Annenberg Foundation
Rhythms in Poetry
Rhyme, rhythm, free verse, imagery: Do these words describe poetry, or jazz music? The answer is both! A resource explores these similarities as scholars watch a video, engage in discussion, read author biographies, write poetry and...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
War and Poetry
A band of brothers or the Devil's agents? Nobel warriors freeing the oppressed or mercenaries working for the military/industrial complex? Groups examine poems from the Civil War, World War I, and World War II to determine the poets'...
Annenberg Foundation
Poetry of Liberation
How do writers use words to protest injustice, challenge the status quo, and shape their own identities? Individuals watch and discuss a video, read author biographies, write poetry and journals, develop a slideshow, and complete a...
Curated OER
Say Hi to Haibun Fun
Students examine the Japanese writing form of Haibun. They identify the elements of Japanese prose and poetry, analyze a haibun for writing devices, complete a graphic organizer, and compose an original haibun as a form of journal keeping.
Curated OER
Writing Prompts: Prose, Pamphlets and Poems
Students practice reading an atlas and writing prompts. They use graphic organizers to construct their writing prompt. They use the Internet to do their research.
Annenberg Foundation
Modernist Portraits
How did literature reflect people's attitudes in post-World War I America? A lesson explores the topic using a variety of activities. Individuals watch and respond to a video; read author biographies and engage in discussion; write...
Curated OER
Poetry: "Seven Types of Shadow"
Students examine the way ghosts are portrayed in films and literature. In this poetry lesson, students listen to the first five stanzas of the poem "Seven Types of Shadow" read by U A Fanthorpe on The Poetry Archive website and...
Curated OER
Interative History Notebook Mini-lesson
Students respond to Holocaust literature. In this interactive history instructional activity, students select quotes from chapter 1 of Elie Wiesel's Night and reflect on their meaning as they record their thoughts on poetic, prose,...
Curated OER
Cowboys
Students analyze cowboy literature. In this United States history and literacy lesson, students listen to a variety of cowboy songs and poetry, view the video "Rediscovering America: The Real American Cowboy," and view related websites....
University of Southern California
Coming to America After the War
As part of their exploration of the American dream, class members examine primary source materials to compare immigrant experiences of those arriving early in our country's history to those arriving in the US after World War...
Curated OER
Cool Melons Turn to Frogs
Third graders become familiar with the poetry of Issa. In this haiku lesson, 3rd graders recognize the format of a haiku and learn about the life of Issa (the poet) through focused questions, vocabulary and reading responses. Students...
Curated OER
As the Kids Come and Go: Mapping a Classroom
Map the classroom with your kids to help them understand how maps work and how to read them. The lesson starts off with a story about animals living and moving around the globe, and then kids create maps of their classroom to show how...
Curated OER
Four Foot Feat
Young scholars examine cultural customs and practices in family histories. In this family history lesson, students read the poetry in 'All the Colors of the Race' to analyze the family history. Young scholars complete guided reading...
Curated OER
Lincoln's Legend and Legacy
Students evaluate Lincoln's impact on American History. For this Civil War lesson, students view a film clip of writings about Lincoln. Students take notes and compare how the writings define his legacy. Students write their own poem or...
Curated OER
The History of the Holocaust From A Personal Perspective
Students research and identify how Holocaust events affected lives of real people who lived in Europe from 1933 through 1945 and after, and create original artwork, poetry, and essays that reflect understanding of Holocaust, and its...
Curated OER
Coming to America
Students interview a person who has immigrated to America and, based on that interview, to write an article about the person.
Curated OER
Haiku
Students work collaboratively to create a class Haiku and illustrate the poem individually in this elementary school lesson. The lesson includes five possible enrichment activities.
Curated OER
Deerfield Families
To understand the consequences of the 1704 attack on Deerfield by combined French and Native American forces, groups research primary and secondary resources related to four Deerfield families involved in the attack.
Curated OER
A Country Twice Divided
Learners study biography from the 19th century. They read "The Red Badge of Courage." Students research a topic from the list provided in the lesson and write a 5-7 page paper. They study lyrics and melodies of the confederacy and...
Curated OER
The Places We Love
Learners examine how they and others express themselves. Using various writings and art, they discover the places they like to go in the world and share them with their classmates. They paint their favorite place and share their...
Curated OER
American Transcendentalism and Buddhism:
High schoolers study American transcendentalism through readings of Emerson and Thoreau. They make cognitive connections to the similarities to Buddhism in these writings. The connection of the literary movement is explained in the art...
Curated OER
???Autumn in the Palace of the Han??? by Ma chih-yuan
Students read and analyze a play that takes place in the late 1200s under the Yuan dynasty of the Mongols. They examine the structure of Yuan plays, participate in performing sections of the play, write a three page essay, and analyze...
Curated OER
Reconciliation
Students develop an awareness of issues involved in Reconciliation. They use two different stimuli to approach this theme. Students write definitions/interpretations of Reconciliation.
Curated OER
A Day During Colonial Times
Fifth graders participate in read aloud activities of three books about life in Colonial times. They compare their life to that of children of Colonial times using a Venn diagram. They draw a picture and write about what a day in the...