681 Designing Museum Exhibits for The Grapes of Wrath: A Multigenre Project Resource Type: Instructional Resource -- Promising Practice Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 9–12 Professional Commentary: As students read The Grapes of Wrath, many important issues from the depression era surface. This lesson focuses on issues related to the historical context of the novel.... 682 Putting the Truth in Writing: Exploring the Genre of Nonfiction Writing in the Language Arts Classroom Resource Type: Instructional Resource -- Promising Practice Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 9–12 Professional Commentary: In this lesson, students examine nonfiction writing and its role in preserving history. Students assess the Modern Library’s list of the 100 Best Nonfiction Books written first in English in the 20th century, as well as discuss what criteria determine whether or not a piece of nonfiction writing is 'good.' Students then read one of the books from the list and analyze the work by completing a writing activity of their choice.... 683 Recognizing Similes: Fast as a Whip Resource Type: Instructional Resource -- Promising Practice Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 9–10 Professional Commentary: The ability to understand similes is an important component of reading closely and appreciating literature. In this lesson, students will read excerpts from the work of Robert Frost, William Wordsworth, and Toi Derricotte in order to gain an understanding of similes. They examine similes in the context of each poem and consider what makes them effective.... 684 Introducing Metaphors Through Poetry Resource Type: Instructional Resource -- Promising Practice Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 9–10 Professional Commentary: The ability to understand metaphors is an important component of reading closely and appreciating literature. In this lesson, students will read excerpts from the work of Langston Hughes, Margaret Atwood, and Naomi Shihab Nye in order to gain an understanding of metaphors. They examine metaphors in the context of each poem and consider what makes them effective.... 685 Bringing Facts Into Science Fiction: Creating Science Fiction Narratives Based on Current News Themes Resource Type: Instructional Resource -- Promising Practice Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 9–10 Professional Commentary: In this lesson, students develop a setting, plot, and characters for a science fiction story based on current news themes, and then individually write drafts of the story. An article from The New York Times describing ways the "Star Wars" movies are allegorical, drawing their themes and images from the present, is included for discussion. Extension activities for the science fiction genre are also provided.... 686 Using Science Texts to Teach the Organizational Features of Nonfiction Resource Type: Instructional Resource -- Promising Practice Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 4–5 Professional Commentary: This lesson supports students as they explore the organizational features, such as labels, captions, headings, and varying fonts, that are commonly found in nonfiction texts. Following an introductory activity, students work cooperatively to analyze a section of a nonfiction text.... 687 A Bear of a Poem: Composing and Performing Found Poetry Resource Type: Instructional Resource -- Promising Practice Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades K–2 Professional Commentary: This lesson helps students recast the text they are reading in a different genre, which in turn, makes them more insightful readers and helps develop creativity in thinking and writing. The lesson begins with a read aloud of favorite stories.... 688 Exploring Disability Using Multimedia and the B-D-A Reading Strategy Resource Type: Instructional Resource -- Promising Practice Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 9–10 Professional Commentary: In this lesson, students apply a B-D-A (before-during-after) reading comprehension strategy as they explore varied aspects of disability by investigating rich, interactive multimedia resources. One featured resource is "Beyond Affliction: The Disability History Project," a National Public Radio documentary series about the shared experience of people with disabilities and their families since the beginning of the... 689 Congruent Triangles--Is This Enough Information? Resource Type: Instructional Resource -- Promising Practice Discipline: Mathematics Ohio Standards Alignment: Grade 7 Professional Commentary: Students explore triangle congruence conditions as they work to solve a real-world problem. They use Geometer's Sketchpad to apply congruence criteria.... 690 Mobile Inquiry Technology: Decaying Batteries Resource Type: Instructional Resource -- Promising Practice Discipline: Science Ohio Standards Alignment: Grade 5 Professional Commentary: This activity enables students to investigate the voltage of different batteries and how voltage changes as the battery is used up. Students gather data to answer the question, "How does voltage change as a battery is used?" This investigation requires students to use a multimeter and a spreadsheet.... Projects: COR |