Curated OER
Errors vs. Rhetorical Devices
Is there a difference between writing errors and employing rhetorical devices? This presentation argues that there is a difference, but it might be a finer point than one would think. Addressing double entendre, oxymorons, and parody,...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Upton Sinclair, Theodore Roosevelt, and Harvey W. Wiley
Though Upton Sinclair's novel The Jungle shocked the American public into a thorough examination of the meat-packing industry, the author was disappointed that his book's main argument—the exploitation of American immigrants—was not...
Curated OER
Life, Death, Dirt, & Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman was a composter? Certainly the cycle of life and death he describes in "Leaves of Grass" parallels the processes going on in a compose pile. The interdisciplinary approach detailed here could be used to foster a deeper...
Curated OER
My Secret War: Lesson 1
Fifth graders explore historical fiction. In this genre study lesson, 5th graders go on a text feature scavenger hunt to identify the parts of a historical fiction text. Additionally, students read the book, My Secret War and discuss...
Curated OER
A New Look at an Old Spelling System
Introducing herself as "a discouraged professor of English education," Alleen Pace Nilsen elaborates on the prominence of incorrect spelling in education today. She laments the overuse of spellcheck (and substituting the wrong words),...
Core Knowledge Foundation
The Victorian Age
The length of Queen Victoria's reign, surpassed only by Queen Elizabeth II in the modern era, stretched through much of the 19th century and into the 20th century. Explore the many social, industrial, and political shifts that occurred...
Berklee College of Music
Create Your Own Afro-Latin Groove
The backbone of Latin American music is the beat! Young musicians work on blending Afro-Latin rhythms and beat patterns before incorporating the major pentatonic, minor pentatonic, and blues scales in their own compositions.
King County
Reproductive System
It's every health and science teacher's favorite subject to cover: the reproductive system. This comprehensive lesson introduces adolescents to the reproductive anatomy of men and women with the help of a series of diagrams,...
Curated OER
People at Work
Students observe people at work and draw them in pencil or charcoal in high contrast values.
Curated OER
Reflections in the Mirror A Visual Journal and Mural Inspired by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera
Students examine and analyze works of art by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. They create journals that follow the form and content of Kahlo's diary, and murals in the spirit of Rivera.
Curated OER
Family Responsibility and Commitment
Learners discuss the meaning of family and how they can community love and affection. Using an analysis of the work of Picasso, students define who is in their family. They discuss the various ways family members express their affection...
Curated OER
Allen Ginsberg: Poetry and Politics
Students explore the poetry of Allen Ginsberg. They read and analyze poems by Allen Ginsberg, conduct Internet research, collect examples of art of the 60s, and create a presentation.
Curated OER
Landforms
Students study how landforms affect all aspects of a community. Students work in groups to identify landforms from other works of art. In cooperative groups Students select a work of art depicting a particular land form and create a poem.
Curated OER
Studying Haring's Public Mural: "Crack is Wack"
Students examine and discuss Keith Haring's mural, Crack is Wack, and his political and personal motivations to create the mural. They plan, design and create a mural that addresses social issues.
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Clay Creatures
When little ones make things out of clay they're not just exercising their creativity, they are following directions, developing fine motor skills, and building a sense of pride in their work. First graders use the pinch-and-score...
Curated OER
Why Vote? A Public Awareness Campaign
Students examine the structure of local government and determine why citizens vote. In this civics lesson, students listen to a lecture about the structure of local government and then encourage others to exercise their right to vote.
Curated OER
Timber: Living and Working in an Arkansas Forest
Upper elementary and middle schoolers examine and research the history of the Timber Industry in the state of Arkansas. An economic component is quite prevalent in this lesson as well. Groups of learners work together to write essays...
Pennington Publishing
Vocabulary Worksheet #1 & #2
These two worksheets cover several grammatical topics. Pupils work on words with multiple meanings, Greek and Latin word parts, word connotations, academic language, and more. The result is seven quick exercises that could be used...
Curated OER
Allegory in Painting
High schoolers examine how allegory is defined and used in the visual arts. They create a list of the arts, and list the objects, symbols, and figures that suggest each art category, analyze various paintings, and identify the...
EngageNY
Analyzing Text Structure: “Water Is Life” Paragraphs
Water, water everywhere. Readers revisit paragraphs six through nine in the article "Water is Life" to answer text-dependent questions. They then pair up to reread the article focusing on its structure and record their thoughts on...
Jefferson County Schools
Teaching Persuasive Reading and Writing
With the increasing emphasis on persuasive and argumentative writing, the lessons and strategies in the sample unit are sure to prove valuable—whether you are new to or an experienced pro at teaching persuasive reading and writing.
Curated OER
Become a Character: Adjectives, Character Traits, and Perspective
Students use an online chart to match the character traits of a character in a book they are reading with specific actions the character takes. Students then work in pairs to "become" one of the major characters in a book and describe...
Curated OER
Behind Closed Doors
Students explore different types of doors from an artistic point of view. In this creative thinking lesson, students look at different types of architectural doors and doorways and analyze them. They create a project of a door as a...
Reed Novel Studies
Flush: Novel Study
Standing up for beliefs sometimes leads to trouble! The father in Flush takes knows this all too well when he sinks a boat in protest to its illegal dumping. With his dad behind bars, the son, Noah, takes matters into his hands by...