Amelia Bedelia- After reading Amelia Bedelia, have the students brainstorm
all the options Mr.& Mrs. Rogers have when they come home and see that
Amelia has misunderstood their instuctions and has ruined their towels
Amy Lepore- I ask them to compare the tone, purpose, point of view, etc.
of these pieces/people. Then we stage a debate where half the class represents
the Native Americans and half represent the settlers.
Anne Frank intro- Although it is history, I wanted to "ease" my fragile
8th graders into the subject of the Holocaust.
Another Perspective on Events in the Annex- Have students write a diary
entry of at least 250 words reflecting on or describing one of the main
events of the diary/play from the perspective of another person in hiding
Book Debate - Banning books in schools is a hotly debated practice.
In this activity, students investigate why books are banned and why some
groups are against the idea. In a mock debate, students argue for and
against banning books for an audience of their peers.
Beowulf- This is a great team lesson (History & English). Using notes on
the time period, discuss the function of the written word at the time
that Beowulf was finally recorded.
Tree- Students draw and cut a tree out of the
construction paper. The tree should have many branches and be large.
Chaucer- After reading and discussing Chaucer's use of direct and indirect
characterization in "The Prologue" to The Canterbury Tales, discuss the
professions today that might be included by someone who was part of a
group of travelers stranded or together for a long period of time.
Elements of a story- Following the lesson on the elements of the story,
grade three students will be able to identify, list, recite, recognize,
and verbally explain each of the elements of a story with 100% accuracy.
Emersonian Jelly Beans- I hand out a jelly bean to
all the students, and ask them to write in their journals for 5 minutes
how a jelly bean is like an idea.
Exploring the Sonnet- The student will increase knowledge of and analyze
the elements of the sonnet form. (e.g., rhyme scheme, meter, content)
Introduction to "Julius Caesar"- To get my students prepared for the political
ideas and basic plot in "Julius Caesar," I discuss with my students the
American form of government, including our freedoms according to the Constituion.
Short Stories and Sitcoms- Comparing literature to modern day fascinations
like the TV will hopefully bring the topic home to students.
Short Story Framework- From this you give them ideas to start them off and
get them writing their intros. They need to think about character, relationship,
and setting, and must try to show rather than tell, to reveal the above
through dialogue and action.
Short Story Motivator- I've found that my students are motivated more through
visual learning than the typical lecturing and reading a short story aloud.
Sonnets- This lesson introduces students to the sonnet form and contrasts
it with the modern poetry that they are used to reading.
The Odyssey- For the Odyssey I give my 9th graders a project. They are to
plan their own 'odyssey".
The Scarlet Letter: Projects- Design a model that
replicates a scene from The Scarlet Letter. You model should include some
Themes in "Romeo and Juliet"- Once we begin reading
Romeo and Juliet in class I ask them to really start listening to their
music and decide if any of the themes in their music reflect any of the
themes in Romeo and Juliet.
What a Character!- After reading a novel, students should have a thorough
understanding of characters' personality. Since characterization is crucial
to understanding fiction, it is necessary for the students to be able
to analyze the characters.
of Impossible Goodbyes- The student then must go around to classmates
and ask questions to find out who he/she is. For example: "Am I a god
or goddess?" "Do I have special powers?" "Am I a mortal?"