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Heroes and Heroines in the Family - Yale University
Grades
7 to 8
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Students analyze Native American, European, Puerto Rican, African, and American folk tales while strengthening vocabulary development, reading and writing abilities, interpersonal skills,...more
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Students analyze Native American, European, Puerto Rican, African, and American folk tales while strengthening vocabulary development, reading and writing abilities, interpersonal skills, and creativity. Folktales chosen as the basis for this unit explore the universal theme of using strength and intellect to accomplish great feats.
In the Classroom
Discuss what qualities heroes share. After going through the lessons students are asked to write their own folk or fairy tale about present day life. Have them write their modern-day version of a heroic tale. Discuss who modern heroes are, and what characteristics they share with the classical ones.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Folktales - The Mirror of Humanity - Yale University
Grades
5 to 7
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This six-week unit uses a broad selection of tales, spanning many cultures and geographic regions, to introduce students to the imagery and symbolism universally found in this genre....more
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This six-week unit uses a broad selection of tales, spanning many cultures and geographic regions, to introduce students to the imagery and symbolism universally found in this genre. Timeless questions about our human existence are examined as students move toward a clearer, more compassionate understanding of the human condition across cultural, geographic, and chronological boundaries. Detailed lesson plans and related activities are included.
In the Classroom
To begin, read the folk tales as class, and then discuss the idea of symbols. What do certain elements in the stories represent? As you read more and more, remind your students to try to identify which symbols or images play an important role in the story development, and discuss what these items mean after you finish reading.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Folktales: Oral Traditions as a Basis for Instruction in our Schools - Yale University
Grades
6 to 8
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Using selected fairy tales divided into four general themes, "The Trickster Gets Tricked," "Where Dreams Come True," "Clever Animal," and "Tales of Enchantment," this unit involves...more
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Using selected fairy tales divided into four general themes, "The Trickster Gets Tricked," "Where Dreams Come True," "Clever Animal," and "Tales of Enchantment," this unit involves students in observing, writing, reading, and expressing what they have experienced. Students practice oral storytelling, compose modern versions of familiar tales, and learn techniques for evaluating their own writing and that of their classmates.
In the Classroom
Have students blog about their favorite passages or examples of characterization using Penzu, reviewed here. With Penzu you can add images or your own artwork as illustrations. Have students create story maps of these classic tales or produce their own "skit" versions to record on video and share on TeacherTube, reviewed here, or SchoolTube, reviewed here. Create a copy of the Story List and make it available on your teacher public page for students to select and read their stories of choice during a unit on folktales/fairy tales. World language classes can read these English language versions of tales from the land/language they are studying and write dialog between characters in their new language. Students could also create scenes using a comic creation tool like Make Beliefs Comix, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Detective Fiction: Focus on Critical Thinking - Yale University
Grades
5 to 7
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Develop students' critical thinking skills and problem solving strategies through a study of the crime fiction genre. Though very plain-Jane looking, studentswill explore the elements...more
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Develop students' critical thinking skills and problem solving strategies through a study of the crime fiction genre. Though very plain-Jane looking, studentswill explore the elements of detective fiction, learn how to apply the scientific method, and create an original detective story with this site. The first part of this site is research and information about integrating the crime fiction genre into different subjects.
In the Classroom
Lesson Plan Four has complete directions for writing a detective fiction. Have students create a storyboard to help make the story creation go smoothly. Replace paper and pencil using a digital storyboard like the Story Map, reviewed here, or SuperNotecard, reviewed here. Then have students use Book Creator, reviewed here, to share their stories with peers and family. Remember to put student stories on your wiki or teacher website!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Cultural Unity Through Folk tales - Yale University
Grades
7 to 12
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This site is basically for the teacher. The lesson plans include background research and resources for Folktales, Tricksters, Creation Stories, Cinderella Stories, a separate bibliography...more
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This site is basically for the teacher. The lesson plans include background research and resources for Folktales, Tricksters, Creation Stories, Cinderella Stories, a separate bibliography for students and teachers, and an appendix that lists all the Paul Bunyan tales. The site also has lesson plans and lots of suggested activities. Study folktales and legends to discover the diversity and the essential unity of cultures.
In the Classroom
Introduce your students to folktales, tricksters, or one of the others using the information you gain from this site. Whether you choose to put a lecture on video or present the information in another way, have student take online notes using Simplenote, reviewed here; tell students to be sure to save the URL to share their notes and questions with you and their peers. Simplenote updates across all devices. Then have students choose stories (folktale, etc.) to read independently or in small groups and have them try to find what qualities the tales share. Have students collaborate to create a map of where the stories they chose to read take place using MapHub, reviewed here. Students can add icons, text, images, and location stops.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Read Across America - NEA
Grades
K to 12
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Here's a chance to participate in a national (American) effort to encourage adults to read to children. NEA's Read Across America program wants every adult to read to a child ...more
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Here's a chance to participate in a national (American) effort to encourage adults to read to children. NEA's Read Across America program wants every adult to read to a child as part of the celebration of Dr. Seuss's birthday. Visit this site to see how you can help with a celebration in your local community. Click the Plan a Reading Event to find resources for Dr. Seuss.
In the Classroom
Download the free RAA calendars or have students create family reading calendars or reading videos as part of the Read Across America celebration. Even upper level high school students will enjoy the chance to relive Seuss in their lives. Plan a trip with your school service group to read to elementary kids at the school next door. Or have student groups in any middle or high school class create a Seuss-style book-in-verse on a current curriculum topic, using various Seuss books for inspiration. How about a book about healthy eating or the fun of reading? Be sure to have students create a storyboard to help make the story creation go smoothly. Replace paper and pencil using a digital storyboard like the Story Map, reviewed here, or SuperNotecard, reviewed here. Then modify learning with the challenge for students to make a new interactive "book" using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Hero's Journey - ReadWriteThink
Grades
4 to 12
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This resource from ReadWriteThink is an interactive guide to the structure of myths and mythology and the hero's journey. The site offers ideas on telling mythological stories, and...more
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This resource from ReadWriteThink is an interactive guide to the structure of myths and mythology and the hero's journey. The site offers ideas on telling mythological stories, and it illustrates how the structures of these ancient stories have been adapted over the centuries. Using this interacrtive, students can plan out a hero's journey of their own.
In the Classroom
Introduce this activity with a projector or on an interactive whiteboard to show students how to navigate the site. Pair weaker readers with a stronger one and have student pairs read the information Have students create blogs sharing their learning and understanding using Telegra.ph, reviewed here. Students could then copy over the plan they have for their own hero's journey in their blog. With Telegra.ph you just click on an icon to upload images from your computer, add a YouTube or Vimeo, or Twitter links. Once students have finished writing the journey, have them publish it for their parents and peers using a tool like Ourboox, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Folk Tales Collected by Phillip Martin - Phillip Martin
Grades
3 to 8
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This is a collection of folk tales from Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Europe which could be used orally, or as an on-line introduction to African culture. Scripts for folktale ...more
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This is a collection of folk tales from Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Europe which could be used orally, or as an on-line introduction to African culture. Scripts for folktale plays are included. You will also find brief lesson plans for teaching art and clip art to use with your class.
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans offered in this site - all connected to National standards! This would be a great resource for a Language Arts teacher. If your reading program includes a folk tale unit, why not make a video or podcast dramatization of one of the folktales included on this site? You may want to check out Aaron Shepard's site for making folk tales into readers theater, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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A Word a Day Homepage
Grades
4 to 12
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Register for daily e-mail "word of the day". - Grades 4 and up - You can register for FREE daily e-mail "word of the day". The entry includes phonetic pronunciation, ...more
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Register for daily e-mail "word of the day". - Grades 4 and up - You can register for FREE daily e-mail "word of the day". The entry includes phonetic pronunciation, various meanings, and derivation. There is even a sound wave pronunciation of the word. You can retrieve a complete list of words presented. (examples: euphony, paragon) Excellent site for upper elementary through High School.
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Scholastic - Scholastic
Grades
1 to 12
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Scholastic's site is all about reading for students, parents, librarians, and teachers. Find teacher info for book clubs and lessons, parent ideas for supporting reading at home, loads...more
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Scholastic's site is all about reading for students, parents, librarians, and teachers. Find teacher info for book clubs and lessons, parent ideas for supporting reading at home, loads of fun for kids, and much more. Since Scholastic is "in the business," they of course have things to sell, but there is much available for free.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Access the "Educators" section of this web site to use the thousands of free lesson plans, printables, and images in your classroom. In the "student activities" section there are plenty of online games and projects that would make this site an excellent learning center or station. Pre-select activities and save their links to the desktop for students to complete.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Read Up On It! - Library of Canda
Grades
1 to 12
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Though this site is archived, it is still intact and ready for use. This site promotes reading in themes from the Canadian Library. The themes are designed to promote reading ...more
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Though this site is archived, it is still intact and ready for use. This site promotes reading in themes from the Canadian Library. The themes are designed to promote reading and give educators resources that worked for this group. It promotes children's literature also. The site itself contains reading lists in French and English. The lists are centered around themes. There is also ways to share your success with the kit and pose questions in an open forum. They offer tips and suggestions on ways to encourage reading and learning among children and adolescents.
In the Classroom
Use these recommended book lists and discussion questions as a way to inject something new into your classroom. If there is a theme that matches up with one already existing in the classroom, this website is excellent for enrichment. Use the free recommendations in your classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Aaron Shepard - Aaron Shepard
Grades
1 to 8
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Author's On Line homepage for Aaron Shepard is a site that provides lots of info and resources for using reader's theater in conjunction with plays, manuscripts, and folktales; appropriate...more
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Author's On Line homepage for Aaron Shepard is a site that provides lots of info and resources for using reader's theater in conjunction with plays, manuscripts, and folktales; appropriate for all elementary grade levels. On this page you'll find loads of resources and treats (printable posters, music etc.) for teachers, librarians, storytellers, children's writers, parents, and young people -- all from award-winning children's author Aaron Shepard. His specialty is retold folktales. You'll also find information on Aaron, his books, and his author visits. Other offerings include worksheets, examples of scripting sheets you can use or learn to do it yourself, tips for using RT, and links to other references. You can search among the many materials available by genre, country, historical period, theme, etc.
In the Classroom
Click on Aaron's RT Page to find scripts for plays and tales you can use in the classroom. Use this website to find hints on how to dramatize the literature or folklore you're studying in the classroom. ESL students will find using Reader's Theater particularly helpful as they can read, speak, and listen to the materials and have more chances at comprehension. Similarly, students who are visual or oral learners will benefit from the multi-sensory presentations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Katherine Paterson
Grades
4 to 8
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This is the official homepage of award-winning author Katherine Paterson, author of Bridge to Terabithia. (Newberry 1978). Site includes an annotated booklist, frequently asked questions,...more
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This is the official homepage of award-winning author Katherine Paterson, author of Bridge to Terabithia. (Newberry 1978). Site includes an annotated booklist, frequently asked questions, audio of songs from stage productions of some of her books and links to Amazon.com to purchase titles. Although she is a well-loved and respected author, this site is a bit disappointing - lacking lessons, activities, or other enhancements.
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Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts - University of Pittsburgh
Grades
3 to 12
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Includes translations of many Germanic-rooted myths, legends and stories. The texts are categorized. Also gives many additional links to other tales and legends. Excellent source for...more
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Includes translations of many Germanic-rooted myths, legends and stories. The texts are categorized. Also gives many additional links to other tales and legends. Excellent source for comparison studies of specific tales such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, etc.
In the Classroom
Ask students to choose a favorite tale and record and share the stories with tools such as Zeemaps, reviewed here. Zeemaps allows students to create audio recordings AND choose a location (on a map) where the story takes place. Challenge cooperative learning groups to modernize one of the tales and create a podcast by using sites such as podOmatic, reviewed here. Help students create a checklist or rubric to use for self-evaluation or peer review. Use a tool like Quick Rubric, reviewed here, for the checklist and rubric. Use this same document to help students make constructive suggestions for story revisions. Use an online tool such as the 2 and 3 Circle Interactive Venn Diagrams, reviewed here. to create a visual comparison of different folk tales and story patterns.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Children's Literature Database
Grades
1 to 8
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Here's a new twist - a site that lets users enter in the kind of literature they want to read about: country, historical period, plot type, character types - and ...more
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Here's a new twist - a site that lets users enter in the kind of literature they want to read about: country, historical period, plot type, character types - and then returns a list of children's books that meet those criteria. This is a great resource for finding reading material to complement curricular content, or to simply help a reluctant reader find a book he or she will really love.
In the Classroom
Use this site as a way to pull in literature into a non-language arts classroom. The search bar is a great way to find materials that could compliment your curriculum in a science or social studies classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Children's Literature Web Guide
Grades
1 to 8
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Source: University of Calgary, Canada - Newbery and Caldecott information, book reviews and plans available to teach with the medal books. ALA best books are listed along with Internet...more
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Source: University of Calgary, Canada - Newbery and Caldecott information, book reviews and plans available to teach with the medal books. ALA best books are listed along with Internet book discussions, and resources for storytellers, teachers and parents. Also included are specific teaching ideas, indexes of research guides and publishers.
In the Classroom
Use the book lists on this site for recommendations to parents who want suggestions on outside or summer readings. The lists are separated by age, gender and all kinds of category's - making it easier for parents to find what they need.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Judy Blume's Home Base
Grades
3 to 9
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Appropriate for all levels, elementary through adult! - This is the homepage of well-known author, Judy Blume. It is a treasure chest for Judy Blume fans! The site includes writing...more
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Appropriate for all levels, elementary through adult! - This is the homepage of well-known author, Judy Blume. It is a treasure chest for Judy Blume fans! The site includes writing tips, bio and photos, messages from Judy, book information, and a kid's page. Blume has a section focused on writing, and even offers advice for young writers who want to make a career out of it! Highly recommended site for all!
In the Classroom
This website is an excellent addition to any teacher introducing a creative writing project. Include this link on your class website (or wiki) for students to examine both in and out of the classroom. Recommend the site for any who seem to be having writer's block or need a bit of inspiration. Like Judy, start with a writers notebook, engaging students by using Google Keep, reviewed here, to jot down their ideas about characters, setting, dialogue, etc. Google Keep can be accessed from any device.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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ALA Editors' Choice - Amer. Library Assoc.
Grades
1 to 12
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This is the ALA's booklist. The list is categorized by reading level and by fiction/non-fiction. A synopsis of the title and bibliographic information is included. ...more
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This is the ALA's booklist. The list is categorized by reading level and by fiction/non-fiction. A synopsis of the title and bibliographic information is included.
In the Classroom
Share this site with students who are looking for their next book to read. ALA Booklist is always up to date with the most recently published books!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Journey to Mars - NASA
Grades
1 to 12
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Find everything you need to know about the most recent mission to Mars and NASA's plans for future missions. ...more
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Find everything you need to know about the most recent mission to Mars and NASA's plans for future missions.
In the Classroom
Share with students using a projector or interactive whiteboard as a whole class, or create a link at a computer station for students to explore on their own. Ask students to reflect on their learning using a blog like Telegra.ph, reviewed here. With Telegra.ph you just click on an icon to upload images from your computer, add a YouTube or Vimeo, or Twitter links. This blog creator requires no registration.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Multicultural Book Review - Valarie Budayr & Mia Wenjen
Grades
1 to 12
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This site provides a qualitative list of Multi cultural books. The site provides and solicits teacher-reviews of multicultural literature including but not limited to African-American,...more
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This site provides a qualitative list of Multi cultural books. The site provides and solicits teacher-reviews of multicultural literature including but not limited to African-American, Asian-American Latino, Jewish Eskimo and Native American.
In the Classroom
Find recommended books under several top menu headings. The site provides and solicits teacher-reviews of multicultural literature including but not limited to African-American, Asian-American Latino, Jewish Eskimo and Native American. Suggestion: Challenge students to write their own reviews for a multi cultural book they read and then publish it with images using Book Creator, reviewed here. If your students need a refresher for writing a book review use Writing With Writers, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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