National Endowment for the Humanities
"Old Southwest" Humorists and George Washington Harris
Young scholars discover the work of George Washington Harris and his influence on American humor. For this George Washington Harris lesson, discuss cultural differences in the United States and read Sut Lovongwood stories by George...
Curated OER
Simile and Metaphor Lesson Ideas
Teaching students about literary devices, such as simile and metaphor, can be a year long experience.
Curated OER
The Life and Work of Marc Chagall
The background and work of the artist Marc Chagall can be a great way to teach students about history and art.
Curated OER
The Diary of a Young Girl: Getting Ready to Read
In this "Diary of a Young Girl" worksheet, students work with a partner to write two predictions about Anne's diary entries. Next, students answer 12 short answer comprehension questions based on the story.
Curated OER
"The Hell of Mirrors" by Edogawa Rampo
Learners read and analyze the short story, "The Hell of Mirrors," by Edogawa Rampo. They write diary entries, develop a video, create an illustration, conduct research, and write a short story.
Curated OER
Organizing Main Ideas and Supporting Details
Students read given information and identify the main ideas and specific detail of the story. In groups, they read a historical title and create a "book talk" for each one, summarizing the story. In addition, students create a...
Curated OER
Read a Transportation Story
Eighth graders research the career of Arctic transportation. In this arctic transportation lesson, 8th graders read a book about Arctic truck travel and review the historical aspects of transporting goods in the Arctic. Students review...
Curated OER
Short and Sweet
Students explore how to summarize a text while reading. They discuss what it means to summarize. Students read a non-fiction text and practice summarizing the pages they read. They highlight the main ideas and important details within...
Annenberg Foundation
Native Voices
The Navajo people build their dwellings with the doors facing the rising sun in the east to welcome wealth and fortune. Pupils learn about the traditions of the Navajo people in the first part of a 16-part unit. They explore American...
K5 Learning
Playground
Bella and Molly at spending time at the playground, but encounter a problem. Read about their problem and how each of them works together to solve it. Then, readers answer five questions about what they read in the passage.
Florida Alliance for Arts Education
Theatre Arts
What skills do storytellers employ to bring to life the characters and events in their tales? After listening to a recording of a Haitian folk tale, class members consider how tone of voice, pace, and gestures can be used to enliven a...
EngageNY
Developing Reading Fluency: Criteria for Reading Aloud
Third graders develop their reading superpowers in a lesson plan on fluency. After first listening to an audio recording or teacher read aloud, the class works together identifying criteria for fluent reading, focusing on phrasing, rate,...
Curated OER
Alikizam...There's Apple Jam!
Young scholars complete a variety of activities as they explore/review the letter 'a' as it makes the short /a/ sound. Through instruction and modeling, they explore the sound the letter makes and how the letter is written. They recite...
Curated OER
Emergent Literacy: Open Up and Say Aaaah!
Young scholars, through modeling, explore how to make the short /o/ sound. They practice /o/ sound tongue twisters and recognize the sound in written form as the letter 'a'. They practice writing the letter 'a'. They pick out the /o/...
Curated OER
I Can Author a Children's Math Book!
Learners write short books teaching a mathematical concept. They may work in teams, with one student being the author and one student being the illustrator. They view examples of studenT books that deal with math concepts before beginning.
Curated OER
"The Westing Game" Activities and Lesson Plans
You can use a novel, such as "The Westing Game", to teach reading concepts and skills in a way that keeps students interested.
Curated OER
Animating a Historic Event
Research a historic event using textbooks, primary source documents, the Internet, and other library and media resources. Young historians will take the research they have gathered and write an attention-grabbing, historically accurate...
Curated OER
Soaring High with Kites
Students make kites from patterns. They write haiku poetry. They listen to stories about kite festivals in different countries.
Curated OER
Real-World Probability
Students explore the concept of probability. In this probability lesson, students create a video, poster, or podcast explaining what experiments, sample space, events, and outcomes are in relation to probability. Students...
Curated OER
Molly's Pilgrim and Thanksgiving Activities
The tender story of Molly's Pilgrim, coupled with a history mini-lesson, is a great way to discuss the meaning of Thanksgiving.
Curated OER
The New Fant-"Asia": Contrasting Animated and Live-Action Filmmaking
Students consider different stories and story-telling techniques of animated and live-action filmmaking, write proposals for animated films, and storyboard individual scenes.
Curated OER
The Shape of Home
Students define home and understand that home is not the same to everyone. In this homes lesson, students participate individually and in groups to create a classroom definition of home. Students discuss the events in the story the Shape...
Curated OER
"Do You Need It or Just Want It?"
Students distinguish between "wants" and "needs." Students make a short list of each. They review The Berenstain Bears Count Their Blessings book and discuss what blessings are. Students then rewrite their list of wants and needs.
Curated OER
Comic Theater
Students explore stock characters and pantomime. In this comic theater lesson, students examine an ancient Greek statuette depicting a comic actor and an ancient Roman lamp decorated with a comic mask. Students pantomime short scenes and...