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She's All Over the Map
Young scholars consider female authors and their literature. Working in partnerships, they research and map the life and work of a Nobel Prize-winning female author of their choice. Students write individual letters expressing their...
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Oedipus Wrecks
Students explore the concept of the 'tragic hero' and how such characters are relevant in theatre, literature, and history.
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Elders' Ways
Eighth graders collect and compare folk beliefs and sayings about health and healing as well as folk remedies. Then they investigate local graveyards, analyze their findings, and compare graveyards in Louisiana. Students also engage in...
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Dress Rehearsal
Learners trace the rites of passage from the 1940's through the present in literature. They review some of their favorite expressions first and compare some of Holden's speech with their own. They discuss initial reactions to the book...
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Slide-Tape Dramatization as a Way of Teaching Literature
Learners select one song and write the lyrics on the blackboard. They segment the lyrics into meaningful phrases or sentences and visualize each unit of meaning to convey the message of the song. They select a different song and act out...
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Personal Experience Narratives
Help your middle schoolers identify personal experience narratives in their own lives through telling stories themselves and from family members or other adults. They study personal experience narratives in Swapping Stories and compare...
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Screen Play
High schoolers examine the New York Times review of the film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and explore the elements of scriptwriting. They read the article about the film adaptation screenplay and examine a...
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Training Students for Literature Circles
Role sheets clearly define expectations of all group members in this introduction to literature circles. By using a variety of picture books or short texts, readers can practice roles while the teacher circulates to each group observing...
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A Year in the Work of the Bard
Students study the life and times of Shakespeare. In this William Shakespeare lesson, students research the noted Web sites to discover details about Shakespeare's life and the times he lived in. Students also virtually visit the Globe...
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A Comparison of the Play and Movie "Inherit the Wind"
Students read the play "Inherit the Wind" about the Scopes "Monkey" Trial. In groups, they choose their favorite scene and create a diorama dipicting the scene as they see it. They watch a recording of the play and compare it to their...
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Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) Lesson Plan
Students create a pizza recipe based on the recipe used in The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) by Philemon Sturges. In this early childhood lesson plan, students read The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) and identify the ingredients needed...
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Genealogy Research
Students explore history is not as a listing of dates, wars, and leaders but as the story of real people whose lives were impacted by the events of their time. They complete a pedigree chart and tape record a family member.
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Reading Literacy- Books on CD
Students explore the importance of learning to read. They work with other students to create audiobooks to share with younger students, or classes.
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Posting Personal Testimonies on the Web
Students read literature based on family heroes. They discuss the concepts of friendship, loyalty and death. They write their own stories of courage and post them to a webpage.
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Book Week
Students discuss favorite books. They listen to the teacher tell how Book Week started. Students participate in a variety of activities designed to help them focus on books and reading. Some may create covers for the older books,...
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Read On
Students consider the question "Why do we read?" through creating and sharing individual timelines of their own histories as readers. They then choose a book on which to write a personal essay.
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Life in Letters
Students explore the relationship between an author's life and their work. Students research the historical and personal events surrounding a Nobel Prize winning author and how they are reflected in the author's writing. They create a...
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Lousia May Alcott
Students examine the life of Louisa May Alcott. Using the Internet, they examine the types of books and plays she wrote. In groups, they compare and contrast the types of covers used on the various publishing's. They design and color...
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Sun and Moon Folktale
Students become familiar with characteristics of folktales by reading or listening to African folktale that explains why sun and moon live in the sky. Students then create their own folktales about the sun and moon or another aspect of...
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Prize-Winning Prose
Students develop criteria for 'Kids' Pulitzers,' awards in categories of writing determined by Students. Each student then bestow a 'Kids' Pulitzer' upon a piece of writing which they deem to be distinguished based on the established...
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State of the Art
Students watch and discuss a scene from 'Cool Hand Luke,' then read the actor Kevin Costner's commentary on it. Then, each identifies one work of art that he or she loves and prepares a similar commentary on the details of that work's...
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Where the Sidewalk Transcends
Students use titles of Shel Silverstein poems to generate their own poetry for Students. Each student then compares his or her poem to the Shel Silverstein poem of the same title.
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Legends in Their Own Times
Students learn folk tales from many different cultures and retell them using the medium of their choice. They write about the cultural indications found in these tales.
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Classes For The Masses
Students explore how class is represented in the media by developing ideas for television pilots that deal with class issues. They compile short lists of television characters from working, middle and upper classes.