Grades 8–12
3 Sessions: 60-90 Minutes Each
Informational, Media, PoetryLessonsStudents connect with members of the deceased buried in a local cemetery and imaginatively exhume a character by investigating their personal history and creatively representing the story of a life.
This lesson is one of many brought to 826 Digital as part of the Unfathomable City: A New Orleans Atlas Curriculum and Bookshare Project, a collaboration between Big Class, now 826 New Orleans, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. This curriculum provides students opportunities to engage with the unfathomable and inexhaustible possibilities of maps, a provocation laid forth throughout the chapters and maps of Rebecca Solnit and Rebecca Snedekers’ Unfathomable City: A New Orleans Atlas.
These lessons can be adapted at large, or in parts, to fit any city or community. You may find it useful to discuss New Orleans during the instructional parts of these lessons, while replacing direct references to New Orleans cemeteries and historical figures with local examples.
Map 4 of Unfathomable City: A New Orleans Atlas illustrates the many cemeteries of New Orleans, including not only their location but also their history and population. It includes cemeteries exhumed or covered and impromptu cemeteries where bodies were hidden. The chapter explores how the dead both disappear and resurface. It explains early burial practices and the necessity of above-ground tombs, then references recent crimes and the disposal of corpses in the lake. Water is presented as both an impediment to and a resource for burial. The themes of the chapter are water, bodies, and the idea that everything resurfaces. The final example of resurfacing is the Tree of the Dead, which supposedly grew from a dead body.
In this workshop, students will engage with these traditional “Cities of the Dead,” learning about the reasons for above-ground burial and connecting with local celebrities buried in those cemeteries.
Variations: Teachers may not be able to take students on the cemetery visit for the first day. If this is the case, they could replace such a visit with photographs, slideshows, a movie, a virtual visit, or perhaps a visiting speaker.
Editor’s note: Saint Louis No. 1 Cemetery is temporarily closed to the public.
by 826 New Orleans
In this lesson, students have an opportunity to write a letter expressing their views on issues that matter to them most surrounding an election.
by Cristeta Boarini, 826 MSP
In this lesson, students explore the genres of historical and speculative fiction before they reimagine a time they felt powerless and write a different outcome.
by Ola Faleti, 826CHI, with an introduction by Amanda Gorman, Inaugural Youth Poet Laureate of the U.S.
The pen is mightier than the sword. In this lesson, students learn there's no better evidence of this than the poetry behind social movements.
by Rebecca Darugar, Liz Levine, and Brancey Mora, 826NYC and 826 National
Invite students to write about their personal experiences with social media and online platforms with this lesson from 826NYC.
by 826 National
Spooky stories are universally beloved. Read a selection of spooky stories from countries around the world, and then write your own!
by Rebecca Darugar, 826NYC
Students examine relationships between art, poetry, politics, and current events, and reflect on personal experiences while writing social justice poetry.
by Dave Eggers, 826 Valencia
Over a flexible series of activities, students will learn to draw details from real life to create unforgettable characters and compelling stories.
by Erin Ruane, 826 New Orleans
In this lesson, students are challenged to reevaluate the way water and land are represented on a map.
by Bryan Wilson, Educator Leader, The Bureau of Fearless Ideas
What do you get when you mix foraging with metaphors? Metaphoraging, of course! In this interactive lesson, students will forage their learning space for metaphors.
by Kendra Lappin, 826 Valencia
Parody is a type of writing that deliberately exaggerates for comic effect. In this lesson, students will use foundational news-writing techniques to write their own parody.
by Gem Carmella, Ministry of Stories and BBC History
In this Lesson, students will learn how to write comedy sketches inspired by "Monty Python’s Flying Circus."
by Laura Lisabeth, Ph.D, 826NYC
In this lesson, students experiment with the multimodal composition of Instagram and use this social media platform to promote a social justice issue.
by Karla Brundage, 826 Valencia
What’s in a name? Students will consider how language can impact identity and create an illustrated name poem that reflects their identities.
by 826 National
What happens when we start from a place of gratitude? In this lesson, students will use Ross Gay’s "Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude" as a catalyst for a daily gratitude journal.
by 826 National
Inspired by George Ella Lyon’s original poem, this lesson guides students through naming the people, places, and things that have shaped them.
by Debra Mitchell, 826CHI
Students will become script detectives, searching for the underlying structure of every play, and then use their own memories to inspire original plays.
by 826 National
Stories are the thread that connect communities. In this lesson, students learn more about culture and identity through Dakota and Hmong textile arts, as well as reflect on their own identities.
by Klariza Alvaran, 826CHI
In this lesson, students explore the graphic novel genre with a focus on plot and character development, scripting dialogue, and visual composition.
by Lisa Lutz, 826 Valencia
In this lesson by a young adult author and self-confessed superfan Lisa Lutz, students will learn letter-writing tips and create a fan letter.
by Mariama J. Lockington & Peter Calhoun Hall, 826NYC
In this superlesson, students isolate DNA, design planes, build lairs, and engineer safe transport to help a hero save the day. Students will also take technical notes and explore new forms of poetry.
by Emily Gerstner, 826 Valencia
Students will practice writing strong interview questions to learn new perspectives. This lesson can be used for community building or to support a research project.
by Tony Weaver, Jr., educator and author of the graphic novel Weirdo.
When was the last time you felt like a superhero? In this lesson, students will reflect on that moment and write a poem that shows off their inner strengths.
by Cristeta Boarini, 826MSP, and Skylar Burkhardt, 826 National
Few expressions of gratitude are more meaningful than a personalized letter. In this lesson, students reach out to essential workers and return their acts of service and kindness by giving thanks.
by Kyley Pulphus, 826 New Orleans
In this Spark, students will create a “pourquoi tale,” or origin story, of how a local delicacy came to be.
by Robert Paterno, 826LA
A mock crime scene kick-starts this lesson, getting students to hone their inferencing skills and serving as inspiration for crime stories.
by Tony Weaver, Jr., educator and author of the graphic novel Weirdo
World-building is a vital part of writing compelling science fiction. In this lesson, students will develop a new, in-depth world for their science fiction story.
by Tony Weaver, Jr., educator and author of the graphic novel Weirdo
What makes a hero? In this lesson, students will develop a complex character that defies traditional archetypes and then write a superhero story featuring that character.
by Jillian Wasick, 826 Valencia
Ekphrastic poems vividly describe a piece of art. In this lesson, students will write ekphrastic poems, while exploring and creating connections between text and image.
by Emily Clader & Daniel Reck, 826michigan
Students will create infinite poems using fractals, imagine life on a doughnut, and speculate about a universe where time goes crazy. Along the way, they'll explore cool, new math facts and concepts.
by Summer Medina, 826NYC
Self-power comes from many places. In this lesson, students will discover the power that comes from speaking and writing in multiple languages through poetry.
by Daniel José Older, author of Flood City.
Students will work together to produce a newspaper for the fictional Flood City. In the process, they will take on the roles of editor and journalist to source, draft, and present their newspaper.
by Tim Campos, 826 New Orleans
Through discussion, map-making, and writing, students will investigate the ways in which our knowledge of places is constructed and will uncover the ways that this knowledge is distorted by biases.
by 826 National, in partnership with Paramount Pictures
Imaginary friends come in all shapes and sizes! Inspired by the new Paramount Pictures movie, IF, students will create their own imaginary friend to take with them on their next adventure.
by Stephanie Wykstra, 826NYC
A student’s guide for evaluating evidence and learning to spot misleading and false information.
by Mandy Seiner, 826NYC
In this lesson, students will learn about different types of rhymes, identify rhymes in lyrics and generate rhymes to use in their own lyrics.
by Ellen Lathrop and Malia Urbina, 826 Valencia
In this lesson, students will use descriptive language to write a poem about a favorite animal.
by Tom Molanphy, 826 Valencia
Students will learn to see home in a fresh way, to walk through doors and open windows they never noticed, and to find the stories that home holds.
by Ryan Harty, 826michigan
By examining patterns in engaging published stories and applying a set of meaningful prompts, students will learn how to develop well-rounded characters that readers really care about.
by Tony Weaver, Jr., educator and author of the graphic novel Weirdo, with inspiration from Cristeta Boarini, 826 MSP
What if you could change the ending to a memory that left you powerless? In this lesson, students will retell a story with a new ending, reclaiming their power in the process.
by KQED Education
This lesson from KQED Education asks students to choose an issue they care about and create an editorial cartoon advocating for change on a local, national, or global level.
by Ryan Harty, 826michigan
By examining patterns in engaging published stories and applying a set of meaningful prompts, students will learn how to develop well-rounded characters that readers really care about.
by Mallory Miller, 826 Digital Educator Leader
In this lesson, students will construct a short narrative told through concrete poems.
by Julius Diaz Panoriñgan, 826LA
Through an upcoming zombie apocalypse, students will explore multiple STEM disciplines and the importance of scientific modeling. They'll write technical notes and create an ongoing narrative.
by Katie Manning and Brandon Brown, 826LA
Students enter The Poetry Laboratory, no lab coats required, and use methods of observation and playful strategies to embark on the process of writing poetry.
by Catherine Calabro, with inspiration from Rachel Feder, 826michigan
Your students will use free writes, writing games, cheesy pop lyrics, and revision strategies to learn how to make connections between all of the points on their journey of writing a poem.
by Marini Drobish, 826 Digital Educator Leader
This lesson invites students to write a modern day fairy tale. Students will reconstruct classic fairy tales by choosing to focus on altering one story element: setting, point of view, or resolution.
by Aarti Monteiro, 826NYC
Emotions play a big role in how we remember places important to us. Students explore this notion by writing memoirs, using plot, dialogue, and description to bring their stories to life.
by College Essay Guy and 826 National
This lesson from College Essay Guy introduces students to two types of effective college essay structures: Montage and Narrative.
by Cristeta Boarini, 826 MSP
Students will identify something they have inherited from their families, conduct interviews, and write a narrative essay. This lesson is especially well suited for English Language Learners.
by Kyley Pulphus, 826 New Orleans
This lesson supports college-bound students in writing compelling personal statements. Students will go from blank page to finished draft as they brainstorm, develop, and analyze personal statements.
by Alana Herron, 826 Digital Educator Leader
Students will craft an argument about a controversial topic they hold a personal connection to and record their argument to persuade their audience.
by Aarti Monteiro, 826NYC
Students will read a poem by Eve L. Ewing and learn to write a poem that retells or reimagines an experience.
by Marya Spont-Lemus, 826CHI
Through brainstorming and drafting activities, students will learn the basics of personal narrative writing and craft an essay that they can use for college, scholarships, job applications and more.
by Allie Mariano, 826 New Orleans
Students will tell stories about their neighborhoods and create maps that document change. The end result is a better understanding of a map’s ability to demonstrate the history behind fixed points.
by Saiya Miller, 826 New Orleans
Students will collect dirt, map their neighborhood, and listen to music that explores low sound, soil depth, and the psychological landscape of New Orleans.
by Louise McCune, 826 Valencia
Working as budding archaeologists, students use artifacts as inspiration for several short writing pieces.
by Allison Peters, 826michigan
Discover what’s possible through writing. In this lesson, students will write a thrilling new story about their future selves inspired by their curiosity and imagination.
by Molly Sprayregen, 826CHI
Over the course of this lesson, students produce memoirs, poems, and essays that explore what it means to be a member of the LGBTQIA community in America today.
by Rebecca Darugar, 826NYC
Students will work collaboratively to construct a vision for your classroom as a safe space for students and educators.
by Kelly Jones, 826 New Orleans
Through writing, drawing, mapping, and researching a chosen fruit, students will become more familiar with the often complex history of food and how people access it.
by Dr. Anne Desrosiers and Precediha Dangerfield, 826 Valencia
The COVID-19 pandemic changed our lives. This lesson will support students in processing the changes in their everyday lives and help them to identify the creativity their community has exhibited.
by Christopher Ankney, AT Bianchi, & Amy Wilson, 826michigan
Using Twitter as a storytelling medium, students will improve their understanding of perspective, editing for brevity, and the importance of word choice.
by Kendra Lappin, 826 Valencia
Extra, extra, read all about it! In this lesson, students will learn the basics of print journalism and write an editorial for a classroom newspaper.
Inspired by Angela Iton and Precediha Dangerfield, 826 Valencia
In this lesson, students will use mentor texts to hone their revision skills before turning to their own poetry drafts.
by 826 National
Students will act as members of The Cryptid Convention—the world's only secret, not-so-secret society devoted to discussing new cryptids—and write an informational poster about an original cryptid.
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