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Interactive
PBS

PBS Electoral Decoder

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Imagine being able to explore all the presidential elections from 1789-2016! Being able to examine the key events, how the states voted, and the importance of the Electoral College in each of the elections! A PBS cartogram makes all this...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Roots of Prohibition: Examining the Effort to Prohibit Alcohol in America

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Five segements from Ken Burns' documentary series Prohibition, easily accessed on the PBS website, are at the center of a terrific short unit on the roots of America's ambivalent relationship with alcohol. Engage your secondary class...
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Unit Plan
PBS

Teacher Planning Kits for New School Routines | End of Year

For Teachers Pre-K - 12th
Support your end-of-year instruction with planning kits from PBS. Five planning kits are provided: Special Lessons and Collections; Planning Sheets for Pre-K through 5 and 6-12; Summer Bonus Resources; and Relevant Professional Learning...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Youth Obesity: Schools Fight Back

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Explore nutrition and healthy eating habits with a study on youth obesity. Learners watch a PBS documentary on the obesity epidemic which discusses government programs aimed at healthier choices, as well as more localized efforts. Kids...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Debating the Issues: Ralph Bunche and Civil Rights

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Synthesizing information from a PBS documentary Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey, its companion website, and several other resources (links to which are provided), high schoolers evaluate whether Bunche did all he could to advance the...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Cardboard History

For Teachers 3rd - 11th
A PBS clip focused on collecting sports memorabilia launches this research project lesson. Class members then read Dan Gutman’s Honus and Me in which Wagner’s baseball card is used to time travel. The lesson ends with researchers...
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Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Why Bill Nye, and Others Like Him, are Rockstars

For Teachers Pre-K - Higher Ed
How does Bill Nye maintain rockstar status nearly two decades past when he first appeared on PBS?
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Figure of Speech

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Examine the changing nature of language in the U.S. View and discuss excerpts from a PBS documentary with your class and then conduct Internet research, and complete a team project on the evolution of teen expressions. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hamilton and Burr : Compare and Contrast

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Who were Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton? High schoolers examine the character traits of these historical figures and watch the video, The Duel. Hamilton vs. Burr: An Event that Changed History (available from PBS), to gain an...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Active Viewing: Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Young historians consider the cause and effects of the Emancipation Proclamation. They use handouts, response sheets, and class discussion to build an opinion about the subject after viewing the PBS documentary Abraham and Mary Lincoln:...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Greed is Good?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
From Mr. Merdle to Mr. Madoff? A viewing of the PBS adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “Little Dorrit” launches an examination of greedy characters in literature and a study of greed, unfairness, and economic hardship today. The richly...
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Lesson Plan
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Alabama Department of Archives and History

"Scottsboro Boys": A Trial Which Defined an Age

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Here's a must-have resource. Whether your focus is racism, the Great Depression, the "Scottsboro Boys" trial, or part of a reading of To Kill A Mockingbird, the information contained in the seven-page packet will save hours of research...
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Unit Plan
PBS

Act of Duty

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
PBS provides educators with this "Utilization Guide," a four segment program that covers the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, Vietnam, and the Gulf War. The 42-page packet includes lessons, background...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Roman Empire: in the First Century. For Educators | PBS

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore about the daily life of ancient Romans. They gain a better knowledge of the significant achievements and contributions made by the Romans. The Roman Empire in the First Century provides a detailed look at the emperors...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

In Search of Shakespeare . Images of Othello: A Shakespearean WebQuest | PBS

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students look closely at the text of "Othello." They use an online dictionary, and use various search engines. Students use an online Shakespeare concordance and make intelligent decisions about character. They write an intelligent...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Sojourner Truth: Abolitionist and Women’s Rights Activist

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Scholars dive into the life of former slave, abolitionist, and women's rights activist Sojourner Truth. Using video evidence, speeches, and primary documents, class members complete a project on a current "Truth-figure" they see in...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Miss America

For Teachers 7th - 12th
The first part of this article by PBS on the Miss America pageants can be used in a health class when it's time to talk about body image. There are links to related articles. There are some great questions for discussion. There are ideas...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Truth, War and Consequences"

For Teachers 9th - 12th
View a film called "Truth, War and Consequences," available for purchase on PBS, with your class. They answer comprehension questions and practice their critical thinking skills as well. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson Plan: The Net Neutrality Debate

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Should Internet users who send data-heavy content pay higher fees than those who are involved in activities, like sending an email, that have less content? This question is at the heart of the Net Neutrality debate. After watching a PBS...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Avoiding Armageddon

For Teachers 9th - 12th
PBS has written a series of lessons on avoiding Armageddon. This is instructional activity 4 of 5 and focuses on defining terrorism. Upper graders watch episode 3 of "Avoiding Armageddon - The New Face of Terror," read how terrorism is...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Myth of the West: The Battle of the Washita

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Go West, young man! Scholars use PBS video clips, slide shows, and interactive materials to create a picture of Manifest Destiny in the American West. Using a variety of primary and secondary sources, young historians learn about the...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Civic Engagement and How Students Can Get Involved

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
There is no age limit on civic engagement. Even if your pupils are not old enough to vote, they are old enough to get involved. Show them how with a PBS instructional activity that underscores the importance of civic participation and...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Discuss 22-year-old Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem “The Hill We Climb”

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Two poems by National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman are spotlighted in a PBS lesson. Young scholars conduct a close reading and watch videos of Gorman reading her inaugural poem "The Hill We Climb" and "The Miracle of Morning." They...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Character vs. Society in The Invisible Man

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed Standards
Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is difficult to read and difficult to teach. The novel is so highly regarded that it is one of most often listed as an option for the AP Literature and Composition exam. The materials in this packet from PBS...

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