Ms. Beard's Lesson Plans
Here are materials I've developed. Teachers are welcome to use them and to refine them for their own classroom needs. Please give credit where credit is due.
- 1984
A collection of resources related to surveillance and privacy in a post-9/11 world. Students investigate a topic and write a report.
- April Madness
Celebrate National Poetry Month by combining poetry and rivalry. Students read or recite a poem and compete to advance in classroom brackets.
- Calliope, Muse of Eloquence
A technology-integrated exploration of vocabulary drawn from Greek and Roman mythology.
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
A collection of short analytical essays and activities related to themes from the novel.
- Cornell Notes as Book Report
A 2-page handout on using Cornell Notes to respond to reading. Adobe Reader required for access.
- Dictionary, Schmictionary
In this WebQuest students evaluate a variety of online dictionaries and select one as the best.
- Dr. Frankenstein and his Monster meet Dr. Phil
Dr. Frankenstein and his monster are appearing on Dr. Phil. Can Victor Frankenstein get past his anger and guilt to forgive his monster and accept him as he is? Can the monster get past his anger and loneliness to forgive Frankenstein and find something positive to do with his life? Write the script of their interaction.
- Dr. Heidegger's Lab Report
Students identify the hypothesis behind Dr. Heidegger's experiment.
- Edgar Allan Poe resources
- Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say
Six narrative writing prompts drawn from the book.
- Henry V
Students explore the influence of the storyteller on the story.
- Introduction to Greek Mythology
Students research characters from Greek mythology and give a speech as that character.
- Jurassic Park
Reading comprehension questions, practice with gerunds and participles, and an information literacy webquest.
- Kennings
This 2-page handout includes a definition, examples, a list of current kennings, and an invitation for students to create kennings of their own. Adobe Reader needed for access.
- The Last of the Mohicans
Viewing guides to accompany the 1992 video.
- Liar, Liar
A getting-acquainted activity for back-to-school.
- Mark Twain and Laughter
Why is the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor named after Twain? Students explore the Prize, humor in general, and Twain's humor in particular in this WebQuest.
- The Miracle Worker
Students write a business letter to hire a teacher for Helen.
- Odysseus Needs a Job!
Students examine possible jobs for Odysseus today and construct a resume for him based on their reading of The Odyssey.
- Pocahontas and John Smith
Should the Disney corporation apologize to the Powhatan people for the movie Pocahontas? In this WebQuest students explore the issues.
- Pseudonyms
Students match pseudonyms of famous people with their real names, discuss the reasons for having a pseudonym, and craft one for themselves.
- Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns
Students will identify and correct nonstandard use of reflexive and intensive pronouns. They
will also use reflexive and intensive pronouns correctly in their own writing. Adobe Reader required for access.
- "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" Continues
Students write another chapter in the Mitty saga.
- Three Books Project
A semester-long outside reading project for college-bound students in American Lit. Students read 3 books that have something in common, reflect on them, and write about them.
- Today in History
Students develop information literacy skills by evaluating different sources of information about the same topic.
- Unsolved Mysteries
This activity is designed to introduce freshmen to the research process. It originally followed a reading of The Hound of the Baskervilles.
- Vivid Words
In this technology-integrated lesson, students respond to a visual image by generating a list of descriptive words. They use online sources to discover synonyms for one of the words, select one, and search for the synonym in use online. Then they use a slide presentation to teach their new word to the class.
- War of the Worlds
This activity, designed for use after reading chapter 10, asks students to interview a survivor of the attacks.
- The Way to Rainy Mountain by N. Scott Momaday
At this page find an online Treasure Hunt that serves as an opening to the unit, activities to support study of the book, and student web pages written in response to their reading.
