Penguin Books
A Teacher's Guide to Sue Monk Kidd's: The Secret Life of Bees
A 12-page teacher's guide to Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees provides the discussion questions and activities that lead readers to understand not only Lily's fears, but her reasons behind them.
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Digging Deeper: Mission San Saba
Seventh graders review their prior knowledge on the Spanish mission system in Texas. Using the internet, they examine the motives of the Spanish to establish missions in Texas, specifically the Mission San Saba. They research the reasons...
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Harding Black: Taking It To Another Level
Learners complete a variety of activities related to the pottery of Harding Black and the uses of clay in San Antonio, Texas. They watch a video about the life of Harding Black, conduct a clay percolation experiment, compare and...
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"Architexture": Exploring Architecture Through Clay Tiles
Students explore and analyze the architecture of San Antonio, Texas. They watch a video about tiles created by Harding Black, and discuss pictures of architecture found in San Antonio, Texas. Students then design a clay tile...
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The First Texans
Fourth graders discover the different groups of people who colonized Texas. They research their way of life and create an informative and creative booklet.
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Patriotism and Foreign Policy
Twelfth graders create a museum of Patriotism and Foreign Policy. They participate in discussions and work in committee's to determine which objects shall be displayed in the museum. They present visual and performing arts along with...
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The Hunters and the Hunted: The Search for China's Past
Students discover the history of Ancient China, specifically the period beginning with the Qin Dynasty and ending with the fall of the Ming Dynasty. They study the building of the Great Wall and the defeat of the Great Khans.
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Japan
Second graders experience, through a hands-on approach, Japan's geography, daily life, language, foods, education, customs, art and literature. They discover all the exciting events that take place to make it really seem like they are...
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Civil War Play Lesson Plan
Students act out the Civil War through reader's theater. For this performing arts lesson, students research the Civil War and find costumes, props and scenery appropriate to the time period. They become characters from the Civil War time...
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Ft. St. Louis: A Do-It-Yourself History
Seventh graders explore Fort St. Louis. In this Texas history lesson, 7th graders research Internet and print sources regarding the history of fort and the settlement. Students use their research findings to create illustrated books...
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Ancient Origins: The Role of Archaeology in Reconstructing the Past
Students read information about the ancient origins of art and archaeology with a focus on the Malian culture. In this art origins lesson, students read background information for the topic and compare ancient and contemporary objects....
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The Study of the Spanish-Speaking People of Texas: Pictures, Images, and Photographs
Students examine how art is used to make statements about social conditions. They analyze photos by the photojournalist Russell Lee, and complete a worksheet.
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The Texas Cowboy: Myth and Reality
Seventh graders distinguish fact from myth when discussing the history of cowboys. They observe, discuss, and analyze works of art that refer to the cowboy lifestyle.
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The Study of the Spanish-Speaking People of Texas: Who is Russell Lee?
Pupils investigate the contributions of the photojournalist Russell Lee. They read a biography of Russell Lee, and create a timeline of Lee's life.
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Comparing Visual Interpretations and Actual Events: War & Battle
A Venn Diagram is used to compare artistic and historical representations of a single event. Young analysts view the provided images, read textbook descriptions, and discuss the validity of each representation in terms of bias and...
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Texas, Our Texas
Students watch a PowerPoint slide show of the symbols of Texas and discuss what they see. They color in coloring book pages that corrolate to the slide show. They listen to and sing along to a state song as they color.
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Texas History
Seventh graders study about how colonization occurred in Texas. They do this through studying pictures, books, internet, or other various sources. Students use clip art and PowerPoint to create a final project. They can insert sound...
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Has Change Been Good for Texas?
Fourth graders identify the events and inventions that have caused a change in the state of Texas. Using the internet, they research the year these took place and create a timeline. They identify the positive or negative impact of each...
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Conjunto Music from South Texas
Students listen to conjunto music and identify the instrumentation. After discussing the the history of South Texas, they examine lyrics of several songs and interpret them. As extensions, students can learn to partner dance to the...
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Handprint Angels
Students trace their hands onto white paper and cut them out. They create a holiday art piece by adding a "head" and a "body" and then decorating them to resemble an angel. (Their handprints become the wings.)
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The Study of the Spanish-Speaking People of Texas: Daily Life
Students analyze the different ways that photography helps historians understand the lives of people who lived in the past. They examine images from Russell Lee's photo essay and discuss how Texas' has changed from an agrarian to an...
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The Importance of Being Flexible and Open-minded as a Visitor to Another Culture: Lesson 2 For "The Train Ride Home"
Students examine the advantages of being flexible when visiting or living in a different culture. They read and discuss a first-hand account by a Peace Corps volunteer in Kazakhstan, and write a letter from the point of view of a...
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Two Trustworthy Texans
Seventh graders read about two pioneers from Texas and learn how they became well trusted people. In this trust lesson, 7th graders read essays about two Texas pioneers. They learn vocabulary such as loyalty, honesty, good reputation,...
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The Harlem Renaissance: Awakening the Black Soul
Eleventh graders explore, examine and study about the impact of the Harlem Renaissance on the American culture. They assess and explain how the Harlem Renaissance was a "rebirth" for the African American culture through art, music, and...