Authentic Lessons for 21st Century Learning

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Margaret Salesky

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K20 Center

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Welcome to the Mead Hall

Introductory Material on Beowulf

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 12th Grade

Students will activate and build their background knowledge so that they are better able to comprehend Beowulf and draw connections to crucial parts of the story. This lesson is intended to be taught just before students read Beowulf. Read more »

Lesson 5E Lesson
Welcome to the Mead Hall

Introductory Material on Beowulf

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 12th Grade

Subject Subject

  • English/Language Arts

Course Course

  • A.P. Literature and Composition, World Literature

Copied To Clipboard Standards

  • 12.3.R.1, 12.6.R.1, 12.6.W.4
More 3-4 periods
Time Frame 130-140 minutes
Deal with the Devil

Robert Johnson and Faustian Bargains

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 9th - 12th

In this lesson, students explore what a Faustian bargain is and examine examples in literature and pop culture. Students read, watch, listen, discuss, and write an argument as they work through the concept and its lasting legacy. Read more »

Lesson 5E Lesson
Deal with the Devil

Robert Johnson and Faustian Bargains

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 9th - 12th

Subject Subject

  • English/Language Arts

Copied To Clipboard Standards

  • 12.3.R.7, 12.3.W.3
More 3 periods
Time Frame 150
Bad Romance

Dark Romantic Author Nathaniel Hawthorne

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 11th - 12th

Day and night, yin and yang, love and despair, Biggie and Tupac—all opposite yet equal counterparts to one another. In this lesson, students explore the reaction to the American Transcendental movement, dark romanticism. They Jigsaw informational texts of this subgenre and come to a consensus on what... Read more »

Lesson 5E Lesson
Bad Romance

Dark Romantic Author Nathaniel Hawthorne

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 11th - 12th

Subject Subject

  • English/Language Arts

Course Course

  • American Literature

Copied To Clipboard Standards

  • 2.R, 11.2.R.2, 3.W
More
Time Frame

Teachers know the importance of discussion in the ELA and social studies classrooms, but engaging students in discussion can feel especially difficult. To help teachers increase student engagement, this session will introduce the following strategies: Chat Stations, Agreement Circles, Elevator Speech,... Read more »

Professional Learning

Tag Target Audience

  • All Staff or Teachers, New Teachers, PLC, Teachers

Tag Calendar Placement

  • Any time of year

User Group Group Size

  • Large Group (at least 30), Medium Group (at least 10)

Tag Intention Or Purpose

  • Active Engagement, Conversation Starter

Tag Related

  • Communication
More
Time Frame
Monster Monday: Puppy Love

Werewolves Who Write

“And they called it puppy love…” This lesson will have students falling in love with werewolves from all packs as they explore how mythology and lore has progressed over time, place, and culture. After they discover which pack they belong to, they will work together to design a movie poster that depicts... Read more »

Lesson 5E Lesson
Monster Monday: Puppy Love

Werewolves Who Write

Subject Subject

  • English/Language Arts

Copied To Clipboard Standards

  • 11.3.R.1, 11.3.R.5, 11.3.W.1, 11.3.W.4
More
Time Frame
Madeline Hunter - Gift of the Magi (Research)

Motivations in The Gift of the Magi

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 10th Grade

Students will be able to perform the following: Understand character motivation. Translate character’s motivations from “The Gift of the Magi” into a written present-day situation. Read more »

Lesson 5E Lesson
Madeline Hunter - Gift of the Magi (Research)

Motivations in The Gift of the Magi

Subject Subject

  • English/Language Arts

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 10th Grade

Copied To Clipboard Standards

  • 10.3.R.3
More 2 periods
Time Frame 60 minutes
Things Are Lit at Thornfield

Jane Eyre

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 11th - 12th

During this lesson, students will analyze the techniques used in classical literature versus comic book writing to determine how they contribute to the meaning of unknown vocabulary words. Students will use excerpts from the original text, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, and the corresponding visuals... Read more »

Lesson 5E Lesson

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 11th - 12th

Subject Subject

  • English/Language Arts

Course Course

  • A.P. Literature and Composition, British Literature

Copied To Clipboard Standards

  • 11.4.R.2, 11.7.R
More 1-2 class period(s)
Time Frame 60-70 minutes
Use Your Noodle

Avoiding Comma Blunders

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 9th - 10th

Students will model their writing using mentor sentences and use the mentor sentences to understand how and why authors use commas to make their sentences clear and grammatically correct. Read more »

Lesson 5E Lesson
Use Your Noodle

Avoiding Comma Blunders

Subject Subject

  • English/Language Arts

Course Course

  • Composition, Creative Writing

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 9th - 10th

Copied To Clipboard Standards

  • 9.5.W.1, 9.5.W.2
More
Time Frame
Totally Different Stories

Perspective

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 9th Grade

In this lesson, students will consider the context and evaluate perspectives while comparing "Story of an Hour" and excerpts from "The Awakening". After reading the stories, students will write a short response from the perspective of the characters. Read more »

Lesson 5E Lesson

Subject Subject

  • English/Language Arts

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 9th Grade

Copied To Clipboard Standards

  • 9.3.R.2, 9.3.W.1
More
Time Frame
"Kind of Like an Octopus"

Creating Instructional Content for YouTube

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 9th - 12th

Students discuss their favorite content creators on YouTube. They explore different content creators on a Wakelet and consider what it is about the video that makes it intriguing. Students learn from a YouTube content creator that creating YouTube videos is "kind of like an octopus"—you need a lot of... Read more »

Lesson 5E Lesson
"Kind of Like an Octopus"

Creating Instructional Content for YouTube

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 9th - 12th

Subject Subject

  • English/Language Arts

Copied To Clipboard Standards

  • 11.1.W.1, 11.5.W.3, 11.7.W.1
More 3-4 class periods
Time Frame 60 minutes