EngageNY
Analyzing How Shakespeare’s Play Draws upon Greek Mythology: Part 3
How do the narrative and play versions of the myth "Pyramus and Thisbe" affect meaning? Scholars reread Act 5, Scene 1 from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and compare its structure to "Pyramus and Thisbe." Next, they use a...
Curated OER
Sharing Your Vacation-Send a Postcard!
Students demonstrate how to write about travel experiences. In this narrative writing lesson, students discuss what the purpose of postcards are and any personal experiences they have had with writing a postcard. Students observe the...
Curated OER
Lyddie: An Instructional Unit Resource Guide
Katherine Paterson’s young adult novel Lyddie is the foundation of a differentiated instruction unit that not only explores the rise of industrialization and labor but women’s rights issues as well. After learners read the novel, they...
Curated OER
Following the Leaders
Examine the historic election of Pope Benedict XVI and reflect on the challenges he faces as the new leader of the Catholic Church. This New York Times lesson investigates how other world leaders are chosen in different forms of...
Curated OER
E.T., Are You Out There?
Research the necessary components of a planet that supports life after reading the article "All of a Sudden, The Neighborhood Looks a Lot Friendlier" from The New York Times. After finding their information, middle and high schoolers...
Curated OER
Comic Book Characters
Explore gender stereotypes by analyzing how male and female characters are depicted in comic books. Using the provided Comic Book Analysis sheet, students record the attributes of male and female comic book characters. Then the whole...
Curated OER
Narrative Tenses
Eighth graders review narrative tenses. In this narrative tenses lesson, 8th graders read a story, answer comprehension questions, and complete a worksheet. This lesson is designed for students who are learning English as a second...
Teach-nology
The Purpose of Summaries
How can you tell the author's purpose from just a short summary? Kids read three different summaries of books to determine whether the author meant to entertain, persuade, or inform.
Starfall
Starting Something New
Learners write a short composition about learning something new that is hard to do after reviewing the nouns, verbs, prepositions, adjectives, and conjunctions in a picture-word bank.
Curated OER
Oceans: A Sensory Haiku
Students create an ocean haiku. In this haiku lesson, students use their five senses to write a haiku. Students watch videos about the ocean, make a sensory portrait, and create a class haiku.
Curated OER
An Imaginary Trip
Learners use their imaginations to write about an imaginary trip. In this creative writing instructional activity, students write about an imaginary trip. Learners brainstorm writing ideas as a class and use past tense words in their...
Curated OER
If I Could Talk Like the Animals. . .
Students read and discuss a film review of the animated movie Antz and then write a monologue from the perspective of a non-human organism.
Curated OER
Swinging on a Star
Students explore the issues that might arise if humans were to go on an interstellar space mission. They synthesize their understanding of interstellar travel by writing scenes from a science fiction novel that would depict such a mission.
Starfall
Marc Chagall
In this language arts worksheet, students are asked to draw a picture from their imagination. They are then to synthesize writing about their picture and write on the lines provided.
Starfall
Paul Gauguin
In this language arts instructional activity, students read a story starter, write a story and illustrate it. The topic is where students would like to live if they could live anywhere.
Starfall
I'm Afraid of the Dark
In this writing worksheet, students read a story starter which asks them to recall a time they were afraid of the dark. Students write the story telling of their experience.
Curated OER
Writing the Mystery with a Purpose
Learners present the outline of the mystery story they are writing while working in reciprocal teaching groups. They respond to group members writing before they continue to finish revisions.
Starfall
Magic Seeds
In this Language Arts learning exercise, students color in a picture of flowerpot. Students also write a story or description about the illustration.
Starfall
My Hiding Place
In this writing worksheet, students read a story starter that asks if they have a special hiding place. Students write the story and illustrate it.
Starfall
The Four Friends
In this literacy worksheet, students color in the picture and then respond to the short writing prompt about working together and friendship.
Curated OER
Context Clues, Plot Structure, Conflict, and Personal Narrative Essay
What are the elements of a personal narrative? Get your class talking by reading "The Necklace" and "A Dangerous Game." The lesson focuses primarily on defining certain vocabulary terms (like context clues, plot, conflict, climax, etc.)...
Curated OER
Computer Mysteries
Who has been messing with my trampoline? Young writers choose local events as the basis for their own “Who Did It?” mystery. They then devise a plot, problem, and cast of characters and write an introduction explaining the problem and...
Curated OER
Prometheus Bound: Rebel with a Cause
If you are teaching Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound, you can't afford to miss this source. An extensive list of ideas outlines numerous discussion topics, writing prompts, comprehension questions, oral presentations, and projects. Have class...
Curated OER
Vivid Verbs
Spice up your writing! Your amateur writers will benefit from concentrating on understanding and improving verb use in writing. An introductory activity addresses weak verbs. A second exercise helps them see the importance of strong...