Lesson Plan
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Poetic Analysis

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students write a poetic analysis on a poem by Carl Sandburg. They take their previous knowledge of poetic devices and apply them to a piece of writing that displays their knowledge on a specific poem. They explain what they know about a...
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Music Education, The Blues

For Teachers Pre-K - 6th
This lesson examines both the content and form of lyrics in blues songs. In addition to highlighting the basic musical form of a blues song, it also addresses the use of floating verses in blues music, both within the context of the...
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Stain My Days Blue

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students read several poems related to the life and culture of the Appalachia region. They are introduced to the poetic forms of simile, alliteration and onomatopoeia and respond to the poems through journal entries and poetry of their own.
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Developing Open-Ended Questions

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Pupils work in groups of two to develop questions and sample answers that are relevant, accurate and use higher level of thinking skills about a literary unit. Students present their questions and answers to the class as a review of the...
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Other Voices - Latino and Chicano Literature and Identity in America

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders analyze "Dedication" and "Child of the Americas" using a double-journal format. They compare responses and infer meaning from the connotations of select images in the poems write a paragraph describing the importance of...
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Octavio Paz

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders read and analyze the poem, "The Street," by Hispanic author, Octavio Paz. They research the life of Octavio Paz and identify his literary contributions. They complete an online scavenger hunt and create an author map of...
Unit Plan
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Which Way To Go?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students prepare for and respond to literature selections. This package of lessons includes nine lessons from the American Literature series, each covering a different reading selection about a man making a key life decision. Pre-reading...
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Bums in the Attic

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students engage in a study about the life of young girl in the book "Bums In The Attic". They read the narrative story while considering the first person point of view. Students write a journal that analyzes the author's style of writing.
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LETTER FROM ONE CHARACTER TO ANOTHER

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders read stories and pick one with characters they find interesting. Then students create a dialogue of writing a letter from one character to another. The letter must relate to the original story in some way that can easily...
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The Poet's Message-"The Colored Soldier" by Langston Hughes

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze the poem, "The Colored Soldier" by Langston Hughes to gain a greater experience of how poets use language to create meaning, influence thinking and thus become pioneers of change in American society. They work on the...
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Nasreddin Hodja - Turkish and Middle Eastern Folklore Philosopher

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders read a readers theater written by Nasreddin Hodja. In this Nasreddin Hodja lesson plan, 3rd graders learn about the philosopher and participate in one of his reader's theaters.
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Thornton Wilder's Our Town: The Reader as Writer

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students read a play and create their own play using Thornton Wilder's Our Townas a resource. For this play lesson, students analyze how theatrical elements contribute to a play's meanings and effects. Students recognize differences...
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Family Traditions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers research their family traditions. They select a tradition that has meaning to them and write about the traditions. They retell the story to a partner and add details. They write a draft of their story to a partner and...
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The Tell Tale Heart

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explore storytelling by listening to a reading of a classic poem.  In this language arts lesson, 8th graders listen to an audio recording of Edgar Allen Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart.  Students examine the life of...
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Double Exposed Photographs

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners create double-exposed photographs, poetry, and multimedia presentations. In this artwork lesson plan, students explore cameras, poems, and other art forms to understand line, light, and other attributes that contribute to artwork.
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Langston Hughes: Dream Variations

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students examine African-American communal life. In this Langston Hughes lesson, students read poetry by Hughes in order to gain insight into the Harlem community. Students select artwork that represents their community.
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The Great Gatsby

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders investigate the concept of the American Dream. They use the novel "The Great Gatsby" as an example from literature. Students brainstorm in order to define the American Dream.
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How Does Ancestry Affect Folklore?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars break into groups of 4 or 5 and choose an option to demonstrate a different cultural perspective in a fairy tale or other folklore that they are familiar. Possible choices are: PowerPoint presentation, video, digital...
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Story Parts

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders identify the three major parts of a story. After reading the book "Stellaluna," students discuss the beginning, middle and end of the story. They write a short story depicting the events that would happen if the story...
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Landscapes

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore landforms and landscapes. They demonstrate an appreciation for and examine how to recognize the attributes of landforms and landscapes. Students create a landscape and reflect on their painting.
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Bunnicula

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students create a dictionary of vocabulary after reading a story. Individually, they create a story web making sure to include all of the basic story elements. They also create a timeline and write a book report of all important events.
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Most Wanted Villians

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners review the characteristics of various characters in fairytales. As a class, they review the story details and create a concept map using a software program. They create their own wanted poster of the villians in the fairytale to...
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Coyote and Anansi

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars explore the structure of folktales. In this coyote and Anansi lesson, students discuss the attributes of folktales as they read versions of tales featuring coyote and Anansi. Young scholars collaborate to write and perform...
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Making Blood!

For Teachers 5th - 7th
students research blood's components, and use their math skills to recreate a model of whole blood using commonly found food items.