Tag Archives: cultural literacy

A Lesson Plan on the Crime and Puzzlement Case “A Matter of Diamonds”

Posted on January 30, 2019 | Leave a comment

Ok, dawn just arrived here in the Northeast. I seem to be getting away with it so far, so let me offer up another lesson plan on the Crime and Puzzlement case “A Matter of Diamonds.”

I open this one with this Cultural Literacy worksheet on the noun phrase and concept of pecking order. You’ll need the illustration, text, and questions for the case, which I’ve scanned directly from the book. Finally, here is teacher’s copy and answer key to solve the case.

If you find typos in these documents, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

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Posted in English Language Arts, Independent Practice, Lesson Plans, Social Sciences, Worksheets

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Cultural Literacy: Burn the Midnight Oil

Posted on January 30, 2019 | Leave a comment

As students head off to college, teachers probably should explain to them the cognitive science research on “cramming” as a method of studying, i.e. that it is basically useless and mostly exhausting. Perhaps this Cultural Literacy worksheet on the idiom burn the midnight oil would serve as an elegant way to kill two birds with one stone: teach students a new idiomatic expression, and urge them to pace themselves when studying.

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

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Cultural Literacy: Burn the Candle at Both Ends

Posted on January 28, 2019 | Leave a comment

Here is a Cultural Literacy worksheet on the idiom “to burn the candle at both ends.” It remains in sufficiently common usage in English, I think, that it might be worth taking the five or so minutes required to complete this short exercise to familiarize students with it.

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

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A Lesson Plan on the Crime and Puzzlement Case “Merrill’s Alibi”

Posted on January 24, 2019 | Leave a comment

OK, on a rainy morning, here is a lesson plan on “Merrill’s Alibi,” the fourth “case” in the first volume of the Crime and Puzzlement series of books.

I begin this lesson with this Cultural Literacy worksheet on “Parting is such sweet sorrow,” the famous line, of course, from Romeo and Juliet. You’ll need this PDF of the illustration and questions from the book itself so students may can investigate whether or not Merrill’s alibi is credible. Finally, here is a typescript of the answer key to close the case of Merrill’s Alibi.

If you find typos in these documents, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

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Cultural Literacy: You Can’t Have Your Cake and Eat it Too

Posted on January 22, 2019 | Leave a comment

On a very chilly morning, here is a Cultural Literacy worksheet on the idiom “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” This expression remains in sufficiently common usage that students probably ought to learn it somewhere along the way–if they don’t hear it in social contexts, didactic teaching may be called for. This document might help.

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

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Cultural Literacy: Allusion

Posted on January 19, 2019 | Leave a comment

There are several places along the continuum of English Language Arts instruction, I would think, where this Cultural Literacy worksheet on allusion could come in handy.

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

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Posted in English Language Arts, Essays/Readings, Independent Practice, Worksheets

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Cultural Literacy: Aesop’s Fables

Posted on January 17, 2019 | Leave a comment

Given the stunning decline in introspection and the pursuit of virtue in American culture, I wonder if anyone anywhere needs or wants this Cultural Literacy worksheet on Aesop’s Fables . If so, there it is.

Also, if you want to teach Aesop’s Fables, there are several lesson plans posted on this blog: just use Aesop’s Fables as a search term on the home page and you’ll find them.

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

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Cultural Literacy: Allen Ginsberg

Posted on January 14, 2019 | Leave a comment

From my sophomore year of high school on, I was quite taken with The Beat Generation. In the event that you have any students with a similar interest (I still stumble across one every so often), this cultural literacy worksheet on the late, great Allen Ginsberg might be a place for them to start in the pursuit an inquiry into the Beats.

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

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Cultural Literacy: Academic Freedom

Posted on January 10, 2019 | Leave a comment

I know I’ve beaten this trope to death lately, which doesn’t make it any less true that our current zeitgeist offers the perfect time to post something like this Cultural Literacy worksheet on academic freedom.

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

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A Lesson Plan on the Crime and Puzzlement Case “End of a Villain”

Posted on January 9, 2019 | Leave a comment

OK, here is a lesson plan on the Crime and Puzzlement case “End of a Villain.”

I use this cultural literacy worksheet on the American idiom “Once in a Blue Moon” to begin this lesson after the class change that brings students into my classroom. Here, from a Crime and Puzzlement book itself, are the illustration, text, and questions that drive this lesson. Finally, here is the answer key for the case.

If you find typos in these documents, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

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Posted in English Language Arts, Independent Practice, Lesson Plans, Social Sciences, Worksheets

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