Curated OER
Current Event Project
One of the best ways to make history relevant and engaging is to analyze current events before they become history! Check out these project guidelines for a current event research paper, outlining the major required sections of the...
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Thanksgiving Day
What state consumes the most turkey per person? Who sponsors the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City? Use the Thanksgiving holiday as an opportunity for learners to develop their research skills with this fun Internet...
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Reliving History through Slave Narratives
Helpful for an American literature or history unit, this lesson prompts middle schoolers to examine slavery in the United States. They read slave narratives that were part of the Federal Writers' Project and then conduct their own...
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Perseverance: Keep Going
Kids evaluate world history events that show perseverance by creating artistic images. They investigate historic photographs and images which conjure up the feelings of perseverance, then utilize acrylic paints to capture the essence of...
Brooklyn Museum
"Workt by Hand": Hidden Labor and Historical Quilts
Just like a painting or the symbols on a flag, quilts can express ideas that reflect a cultural context, space, and time. The class discusses the history of quilt making throughout US history and what different types of quilts mean. They...
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Class and Health: You Are What You Eat
Students determine a working definition of class in order to determine how social class can affect personal health. They research their own nutritional needs and work to encourage healthy change in their communities.
The Imagination Factory
Design a Postage Stamp for Black History Month
Learners create a postage stamp for Black History Month. In this U.S. History lesson, students discuss the contributions of African-Americans and design a postage stamp to celebrate their impact.
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Undercover-ed
Have your class engage in critical-thinking activities using this resource. Learners discuss a variety of topics they think get too much, or too little, attention from the press. They analyze why these topics are over or underrated....
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2.0 "Water Is Life" Global Water Awareness Mini-Unit (Grades3-5)
Students study the amount of potable water on the Earth. In this water activity, students examine the amount of potable water as compared to all the water on the Earth. They discuss why many parts of the world do not have access to good...
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Living During the Little Ice Age
Students brainstorm what living conditions during the period known as the Little Ice Age (1350-1850) might have been like. They research lifestyles, the economy, crop yields, and human and livestock mortality.
Crafting Freedom
The Self-Empowerment of Harriet Jacobs
In a hands-on learning activity, pupils read about and recreate the experience of Harriet Jacobs, author of one of the most famous slave narratives of all time in which she describes her years of hiding from her master in a confined...
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Outdoor Survival
Students are introduced to basic outdoor survival concepts. They identify the seven basic needs for survival. Students describe the symptoms and treatment for frostbite and hypothermia. They compare and contrast the value of different...
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Developing Awareness: An Intercultural Communication Lesson Plan
Learners, divided into two groups, are put into a new culture, where they must create their own body language for greetings, etc. They learn aspects of other cultures such as body language, discourse patterns, male and female roles.
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Paper Architecture - Designing Human Spaces
Students design, then construct an architectural structural model of a two-person dwelling. Then, Students, in groups, plan a city layout.
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Reliving History Through Slave Narratives
Students read slave narratives and retell the stories to the class, identifying sensory details. In this slavery lesson, students discuss the importance of sensory details, then read the slave narratives looking for specific examples. ...
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Latin American Colonial Diary
Students examine the class systems of New Spain. In small groups, they create a five-day diary about the family life, food, occupation, and government involvement of an assigned personality from the time of Colonial Latin America.
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What is American Culture
Students create what they feel is American Culture using a video camera and capturing 5 frames. They are animating parts of a poem in small groups. They decide the set up, create movable figures, and have a music section. Each person...
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Maskmaking
Students examine masks from various cultures focusing on the Native Americans. Using the internet, they research the purpose of the masks and various designs. They create their own mask showing their own culture and personality and...
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Where Am I, and How Do I Get Where I am Going?
Students describe geographical places through art, music, writing, and math. They compile information in booklets which may be published.
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Why Does Delaware Have Such A StrangeShape?
Learners examine the events and history surrounding the boundaries of Delaware. They participate in a class discussion and analyze a map, then create a floor map using masking tape. Students also participate in a play about the...
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What Your Signature Means to You and Others
Students discuss significance and value of writing their signatures on various documents, recall times they have signed their names, and demonstrate understanding that signatures are important representations of people, and symbols of...
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Finding Your Spot in the World
Students practice locating places on a Thomas Brothers map. In this map skills lesson plan, students locate places on the map of where their ancestors are from and then practice finding various community places on a map. Students graph...
BBC
Conflict
Middle schoolers take a close look at the different forms that bullying can take, and share their ideas of ways to stop bullying in schools. Learners get together in groups of three and come up with a scenario that depicts a conflict....
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Group Initiatives
Students explore the names and qualities about members in the group. They each say their name and something about themselves. Students gather around in a circle. They listen to the teacher as he or she says the name of someone and throws...