Curated OER
Immigration and Ancestors
We are all immigrants to this country and the study of immigration can help students connect to history in a personal way. Students will listen to audio clips from the Ellis Island web site, discuss the treatment of immigrants in the...
Curated OER
Jan Brett Encyclopedia Lesson
Third graders develop encyclopedia skills to locate information. In this Jan Brett library lesson, 3rd graders research animals in the encyclopedia and complete a worksheet on one animal. Students relate their work to the work of Jan...
Curated OER
Use An Encyclopedia
In this encyclopedia usage activity, students observe encyclopedia spines A-Z and determine in which volume the nouns airplanes, cats, Ohio, and sugar will appear. Students answer four questions.
Curated OER
Animal Encyclopedia Search
Students use an online encyclopedia to gather information about animals. They identify habits of ten animals they find interesting. They share their information with the class.
Curated OER
Active Reading with American History
Explore connections within and between informational texts with this lesson about encyclopedia articles. Middle schoolers write encyclopedia articles focusing on topics in American history. They discuss how to determine credibility...
Curated OER
Following the Leaders
Examine the historic election of Pope Benedict XVI and reflect on the challenges he faces as the new leader of the Catholic Church. This New York Times lesson investigates how other world leaders are chosen in different forms of...
Curated OER
Taming the Wild Wiki
Take a look at the credibility of online sources such as Wikipedia. Discussion points and handouts are included to facilitate a meaningful and informative dialogue. Tips are given on how to determine if a Wikipedia article is reliable...
Curated OER
Analyzing Primary Sources
Analyzing primary and secondary sources is a necessary skill for students to attain, and can be learned through interesting activities.
Curated OER
Creature Seekers
Does it actually exist? Consider the sighting of a giant squid, much like the one that appears in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Middle and high schoolers read the article One Legend Found, Many Still to Go, and research other mysterious...
Curated OER
The War of the Words
“Who’s This Guy Dylan Who’s Borrowing Lines From Henry Timrod?” The basic question in this lesson from the New York Time’s Learning Network is whether artists and authors who use the words of others are stealing from that artist or...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Alabama's 1901 Constitution: What Was at Stake?
Who should be able to vote? As part of a study of the 1901 Alabama Constitution, class members examine primary source document that reveal the reasons the authors gave to support their positions on this question and their assumptions in...
Library Sparks
Reference Tools Vocabulary Challenge
Learners love the opportunity of going to the library to jump into that one comfy chair in the whole room with a book, or be a lucky one to get to the computers before anyone else. But knowing how to locate books and other reference...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
La Mobile: A Case Study of Exploration and Settlement
The Le Moyne brothers, Jean-Baptiste and Pierre, were among the first explorers of the Gulf Coast. Class members read biographical information and journal entries about these men, study maps showing where the settlements they established...
Curated OER
Organizing Ideas
Eighth graders investigate varous writing skills as part of larger course of study. The instructional activity is essentially a rough guide for conducting a class for writing. The main focus of the plan is organizing ideas using various...
Curated OER
Cite Your Sites!
The New York Times article “Lessons in Internet Plagiarism,” launches a look at how the Internet has increased the prevalence of plagiarism. The richly detailed lesson includes warm-up and wrap-up activities, discussion questions,...
Curated OER
Government
Perfect for a Christian or private school setting, this lesson has learners use their Bible to help them identify the purpose of the government. They examine specific Bible verses then use them to define the government and the...
Curated OER
Test Your Research Skills - Famous Britons – When Were They Born?
In this research skills worksheet, learners write a list of 15 famous Britons in their birth order. They find the birthday of each one using an encyclopedia or an Internet search.
Curated OER
Research Skills - Famous Britons - Part 2
In this research skills worksheet, students use the library or Internet to determine why 8 famous Britons are still famous today. They write a short answer after completing the research.
Curated OER
Reference Resources: Being a Good Detective
Students explore a variety of reference resources while seeking information. atlases, almanacs, dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesauri, and online search engines as well as library card catalogs are utilized in this lesson.
Curated OER
Create A Park Map
Students design ultimate park experience for Florida families as they demonstrate their knowledge of map legend skills.
Curated OER
"Newsinary"
Here is a good way to use newspapers in the classroom and build a functional vocabulary. Learners are given 26 cards, they write one letter of the alphabet on each. They search the paper to find a name, place, or word for each letter,...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Vocabulary: Word Analysis, Meaning Map
Lead young learners to understand new vocabulary with this series of word maps. The first of these organizers asks children to determine the definition and provide examples and descriptions of each word with the help of dictionaries,...
Curated OER
Understanding History Through Oracle Bone Study
Students study the Chinese characters and oracle bone inscriptions in order to understand the relevance of language to the reflection of cultural values. They examine the appearance of an oracle bone and the use of oracle bones in...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Inside the Wire: Internment of Prisoners of War in Alabama during World War II
Create an open environment of discussion and collaboration with several exercises in a thought-provoking resource. Pupils conduct a gallery walk and lead a discussion before filling out a question sheet and chart during the learning...