Curated OER
Civilizations Leadership
Young scholars view a segment of Prosperity and Decline. They discuss what attributes made the empire strong. Students discuss what caused the fall of the Roman Empire. They write an essay describing the cause of the fall of the Roman...
Curated OER
Taking a picture Walk
First graders use question words to answer comprehension questions. In this reading strategies instructional activity, 1st graders use picture cues and predict events in a story. Students use context clues to understand unfamiliar...
Curated OER
Critiquing A Speech Contestant
What makes a speech effective? Middle schoolers critique a speech for content and presentation. They view a video of a middle school student presenting an informational speech, They outline the content of the speech and critique the...
Curated OER
Introductions and Conclusions
The format of the introduction and conclusion paragraphs in an expository essay are the focus of short presentation that details how to craft these all-important sections of a paper. No specific examples are included.
Curated OER
Peer Edit Sheet
HUH? WHAT? YES! Peers are prompted to label parts of a peer's writing where they find information inadequate, confusing, or effective.
Curriculum Corner
ELA Common Core Checklists for K-6
In the hustle and bustle of life in the classroom, it's easy for teachers to lose track of the standards they have taught, and those that still need to be addressed. This Common Core checklist provides educators with an easy-to-use...
Channel Islands Film
Cache: Lesson Plan 3 - Grades 4-5
Should the excavation of what is believed to be the cave of the Lone Woman of San Nicholas Island be allowed to continue? As a practice exercise designed to prepare pupils for a timed writing exam, individuals read two Los Angeles Times...
Curated OER
Nonfiction Genre Mini-Unit: Persuasive Writing
Should primary graders have their own computers? Should animals be kept in captivity? Young writers learn how to develop and support a claim in this short unit on persuasive writing.
Southwest Miami Senior High School
US History Summer Instructional Packet
Can you boil the historical, cultural, and political events and movements from the last 150 years into a descriptive study guide? You don't have to—it's right here! A thorough resource includes informative text, discussion questions,...
Virginia Department of Education
Analyzing and Planning Persuasive Writing
Young writers work backward to analyze persuasive techniques. As a class, work through the provided persuasive letter: a plea to an imaginary city council to lift a city-wide ban on fast food restaurants and discount stores. Start by...
Shmoop
ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.2
Identifying the theme or central idea of a text is a skill many young readers struggle with. It is also the second standard for reading literature in the Common Core. This resource, one from a series of Common Core lessons, can provide...
Curated OER
Poetry Project
Choosing a poet or a theme, eighth graders conduct research in the world of poetry. They conduct Internet research and select five poems that fit their poet or theme, and create a seven slide PowerPoint presentation on their selected...
Curated OER
The Five Pillars of Islam
In order to better understand Muslim civilization, culture, and politics one must first familiarize themselves on the 5 Pillars of Islam, ideas which dominate much of Muslim societal and cultural norms. Provide your learners with a...
Curated OER
Notable "Texans" of the Texas Revolution
Students investigate why and how certain historical figures became famous in relation to the Texas Revolution. They view and discuss a variety of images, then in small groups record the names of individuals involved in the Texas...
Curated OER
Tejana Military Members in World War II
Seventh graders discover who the Tejanas were and how they contributed to World War II. In this World War II lesson, 7th graders listen to their instructor discuss who the Tejanas were prior to researching the contributions of three of...
Mesa Public Schools
Country Project
Give your young learners the chance to discover more about countries in their world community with a research project. Class members write reports on an assigned country and include such major features as geography, important historical...
University of California
Impact of the California Missions on Native Americans
While the Spanish claimed to bring civilization to California indigenous peoples, in reality, they also brought violence and forced assimilation to European values. Primary sources, such as the reports of Catholic priests and Europeans...
Curated OER
Writing A Biography
Students choose an interesting person to research for a biography. They gather the information they want to include in their paper from various sources. Students write an outline to use as a guide when writing their biography.
Curated OER
Free Market Labor vs. Slave Labor Debating the "Mud-Sill" Theory
Students read the speeches of Abraham Lincoln and James Hammond. They discuss the speeches and answer questions about free labor vs. slave labor.
Curated OER
Unit on Henry David Thoreau
Students investigate the writings of Thoreau in order to better comprehend his impact on American Literature and unique writing style. Working to evaluate the different pieces of writing, they read the essays in order to create their own...
Curated OER
Sum Stuff
Students are introduced to informational text. Students explore nonfiction as a genre. They identify the components and text structure of text nonfiction. Students read a nonfiction passage and write a summary of the passage.
Curated OER
Analyzing Story Structure
Learners explore language arts by completing a graphic organizer in class. In this story structure lesson, students read the poem "Sick" by Shel Silverstein and discuss the different elements in the piece which make it an effective poem....
Curated OER
Who Is That Ghostly Character?
Eighth graders listen to a taped version of the radio play, "The Hitchhiker". They write a conclusion to the play and work with a partner to evaluate it before a final revision.
Curated OER
Africa Today
Young scholars examine the AIDS crisis in Africa. For this global studies lesson, students watch "Medical Crisis in Africa," and read articles about AIDS in Africa. Young scholars then research the topic and create awareness posters.