Bully Free Systems
Bully Free Lesson Plans—Eighth Grade
Middle schoolers are likely very familiar with the concept of bullying and cliques. Discuss their experiences and brainstorm ways to handle peer conflict and feelings of exclusion with a poem that focuses on bullying, and a second lesson...
Bully Free Systems
Bully Free Lesson Plans—12th Grade
Two sample lessons from a curriculum unit on bullying provide high school seniors with an opportunity to assess their online and cell phone behavior and to consider how they can offer support to bullied students. Each plan includes an...
Curated OER
Gearing up for Grammar
Students input autobiographical information to apply in a Diamante' poem that utilizes the different parts of speech. Students interact with each other sharing their autobiographical information completed on the database created....
Curated OER
A Poem for Nature
Pupils imagine what it would be like to enter a landscape painting and then write a poem on nature.
Curated OER
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "The Slave's Dream"
Students examine Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's contribution to the anti-slavery movement. They read and analyze a poem, identify the poem's techniques, and write a critique of the poem, "The Slave's Dream."
Curated OER
Dulce et Decorum est by Wilfred Owen
It is entirely fitting and proper that Wilfred Owen’s powerful “Dulce et Decorum Est” is the poem used for an exercise in close reading, discussion, analysis, and argumentative writing. Class members discuss focus questions in pairs,...
Smart Museum of Art
The Making of a Superhero
Thor, Loki, Iron Man, and Captain America. As part of their study of Greek and Roman gods and heroes, middle schoolers compare the characters in The Avengers to Greek counterparts. Individuals then create their own superhero, describe...
Curated OER
What Makes a Novel a Novel?
They always say to write what you know. This approach is used to get middle schoolers prepared to write novels of their own. Using a favorite book as a model, potential novelists respond to prompts that ask about characters, plot, main...
Curated OER
Where Do We Begin?
Primary learners grasp sequence of events by discussing morning routines and reviewing the story of Little Red Riding Hood. They explore the necessity of correct order of events. As a class, create a story with a beginning, middle, and...
Curated OER
Dicey Poetry
Students role cubes prepared with vocabulary and parts of speech on each side. They collect words and create poems from the words collected. They read their poems to the class.
Curated OER
A poem about India
Students read and discuss the poem Khwab before writing poems of their own. Students get the opportunity to explore impressionistic poetry about place.
Curated OER
PowerPoint Poetry Project
Seventh graders create PowerPoint poetry "books." They write five to seven autobiographical poems, select appropriate photos and music, and combine everything into a PowerPoint poetry presentation. They use many technological resources...
Curated OER
Spooky Story
Second graders write a Halloween story. In this combined technology and writing lesson, 2nd graders create a Halloween picture using KidPix, insert it into Microsoft Word, and then write a story to correspond with the picture.
Curated OER
America's Civil Rights Movement, Activity Five
Pupils read and write poems for two voices about the Civil Rights Movement.
Curated OER
Illinois Biodiversity
Students examine the amount of biodiversity in the state of Illinois. They practice using new vocabulary and listening to stories about animals. After given time to reflect, they write their own haiku. They work together to create a...
NWT Literacy Council
Readers Theatre Scripts
Engage and entertain young learners with this collection of readers theatre activities. With over 25 different scripts, a wide range of topics are covered from simple counting and rhyming exercises to adaptions of popular children's...
Curated OER
Partner Poetry
Students interview each other to get to know one another better. They discuss hobbies, achievements, sports, and music. Then they each write a poem about their partner.
US Institute of Peace
Perspectives on Peace
Is peace simply the absence of war, or is there more to the story? Young social scientists define peace in the second installment of a 15-part series. Groups work together to explore cultural concepts of peace and the peacemaking process...
Curated OER
Slavery in Colonial America
Students examine the experience of the middle passage of slaves. They review slave songs and discuss their common themes. They develop a monologue in which they integrate a fragment of an actual slave song into a poem they have written.
Curated OER
This is Your Life
Middle or high-school pupils choose a scientist to research. They collect biographical information and explore their contributions to scientific understanding. With all that they compile, they create a scrapbook of the scientists' life....
Curated OER
The Name Jar
Students participate in a lesson that focuses on the literature of Korea. "The Name Jar" is read by students to practice some essential reading skills. This would include the recognition of sequence in a story, characterization, and...
Curated OER
A Look at Judith Leyster
Students consider the question, "How do I want people to see me?" as they examine the self-portrait of Judith Leyster. They develop and refine characterization of a subject through poetry writing
Curated OER
The Element of Color
Eighth graders study and analyze the elements of color by creating an personalized color wheel. Emphasis is placed on constructive criticism of student work by others for assessment. Students create short poems for their color wheel...