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Molly Brown and the Titanic History Lesson
Students practice using their reading comprehension skills by reading about Molly Brown and the Titanic. They answer questions related to the reading to test for comprehension.
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Lessons in Drama: Learning About American Political Thought
Students develop critical thinking skills so that they may produce their own written plays or music from their thoughts and feelings. They express their thoughts based on what has been presented to them over the duration of the course.
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Social Studies: Manifest Destiny or Bust
Fifth graders explore the westward movement between 1800 and 1861 in the United States. They write narratives from the standpoint of those cultures that were repressed during this period, such as Native Americans, slaves, or Mexicans. ...
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Setting And Plot
Students engage in study of plot and setting with the reading of many familiar texts. They identify the plot and setting with the help of a worksheet. The teacher works with the class for scaffolding and helps them to recognize the...
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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...
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Writers of the 19th Century
Students are introduced to women authors during the 19th century. In groups, they read about the criticism they faced during this time period by the public and literary community. Using the internet, they research one author to...
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Using Effective, Amusing Writing As a Model
Learners use the author's writing as a model to achieve vivid description and engaging humor in compositions of their own. They examine the ways a writer can capture and hold a reader's attention and write a short personal narrative...
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Crane, London, and Literary Naturalism
Students identify the key characteristics that comprise American literary naturalism in Jack London's "To Build a Fire" and Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat." In this naturalism analysis lesson, students identify characteristics of the...
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Writing Police Reports
Students discover police procedures by filling out crime reports. For this government lesson, students discuss the benefits of historical reports pertaining to criminals and victims. Students listen to an officer of the law...
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Writing Police Reports: Emergency!
Students practice writing emergency reports. In this emergency reports lesson, students participate in a visit from a police officer or emergency technician. Students then write a historical report based on the fictional account the...
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Current Events Activity
Students investigate world news and create a performance from their research. For this current events lesson, students identify major political or news stories in the media and create a performance based on a character they will...
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60's Pop Art: Multiples of Me
Students discover characteristics of Pop Art through slides and discussion of the 60's era and produce a pop art portrait of themselves using Clarisworks paint program and Hyperstudio.
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Pop Art: Multiples of Me!
Pupils discuss major events in the 60's era including conflicts, culture, and history. Students also take a look at artists from this time and discover Pop Art. They then create their own portrait in the Pop Art style using Clarisworks...
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The John Travolta Syndrome
Students examine the influence of music and film on contemporary fashion. In this popular culture lesson, students research select films featuring John Travolta. Students research selected time periods in American history as well....
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We the People. . .
Students explore the United States Constitution. In this government lesson, students write newspaper editorials that reflect their opinions about Amendments.
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Checkmate: What is the History of Chess?
Young scholars create a timeline. For this history of chess lesson, students use the Internet to examine the chess history timeline. Young scholars read books on the history of chess, answer questions and create a timeline...
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Post- Modernism
Students participate in a lesson that investigates post-modernism in American literature. They conduct the lesson with the help of reading "America" by Ginsberg to create context. Then students define the genre and the culture that has...
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Understanding Advocacy
Students explore the work of Jane Goodall. For this advocacy lesson, students investigate the life and work of Jane Goodall. Students examine her work as an animal advocate and explore their own personal advocacy styles.
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Good Brother, Bad Brother
Studetns study how biographers create characters and history of individuals in biographies. They complete a variety of writting activities to demonstrate understanding.
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A Soldier's Life
Students read and interpret letters about James Vanderhoef included in lesson. Students make connections and note interesting vocabulary used in the letters. Students generate a list of questions about the soldier's life and experiences...
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Sum it Up
Students participate in a reading literacy that focuses on the skill of summarization. They delete trivial details and redundancies, place items and events in order, and create a statement that contains the message the writer is trying...
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The Battle of the Little Bighorn
Students assess how point of view can change a story. In this content area reading instructional activity, students read about the Battle of the Little Bighorn from three different sources. Students answer questions based upon their...
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Dr. Samuel Mudd
Fifth graders examine the circumstances surrounding Dr. Samuel Mudd's conviction on the charges of conspiracy and harboring an assassin, including the speculation that his conviction may not have been legal.
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Celebrating the Smithsonian's Birthday
Students examine online objects from the Smithsonian website and use them as subjects and inspiration for creative writing exercises.