Smithsonian Institution
Spirits Across the Ocean: Yoruban and Dahomean Cultures in the Caribbean Brought by the Slave Trade
Much of Latin American music owes its origins to the slave trade. Peoples from the Yoruban and Dahomean cultures brought with them the distinctive rhythms, time signatures, and eighth note patterns that now characterize Caribbean music....
Curated OER
Overcoming Censorship Through Art
Students create an art piece that expresses their opinions while circumventing hypothetical government restrictions in this instructional activity on art and government censorship. Emphasis is placed upon historical instances of...
Global Oneness Project
Highways and Change
What is the cost of change? Roberto Guerra's photo essay "La Carretera: Life and Change Along Peru's Interoceanic Highway" asks viewers to consider the impacts of the 1,600 mile-long highway through Peru and Brazil that connects Pacific...
Curated OER
Itaipu Dam and Power Plant (Brazil and Paraguay)
Learners study South America's Itaipu Dam and Power Plant in order to gain an understanding that hydroelectric power is a major means of generating electricity throughout the world. They also look into the environmental impacts that...
Curated OER
Having the Last Word
Students discuss the influence of foreign languages in their everyday speech after reading an article from The New York Times on language legislation in Brazil. Students are divided into 4 groups in order to research languages spoken...
Curated OER
Sidewalk Chalk Painting
Students study the history of sidewalk chalk art. They then brainstorm ideas of possible sidewalk art and draw ideas on paper. They then transfer their ideas onto the sidewalk using chalk.
Curated OER
Simple Texts for Primary Pupils
Can literacy get any more fun than this? Learners not only have fun, but gain confidence as well when presented with familiar text in another language. Select books, songs, poems, even recipes written in another language, and using the...
Curated OER
Teaching Numbers with Primary Pupils
One, two, three. Un, deux, trois. Eins, zwei, drei. Primary learners love to count and this lesson contains a series of games that encourage learners to count in English, French, German, and Spanish. The exercises develop literacy and...
Curated OER
Memory Games
Researchers say that we need to hear and see new language 12 times before we remember it! Here's a plan that details a series of games that can be used as memory exercises. Bingo, Noughts and Crosses, Pelmanism, and repetitive speaking...
Scholastic
Reading Characters
Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass provides the text for a study of how writers bring characters to life. Using the provided character mapping worksheets, readers respond to questions and then write a short character sketch.
Curated OER
What's the Weather Like? Primary Level
Elementary schoolers and language learners will shine with a series of games and activities that feature weather words. The exercises can be adapted for pairs, small groups, or whole class participation.
Curated OER
Poetry Workshop: Fixed Form Poems
Encourage the poetic genius in your young creative writers with a poetry workshop. Fix form poems (cinquains acrostic poems, octopoems, hello/goodbye poems) provide a framework and encourage vocabulary development as well as an awareness...
Film English
The Conditioned
Discover the lovely story of Raimundo Arruda Sobrinho with your class. Over the course of the lesson, pupils practice descriptive writing, write short narratives, collaborate in small groups, watch a powerful short film about Raimundo,...
Curated OER
Magnificent Mexico
Students complete a variety of activities in a unit about the art, culture, and traditions of Mexico. They read books about the Day of the Dead, create a skeleton puppet, and create a traditional Mexican tissue paper cutting. Students...
Curated OER
NGA Kids Inside Scoop Spring 2008
Students view the artwork of Martin Johnson Heade. In this Heade artwork instructional activity, students answer questions about the sensory images in the artwork. Students design a series of designs for a postage stamp in the style of...
Curated OER
The Science of Sound and Musical Instruments
Students identify the components of sound. They describe the relationship between pitch and frequency and explain the terms sympathetic vibrations and resonance.
They perform simple experiments about the world of sound and explain the...
Curated OER
Pedal Power Goes Global
Students role play as a consulting firm that has been hired to research various countries and determine if and how the Pedal Power bicycle company should sell its bicycles abroad.
Curated OER
Retell the Story
Students identify bias in books. In this character education lesson, students read a text and discuss any gender or racial bias which may be present. Students retell and rewrite the story in a fair way.
Curated OER
Mardi Gras Character Carnival
Students create Mardi Gras floats from shoeboxes to illustrate the Six Pillars of Character. In this character education instructional activity, students discuss Mardi Gras and famous celebrations. Students make floats out of shoeboxes...
Curated OER
Welcome to the Americas
Students research and map the North and South American continents. In this geography lesson on the Americas, students can locate North, Central and South American countries and states. Students choose a location to research and prepare a...