Middle schoolers see examples of other types of written stories. They are introduced to the ballad in literature. Students obtain ideas for their own family story. They discuss how ballads can relate true stories through music. Middle...

Young scholars examine different decades in American history, finding connections between the historical events and the poetry written during these time periods. They write their own poetry based on current world events.

Students read the book The Snowy Day and discover various winter themes. In this winter lesson, students develop movements to express the feeling of a snowstorm. Students also construct winter-themed art pieces.

Eighth graders analyze primary source documents emphasizing young people in factory labor (mill workers during 1840-1860). They study hours of labor, ages of laborers, reasons for working, and working conditions. They write a poem or song.

First graders describe the characteristics of a tree. In this science lesson, 1st graders create predictions about a book they will be listening to, Have you Seen Trees. Additionally, students describe their trees using their 5 senses....

"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," from The Jungle Book, offers young readers a chance to examine how Rudyard Kipling uses setting and personification to bring to life the brave mongoose who battles cobras to protect his family. Class members...

Learners apply word-level skills through shared and guided reading. They use poems of parts of poems as models for own writing. They read texts aloud with pace and expression.

Students use reading searchlights to work out new words and make sense of what they read. They compose own poetic sentences.

Students examine their feelings of anger in various situations. In groups, they view scenerios from different points of view and from reading many poems. They answer comprehension questions about a story they read to end the class.

Sixth graders study the life in Jewish ghettos during World War II and learn about tolerance and compassion. In this WWII lesson, 6th graders discuss Jewish ghettos but with a mistreatment of the kids with stickers to signify the Jewish...

Students participate in a reading skills lesson to improve reading comprehension. The skill of visualization is taught and practiced to help them better understand the plot of a story.

Students engage in a fact file exercise. In this reading comprehension lesson, students read an article, complete a worksheet, and explore suggested websites.

Learners watch a video, view websites, and discuss the Chinese Exclusion Act that took place on Angel Island. In this Chinese exclusion act lesson plan, students discuss the interrogations that went on and fill out worksheets bout the...

Sixth graders be immersed indirect experiences which are opportunities for students to reflect, look back, debrief or abstract from their experiences what they have felt, and thought, and studied.

Celebrate Black History Month with the help of 10 ideas that delve deep into the history, major events, contributions, famous African Americans, and sheds light on how scholars today can take a proactive stance on current civil rights...

After a review of the SQ3R strategy, readers use the provided prompts to respond to a text. The value of this worksheet is in the additional questions that move the learner into higher levels of reasoning.

First graders examine the character values of kindness, responsibility, and decisions making by playing circle games, listening to a read aloud of the story "Feathers," and discussing the story. They discuss the facial expressions of can...

Music can help us to access memories and events in a meaningful way, and Francis Scott Key used specific words to convey what he had seen and felt when writing what would become America's national anthem. Help your class connect to...

As the investigation into the reporting of the events in Ferguson, Missouri, continues, class members consider how bias influences perception, how the tendency is to collect evidence that supports preconceived notions. The big idea...

High schoolers engage in a study of poetry in order to strengthen reading comprehension. They use the guided reading in order to appreciate the act of composing poetry. The teacher reads using the right intonation, pacing, and projection...

Flowering learners explore the concept of figurative language as it relates to poems, songs, or creative written expression. For this creative writing lesson, they complete several phrases using similes, metaphors, and...

High schoolers view the AMERICAN MASTERS entitled Joni Mitchell: Woman of Heart and Mind, examine the concept of influence, and explore how Joni Mitchell and her work have influenced others. Students read, interpret, and analyze her...

Young scholars explore the concept of self and analyze the Human Organization Theory. Individually, students write poems about themselves. In small groups, they create a poster related to the 14 categories of the Human Organization...

Students examine work by outstanding African American poets from the time period of the 1920s and 1930s. They study aspects of American and African American social, cultural and artistic history that influenced the content of some of the...