Authentic Lessons for 21st Century Learning
Sometimes, we know a great deal about the meaning and inspiration behind a work of art. In many cases, the artist has left information about their art in an artist's statement. Sometimes though, it is up to the viewer to construct their own meaning of a work of art, regardless of what information about... Read more »
Created by: Jane Baber
Date Updated: October 14th, 2021
Ekphrastic Poetry
There is a quote that says, “Dialogue is easy. It’s what you’ve been doing almost every day, most of your life” (Josip Novakovich). Sure, dialogue seems simple; it’s having a conversation. But what about writing dialogue? To write conversations between characters, or even for a character with themselves,... Read more »
Created by: Jane Baber
Date Updated: September 4th, 2021
Writing Dialogue
Simple, Compound, Complex, and Compound-Complex Sentences
Sentence structure adds variety, interest, and impact to a text. Different sentence structures are composed of clauses and combinations of clauses, and these add varied sentence lengths and styles to a text. This lesson asks students to identify and practice writing simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex... Read more »
Created by: Jane Baber
Date Updated: July 30th, 2021
Simple, Compound, Complex, and Compound-Complex Sentences
A letter of introduction can serve as a personal statement. It paints a picture of who someone is as a unique individual based on experiences at home, in school, within their culture, and learned within their community. In this lesson, students will compose a formal letter of introduction that allows... Read more »
Created by: Jane Baber
Date Updated: July 13th, 2021
Writing a Letter of Introduction
There are a multitude of reasons why we offer thanks to others. Whether someone has done us a favor, given us a gift, shared their personal or professional time, or even just offered a kind word, thanking them with a sincere thank you note is a timeless and appreciated form of gratitude. A timely and... Read more »
Created by: Jane Baber
Date Updated: June 17th, 2021
Writing a Thank You Note
A necessary skill for most 21st-century digital citizens is professional email communication. A cordial, professional email is not only a sign of respectful communication, but also clearly relays an intention or request that honors the recipient’s time and encourages a desired action, response, or feeling.... Read more »
Created by: Jane Baber
Date Updated: June 17th, 2021
Writing a Professional Email
In this lesson, students play the role of a nosy detective, digging through a mysterious neighbor's garbage to make observations and inferences in order to solve a case. Using images and "artifacts," students create a character profile to show how their observations and inferences help them come to... Read more »
Created by: Jane Baber
Date Updated: August 2nd, 2021
Observations and Inferences
In this lesson, students learn about the story of the near extermination and subsequent re-introduction of the Gray Wolf of Yellowstone National Park. Through this narrative, students learn about apex predators, keystone species, and ecosystems. They learn to form cause and effect statements, analyze... Read more »
Created by: Jane Baber
Date Updated: May 5th, 2021
Human/Environment Interaction
In this lesson, students will compose haiku inspired by an analysis of the connection between smell and memory in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby." Read more »
Created by: Jane Baber
Date Updated: October 12th, 2021
The Great Gatsby and the Sense of Smell
The use of informal language and phrases in our writing and speaking is simply part of our culture. Idioms, slang, understatements, and hyperboles help characterize language by region, time period, and groups of people. Language, though, often benefits from precision, and appropriate word choice helps... Read more »
Created by: Jane Baber
Date Updated: March 29th, 2021
Word Choice
