Curated OER
Inspirational Mapping for the Corps of Discovery
Third graders use a computer software entitled, Inspiration, in order to create a map or web of what Lewis and Clark should have packed for their journey west. They are given the expectations of the teacher and a scoring guide is...
Curated OER
Using Poetry As Inspiration for Composition
A reading of Robert Frost’s "The Road Not Taken" launches an interdisciplinary study of the connection between the meters of a poem and a melody. After identifying the number of beats in each line of the poem, young musicians use...
Curated OER
Borrowing Narrative Skills from Mr. Fletcher: Using a "Prompts in Reverse" Technique to Inspire Your Writers
Help your class find their writing voices with this lesson which uses the work of Ralph Fletcher to guide a "Prompt in Reverse" activity. Using the chapter "First Pen" from Fletcher's Marshfield Dreams, learners decipher what they...
Curated OER
Unit 1: Building Historical Background Knowledge: The Road to Revolution 1754–1776
What were the conditions that led to the American Revolution? What are the conditions that lead to revolution in other times and places? Class members examine primary source materials and use evidence drawn from these documents to craft...
The New York Times
Inaugural Words: 1789 to the Present
One of the reasons presidential inaugural speeches are so inspiring is the way word choice reflects the historical context of the time. An interactive timeline invites learners to click on their president of choice and view the most...
Math Learning Center
Grade 1 Supplement Set A3 - Number and Operations: Addition and Subtraction on the Number Line
Hop your way through a mathematical equation with your first grade class as they learn the idea of moving up and down the number line. Adding and subtracting like little frogs is an engaging and clever way to teach/reinforce this concept.
Global Oneness Project
Far From Home
A timely and provocative lesson inspires high schoolers to tackle the Syrian refugee crisis. They analyze a compelling photo essay before discussing and writing about it.
Film English
Make It Count
Where would you go if you were to take a trip around the world in 10 days? After a discussion about famous inspirational quotes, pupils view a short film that shows a trip around the world in 10 days paired with these quotes. Class...
Spreading Gratitude Rocks
Gratitude Quote Poster
According to Cicero, "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others." Pupils explore similar inspirational quotes after watching a time-lapse video. Next, scholars interpret one of the quotes by creating...
Dick Blick Art Materials
Chenille Stem Stitchery
The works of Spanish painter Joan Miro are used to inspire young artists to create their own colorful works of art using stitchery canvas and yarn. Kids draw their design on plastic canvas using erasable crayons and then stitch the...
Akron Art Museum
Storytelling Resist
The illustrations of Ezra Jack Keats in The Snowy Day inspire young artists to examine shapes in illustrations and to use these shapes to create their own watercolor resist painting.
Reading Resource
Take Me Out to the Ballgame Card Game
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack! Inspire some competition between your learners with a baseball-themed reading game. Players take turns reading as many words as they can, and once they reach a card they can't read, they tally up...
US Department of Agriculture
Agriculture Counts
Agricultural survey and the documentation of livestock or goods was the basis for the first written language. Youngsters discuss sorting and counting, and how these skills have been used for thousands of years. They accent their class...
West Virginia Department of Education
Declarations and the Quest for Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
Understanding how John Brown got his inspiration from the Declaration of Independence helps learners further understand both West Virginia and United States history. The resource, a standalone, uses worksheets, discussion, and essay...
21 x 20 Media
A+ Writing Prompts
Shake it up! Shake your tablet to bring up a unique writing prompt for journaling or blogging with your class. Shake again and a new one appears. Prompts can come from different categories (sketches, scenes, texts, words, news) to help...
Lawrence Hall of Science
HowtoSmile
Access countless activities to use in STEM curriculum. This app is a collection of science, technology, engineering, math, and even art ideas are cataloged by topic and easily accessed from one spot.
Film English
The Beauty of a Second
Add many seconds of beauty to your class with a short film and related project. The resource centers around a competition based on one-second segments of film, and the final compilation that came from the contest. Pupils identify moments...
Virginia Department of Education
Grade 5 Writing Prompts
Looking for something to write about? Try out one of the prompts from three and a half pages of ideas. The list includes a variety of different topics that you can pick and choose from when planning a writing assignment or unit.
Franklin Covey
The Habits of Highly Effective Teens
Sally and Joe both want the last cookie in the jar, so they split it in half. That's an example of a win-win situation, one of the many principles Sean Covey outlines in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Using the...
Automattic
365 Days of Writing Prompts
"If you could un-invent something what would it be?" "What are you more comfortable with—routine or spontaneity?" Here's a packet of one-a-day writing prompts. Although designed for fifth graders, the topics are appropriate for any grade...
Poetry Society
The Jumblies
Who would ever think to go to sea in a sieve? Only Edward Lear's Jumblies! The poem "The Jumblies" is the inspiration for these poetry reading and writing activities that ask learners to think about how strangers are different, consider...
Lakeshore Learning
Report Card Comments
Every teacher should keep this document handy when it comes time to writing report cards. It includes a plethora of ideas to look to for inspiration when commenting on student strengths and areas of improvement, behavior/attitude...
J. Paul Getty Trust
Shaping Ideas: Symbolism in Sculpture—Lesson 2
Young artists create a series of sketches of ideas for a sculpture, and using the criteria develop in the previous class, critique their sketches. They then choose one of their ideas and create their work of art.
Michigan City Area Schools
Goal Setting for Students
Inspire scholars to shoot for the moon with a presentation that details why goals are important, how to define and identify a goal with four essential questions, the difference between dreams and goals, and tips to achieving a goal.