Students begin by evaluating the universal theme of betrayal from multiple perspectives. After reading time period scenarios as well as reflecting on personal experiences, students use critical thinking skills to explore and identify interventions for each betrayal scenario, including personal examples. Students then research Roman history as they write down thier own critical perspective of a scenario depicting plausible scenes from Roman times. As the culminating project and assessment, students will create comic strips with the Interactive Comic Creator

Jigsaw is a strategy that emphasizes cooperative learning by providing students an opportunity to actively help each other build comprehension. Use this technique to assign students to reading groups composed of varying skill levels. Each group member is responsible for becoming an "expert" on one section of the assigned material and then "teaching" it to the other members of the team.

In this lesson based on St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves, students will read and annotate the lesson excerpt and then complete a jigsaw activity to consider how the character of Mirabella is developed.

This grammar unit students will explore the way speech dictates how others see you and treat you. Students will explore specific diction, word choice, vernacular and various sentence structures in order to observe how language can be both inclusive and exclusive.

This lesson introduces students to the blues, one of the most distinctive and influential elements of African-American musical tradition. Students take a virtual tour of Memphis, TN and explore the history of the blues in the work of W.C. Handy and a variety of country blues singers whose music preserves the folk origins of this unique American art form. The lesson concludes with students composing their own blues lyrics.

After students have read a book about the Holocaust, such as The Diary of Anne Frank or Night by Elie Wiesel, students will view Life is Beautiful and complete discussion questions that challenge their ability to analyze literature using film. When the film is complete, students will write a letter to the director conveying their opinion of the film.

This lesson encourages students to justify their thoughts about literature by prompting them with ambiguous test questions. Students take the test without understanding that questions are intentionally unclear, then justify their answers with textual citations for credit.

This lesson revisits the original nine African-American children who broke the color barrier at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1954. Lessons include close reading and analysis of news reports, television news accounts and writing assignments.

In this video from American Masters | Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, students will analyze an excerpt of the poem, "Caged Bird." Through discussion questions and a short activity, students will analyze the poem by doing a close reading of the text and examining the literary techniques used.

In this video from American Masters | Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, students will explore the Harlem Writers Guild, the oldest African American writers association in the world. Teaching tips suggest asking students to research the Harlem Writers Guild and to think about writing as part of a community.

In this video from American Masters | Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, students will explore the role of poetry in American politics, compare Angelou and Frost, and consider how Angelou’s poem reflects the challenges and concerns of the time. Discussion questions, teaching tips, and a student handout push students to engage with Angelou’s words and to think critically about her famous work.

In this video from American Masters | Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, students will learn about the connection between Maya Angelou and Malcolm X and their work in Ghana. Discussion questions and video included.

In this video from American Masters | Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, students will explore how growing up in the South during the Jim Crow Era influenced Maya Angelou’s writing. The power of memory and the importance of setting inform both the video and discussion questions as students are asked to consider why Maya Angelou chose to write about her own life in her famous autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

In this video from American Masters | Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, students will learn about the lasting impact of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and why it’s such an important piece of American literature. Students will answer discussion questions, analyze text from I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and write a short essay to gain a deeper understanding of Angelou’s work.

In this video from American Masters | Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, students will examine Maya Angelou’s impact on those who knew her personally. Utilizing video, discussion questions and teaching tips, students will analyze and reflect on Angelou’s mentors in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

This lesson from the Smithsonian has students taking the roles of Japanese Americans who faced internment during WWII. Students will read, sythesize and respond to first-hand accounts of internment and publish their responses on a Smithsonian blog page.

In this lesson, students will summarize information found in the Alabama Driver Manual and share their findings in a multimedia presentation. Students will be responsible for self-scoring and peer scoring the multimedia presentations.

This lesson plan has students do research on the myths surrounding Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. They will engage in reading, writing, and research activities that will have them learn skills in distinguishing truth from fiction as well as developing a deeper understanding about an important American historical document. Links to suggested sites for students to do their research on the myths are provided in the lesson.

During this extended unit, students will explore environmental sustainability from a number of different perspectives. They will dive deep into global policies regarding the environment, specifically the dedication of different countries to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Students will review and discuss specific case studies, offering their opinion of certain practices and policies. As a summative assessment, students will create a “Call to Action” project, with the intent of raising awareness and instigating action on environmental sustainability. This unit includes language (objectives, vocabulary, and lesson modifications) that will help the teacher meet the needs of ELL students. These strategies may be helpful for other students, as well.

Students examine the impact of digital technology on print journalism and develop creative ideas for delivering news