore other sites with practice tests.
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A Monument Please, For the Big Cheese
Students research a President from the United States. In this United States history lesson, students read about their selected President and record interesting facts. Students design a monument for the President they researched.
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Julius Caesar: iambic pentameter
Read in iambic pentameter! Read Julius Caesar and Macbeth to study the famous meter. While the lesson plan points out the specific passages to use, you'll have to find them and copy them yourself.
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Beauty Queen Heads to Iraq
Middle schoolers study about Jessica Gaulke, a beauty queen from Minnesota. She is then deployed to Iraq with the National Guard unit she is in. They have to role play her and react to what they think they would feel if they were in her...
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Outsourcing City Hall
Students examine how some city halls around the country are using private companies to run them. After watching a video, they write a reaction paper to some part of it. They write an article for their school newspaper discussing whether...
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Springfield Digital Storytelling Project: Landform Riddle
Creative projects and collaborative learning are hallmarks of 21st Century learning skills. Using an iphone, 6th graders create an iMovie which shows a student composed riddle. The riddle needs to be about one of the landforms they have...
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Working Animals
Learners discuss the role of animals and how they can work with people to better the community. In this working animals lesson plan, students discuss how animals and people work together to complete different tasks in the community.
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Words Can Hurt: King Day (4th)
Students study stereotypes and write about how to end stereotyping. For this stereotypes lesson, students study a T-chart about boys and girls stereotypes. Students then discuss stereotypical phrases. Students discuss Martin Luther King,...
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Mystery Words - Part Two - School Terms
Students increase their vocabularies with the mystery words activity. For this vocabulary lesson, students solve the mystery words using clues.
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Fish Fact Rummy
Seventh graders study and explore the base of PA game fish species and characteristics. In this cooperative learning instructional activity students create a fish fact game by researching information on certain species then play...
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How Appropriate is that Tree?
Students identify trees and their environments using a dichotomous chart. In this exploratory lesson plan students use the Internet to identify conditions needed for the trees and what the climate is in their area.