Pupils examine the role of John and Mary Jones in the abolitionist movement. Using primary source documents, they discover the importance of an oral history and take notes on the Jones' role. They write a summary of the data to practice...

It's important for young people to learn about their ancestry and the role of storytelling as a means of passing along traditions, information, and lessons. Based on what they already learned about Native American oral tradition, young...

Students define the terms fable and folktale. They write a fable to illustrate a Latino proverb. Students are explained that a folktale is a story passed down through the oral tradition of a particular culture. A fable is a type of...

Learners are introduced to the elements of African-American poetry. As a class, they are read different types of poems to discover there are different styles of poems and practice rhyming words. They share information on their family...

What's the best resource to use when looking up words? Use Visual Thesaurus to see a word's meaning. The class accesses the interactive website and then compares and contrasts the difference between using a traditional dictionary and the...

Students visit their school library to read a variety of folktales. While they read, they identify the trickster or hero in each and discuss how the character represents the chaos in the real world. In groups, they write their own...

Sixth graders explore the four kinds of folklore in this seven lesson unit. Through reading a variety of legends, muths, fables, and folklores the concepts pf the lessons are synthesized byStudents.

Students are introduced to the foods and traditions of the Caribbean. In groups, they brainstorm their own definition of culture and review the physical and political geography of the Caribbean. They spend time sampling different foods...

A video leads off this activity on fables, introducing the class to this important form of traditional storytelling. The group defines fable and hears an explanation of the origin of this type of folk tale. They summarize the story they...

Students study fables in a broad context. In this literary lesson on fables, students define terms unique to them. Students use a variety of technological resources to gather and classify information into three categories. Students also...

Students examine what life was like for slaves from the point of view of ex-slaves. They use resources from the Federal Writers' Project which took place in the mid- 1930's. They look at the importance of religion, the different status...

Students investigate the history of education for Native Americans. The roles of adults is the focus and how they delivered instruction to upcoming generations. Students focus upon the skill of oral tradition and write a summary of the...

Sixth graders research Veteran's Day and wars that affected the United States. In this research lesson, 6th graders work in small groups to create an oral presentation based on Internet and conventional research. They complete...

Learners interview local Native Americans to explore their history, culture, and contributions to the region. They contact a local Native American organization, conduct an interview with a volunteer and write thank-you notes.

Students participate in an oral story telling activity designed to show how story embellishments occur. They read "Beowulf" and identify incongruities that suggest additions and embellishments over the years.

Fourth graders explore lives of Chief Plenty Coups and Crow Indians, focusing specifically on tradition of Vision Quests. Students identify reasons for Vision Quests, and create presentation to share information found with classmates.

Learners explore their family history by examining home remedy traditions. They read and discuss a handout about home remedies, conduct an interview with a family member, and complete an interview worksheet.

First graders read a portion of an illustrated story featuring an oral storytelling tradition in order to gain an understanding of the tradition. They recognize that Aboriginal people's relationship with place has changed over time.

Students document sections of their life through pictures, stories, and video to create an English "memory book". They use photographs, video and edited video which includes their history, includes calculated growth, and genetic...

Students develop a research presentation about rock formations and natural erosion. Using traditional and online resources, students gather and organize information about rock formations. Students use their information to create a brief...

Students discover how historical events led to the stories of King Arthur and his Court. Students read stories about chivalry and the Round Table, discuss the Holy Grail's symbolism, and role-play an Arthurian character.

Students read First Nation story, identify values expressed in it and discuss how those values relate to conservation issues faced today. Students then seek out stories relevant to climate change from their own Elders and respected...

A lesson on the holiday known as Boxing Day is here for you. In it, middle schoolers read a passage about the history of the holiday, then complete some reading comprehension worksheets embedded in the plan to reinforce what they have...

Designing a travel brochure is a classic project that will help your class members develop a variety of skills, such as researching informational texts, designing creative visual products, and communicating what you have learned.