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Lesson Plan
Penguin Books

Core Curriculum Lesson Plans for The Lions of Little Rock

For Teachers 5th - 7th Standards
Schools in the 1950s and 60s looked very different from the schools we know today. An educator's guide explores the civil rights movement and, specifically, the process of integrating schools. Questions cover key themes in the novel and...
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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
NOAA

A Day in the Life of an Ocean Explorer

For Teachers 5th - 12th Standards
What's life like aboard an ocean exploration vessel? Junior oceanographers examine the important role of communication in ocean research in lesson plan two of a five-part series from NOAA. The materials introduce the class to life on...
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Lesson Plan
Towson University

Looking Backwards, Looking Forward

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
How do scientists know what Earth's climate was like millions of years ago? Young environmental scholars discover how researchers used proxy data to determine the conditions present before written record. Grouped pupils gain experience...
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

What Killed the Seeds?

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Can a coral cure cancer? Take seventh and eighth grade science sleuths to the underwater drugstore for an investigation into emerging pharmaceutical research. The fifth installment in a series of six has classmates research the wealth of...
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Unit Plan
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Curated OER

Unit 3: Scientific Writing

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Write-on! Demonstrate a writing model and support learners as they write an informational essay on a water resource issue of your (or their) choosing. The lesson plan provides a well-scaffolded summative writing experience that wraps up...
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Writing
DC Vote

One Kid, One Vote

For Students 7th - 11th Standards
Learn about why the citizens of Washington, D.C. feel unrepresented in Congress with an article about D.C voting rights. Individuals read about the movement toward congressional representation in Washington, D.C., before answering...
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Organizer
Student Handouts

Medieval Life Chart

For Students 5th - 8th Standards
What were the benefits and drawbacks of being a serf/knight/lord/lady/king/queen/etc. in the Middle Ages? Consider all the comparisons with your young historians using this graphic organizer.
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Activity
iCivics

We the Jury

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Learners take on the roles of jurors in a civil case to evaluate evidence and determine a verdict in this engaging online interactive experience.
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Activity
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iCivics

Drafting Board: Community Service

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Should schools impose community service graduation requirements? In the final lesson of the Drafting Board series, learners solidify their practice of crafting an argument supported by sound reason and evidence.
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Activity
iCivics

Drafting Board: Electoral College

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Should the president of the United States be voted by the Electoral College or the popular vote? Your young historians will consider the pros and cons of the Electoral College, and make an argument using reasons and evidence provided in...
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Activity
iCivics

Drafting Board: Kids and Credit

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Should kids under the age of 18 be given access to credit cards? Learners identify pros and cons of using credit, develop claims based on evidence, and finally argue reasons for or against credit for minors.
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Activity
iCivics

Drafting Board: Military Intervention

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Should countries use their militaries to stop humanitarian crises in other countries? Learners make claims, organize their reasoning, and provide evidence for their arguments with this rich resource.
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Activity
iCivics

Drafting Board: Interest Groups

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Does the influence of interest groups harm a political system? Your class members will analyze the role of interest groups in American politics, as well as consider the effect of perspective, bias, loyalty, and the First Amendment.
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Lesson Plan
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Speak Truth to Power

John Lewis: Non-Violent Activism

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
After comparing and contrasting non-violent and violent social movements, your young historians will take a closer look at the work and influence of John Lewis on the civil rights movement. They will then choose a current social justice...
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Activity
Mesa Public Schools

Country Project

For Teachers 5th - 7th Standards
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...
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Lesson Plan
iCivics

So You Think You Can Argue

For Teachers 5th - 9th Standards
What defines an argument, and how can someone properly formulate a counterargument? This resource provides two options—an interactive PowerPoint presentation or worksheet—that will support your learners as they begin to explore how to...
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Lesson Plan
The New York Times

Reader Idea | Thinking Like a Historian About Current World Events

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Check out this fantastic research project where learners work to see the modern world through the eyes of a historian and analyze a contemporary event of their choice. An in-depth reflection on the project is given by the project...
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Wind Tunnel Testing

For Teachers 5th - 12th Standards
One of the factors that automotive engineers must consider is wind drag. The less wind drag, the more efficient the car will be. They perform many tests in wind tunnels, then refine their designs and test again. Using simple materials,...
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Lesson Plan
Global Change

Impact of a Changing Climate on the Pacific Walrus

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
How many of us can say they've seen a Pacific walrus? Not many and one of the reasons is the impact of climate change on their aquatic environment. Children get to think about the food web of the Bering Sea by creating an actual web with...
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Lesson Plan
Global Change

The Carbon Cycle and its Role in Climate Change

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
So how does the carbon cycle work? Kids participate in a hands-on activity that allows them to understand the chemistry behind climate change and global warming. They act out the process of photosynthesis by labeling themselves as...
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Lesson Plan
Global Change

Impact of Climate Change on the Desert Pupfish

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
A fish that lives in the desert? You and your class can meet the desert pupfish as they examine its habitat, the role humans play in diminishing water supplies, and how climate change might impact this fishy friend. There are four short...
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Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Conservation Island

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Why not walk in the footsteps of Teddy Roosevelt and become a conservationist? After discussing issues and reasons for animal extinction, the class creates their own conservation plans. Each small group is given mock data regarding a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Nutria And The Disappearing Marsh

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Young analysts examine changes in the nutria population, vegetation density, and marsh area over time in the wetlands of Louisiana. They import data and use the TI-73 Explorer to graph and analyze the effects of nutria on marsh loss.