Students explore the culture of classical Greece by examining The Statue of Zeus at Olympia. In this Seven Wonders of the World lesson, students will expand their understanding of Greek mythology, the Olympics and the Greek Isles....

Middle schoolers differentiate between fiction and non-fiction, discuss historical fiction, which combines both genres, choose historical novel from list and read independently, and write original short stories that combine elements of...

Did you know that modern Chinese literature “grew from the psychoanalytical theory of Sigmund Freud”? Designed for a world literature class, seniors are introduced to “One Evening in the Rainy Season,” Shi Zhecun’s stream of...

Our differences aren't meant to divide us! Use Hans Christian Andersen's classic tale "The Ugly Duckling" to reinforce the concept that appearances don't define someone's character, and that there is always somewhere where we belong.

In this lesson, students design an exhibition on the history of aviation for a science museum. For homework, they write short stories envisioning the future of flight in the year 2014.

Eleventh graders work in groups to choose a project/presentation from a list of approved activities to develop. They select and use appropriate software for organizing and refining their product. Groups produce a short...

Is this any way to treat a Greek Myth? By all means, turn the tale of Orpheus into a reader's theatre exercise.

Students examine and discuss art objects from the Silk Roads. They analyze images of artifacts, create a word map, and develop and write a short story or poem based on the slides viewed.

Some words are best left unspoken.  Words matter, according to Benjamin Zander, conductor, teacher, and lecturer. To illustrate his point, Zander recounts a story told to him by a survivor of Auschwitz. As a result of her experience...

Now this sounds like a fun lesson! Youngsters learn about pioneer life and the Westward Movement. First, they listen to the Copland's "Appalachian Spring," and then they discuss the elements of music found in the piece. They...

Young scholars write a story about a problem on earth. They imagine themselves as one of Vishnu's avatars or create another avatar for Vishnu who can solve the problem.

Eighth graders read act 1 scenes 1 & 2 of the play Diary of Anne Frank. In this Diary of Anne Frank lesson plan, 8th graders discuss how the setting of the play affects the mood of the story and answer short answer questions.

Students identify themes in Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet by analyzing the film or text. In this tolerance instructional activity, students create their own Elizabethan era terms related to interacting with different social groups. In...

Students identify with and interpret the role of organized crime in the development of one of America's most vibrant cities. Then they look into the city's establishment and development, follow the role of organized crime in its...

Students write a science fiction story.  For this science fiction lesson, students read selections of science fiction and compare them to supernatural stories from the Bible.  Students identify themes and discuss elements that...

In this English worksheet, students read "Disney in Talks to Buy Pixar," and then respond to 47 fill in the blank, 7 short answer, 20 matching, and 8 true or false questions about the selection.

In this famous leaders worksheet, students read a passage about Naguib Mahfouz  and then complete a variety of in-class and homework activities to support comprehension, including partner interviews, spelling, cloze, synonym...

Students create a portrait that describes their culture.

Students study Ancient India and the vocabulary, language, and everyday life associated with India. They build a time capsule representing their own world for future civilizations to discover. They create labels for each item, giving a...

Young scholars discover the roles played by various racial, ethnic and religious groups in the development of American society. They explore the concept of racial and cultural diversity and global community, as these are joined by...

This is the full text of the short story "Butterflyflutterby and Flutterbybutterfly" by William Howells, one of the five short delightful stories for children, told in the voice of "the papa" to "the girl" and "the boy."

This site features the author William D. Howells including the full text of four novels and five short stories.

Text of the short story "The Pony Engine and the Pacific Express" by William D. Howells. (Free site registration offers some additional features, e.g., the ability to insert annotations.)