John F. Kennedy Center
Folktale Theatre
Introduce your middle schoolers to a performance and movement activity that uses their favorite stories from fairytales and folklore. They practice basic acting skills, create dialogues with a partner, and then as guided practice,...
Curated OER
Shadows & Light, Science & Puppetry
Lights, shadows, action, and inquiry await your artistic scientists. They explore the way light travels, absorbs, reflects, and transmits through shadow play. They create folktale-inspired shadow puppets, explore the science of light,...
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Cheerful Hearts and Willing Feet
Learners explore characterization in Little Women. In this literature lesson plan, students participate in written analysis and research in order to explore Alcott's characterization in the novel.
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Mark Twain: Straddling the Civil War
Mark Twain's life, politics, writing, and role as a mirror of pre- and post-Civil War American culture are the focus 11th and 12th graders in this section from an expansive author study. A critical writing assignment comparing Twain...
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Pottery with Artist Kerry Moosman
After watching a video of Native American artist Maria Martinez create art out of clay, learners will create burnished coil pots similar to those made by artist, Kerry Moosman. This lesson plan includes a supply list, web links,...
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Lesson New Museum: Exploring the Building
Explore the possibilities of buildings, public spaces, and architectural design. Learners examine the work of SANAA architects Sejima & Nishizawa through background information, images, and guided class discussion. This lesson...
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DC Branch Current Analysis
Engage your class in physics with this series of questions. The first question is the most hands-on and asks learners to build their own circuit. The rest of the questions are related to current analysis. Class members solve 7 problems...
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US Immigration Policy: What Should We Do?
Young scholars evaluate immigration policies. For this global issues lesson, students analyze the long-term goals of divergent immigration policies as they role play the deliberation process.
PLS 3rd Learning
Budget Basics
Prepare young adults for life with various budgeting activities. Exercises include identifying fixed, variable, and discretionary income, and creating a budget based on a realistic projected income. The required website allows teachers...
PLS 3rd Learning
A Place to Hang Your Hat
Kids get real about moving out and living on their own. They review landlord/tenant laws, discuss housing options and then check the classified ads. Individually or in pairs, they research housing options and discuss topics such as...
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Rental Agreement Lingo
The first time you sit down to sign a rental agreement is quite an experience. Prepare your class for that inevitable moment with a lesson plan on rental agreement lingo. They read a rental agreement, fill out a lingo worksheet, and then...
Curated OER
Analyzing Advertising
Some ads really make products look great, and even better than they really are! Kids get into small groups to research and compare marketing used by various cell phone companies. They analyze advertisements, carrier options, and cell...
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All The Bell & Whistles
Young adults are so eager to get that first cell phone. And, cell phones have so many cool extras! Learners conduct real-life research to determine which cell phone carrier offers the best deals on things like wall paper, ringtones, and...
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Dream Phone of Basic Phone?
Learning to be a savvy shopper can make or break the bank. Upper graders research five different cell phone carriers to see if they'll have enough money in their imaginary budget for a dream phone or a basic phone. They create either a...
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The Great Gatsby Historical Background Using Multi-Genre Research Project
Before beginning F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, create a historical context of the Roaring 20s with this lesson. Set up a gallery walk with the provided PowerPoint, which features 10 topics related to the 1920s. Then begin...
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Sunken Millions for People in our Past
This multiple choice review covers famous historical figures from all walks of life. each slide has a scoring set up in the corner which assumes two teams and allows for hints and lifelines etc. but it is not clear how to use this...
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What is Small Group Interaction?
While all learners need to know the benefits and responsibilities of working in a small group, this presentation and its vocabulary are geared toward a late high school or early college student. Why do we study in small groups? Why do...
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Irish Eyes: Taking a Look at Local Landscape
Direct your class’s attention to the elements that make their community unique. After examining sample travel brochures, groups select something from their community to use as the subject, and then research, create, and publish a...
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A River Ran Wild: An Environmental History
The Nashua River serves as the focal point of an investigation of the treatment of and care for natural resources. A reading of A River Rand Wild: An Environmental History by Lynne Cherry, launches the study and class members consider...
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Flipped: Anticipation Guide Instructions
Encourage text-to-self connections with a prereading strategy designed for Flipped. Clear steps are included, and the actual anticipation guide is the final page of the three-page packet. Ten statements are provided, and class members...
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Frankenstein Anticipation Guide
Before your high schoolers embark on the journey of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, provide them with this prereading activity. Independently, they respond to seven statements that connect with the novel. For example, they must decide if...
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Anticipation Guide: Life of Pi
Create an anticipation guide with your class for Life of Pi. They will have likely heard of the novel and maybe even seen the movie, but provide them with this guide to get them thinking. Eight statements are given, and your class...
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Mississippi Trial, 1955: Anticipation Guide
As an introductory activity to Mississippi Trial, 1955, class members use color-coded dots to respond anonymously to a series of statements about prejudice and responsibility to their fellow-man that are posted about the room. The...
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Dr. Seuss’s ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book Lesson
Dr. Seuss's ABC Book is used to help young readers distinguish between the letters of the alphabet and their letter sounds. After a discussion reviewing the letters that are vowels and consonants, the book is read to the class. Then, the...