Obituary Education Curriculum

This curriculum is designed to introduce students to obituaries. It features the full texts of six obituaries from national newspapers in the United States and the United Kingdom. Each of the six obituaries is accompanied by its own lesson plan, aligned to Common Core State Standards.

Level

This curriculum is intended for middle school students.

Lesson Plans

The lesson plans include:

  • Pre-reading activities
  • Worksheets
  • Discussion questions
  • Further resources
  • Standards covered
Time Frame

The lessons are in no particular order, and can be moved around. This curriculum can be taught in the space of a week, or spread out over a few weeks. Each lesson may take one to two class periods, depending on duration.

Format

The lesson plans – which include the full text of the obituaries – are Google Documents. They can be copied for modification, or printed.

Lesson Plans

Momofuku Ando: the inventor who changed the way we eat

Template  /  Printable

Uli Derickson: the hero of Flight 847

Template  /  Printable

Rudy Horne: the hidden figure behind “Hidden Figures”

Template  /  Printable 

Vivian Nicholson: a cautionary tale

Template  /  Printable

Stanislav Petrov: the man who saved the world

Template  /  Printable

Marie Wilcox: savior of a dying language

Template  /  Printable