Curated OER
Create your own Parfleche!
What is a parfleche? It is a box used by the Plains Indians to carry goods as they traveled. First, the class will discuss the uses of these highly ornate boxes and the nature of the Plains Indians' nomadic lifestyle. Then, the class...
Curated OER
Pack your Parfleche!
Imagine you are a Plains Indian, a nomad getting ready to follow a herd of buffalo. Now imagine what you would have to pack for your trip. Little ones examine images of a traditional parfleche (packing box), and then create packing lists...
Curated OER
Majestic Murals
Albert Bierstadt is a highly celebrated artist who was able to capture the beauty of the American landscape. The class will first learn how Bierstadt explored America during the 1800s and painted the majestic countryside. Then, they will...
Curated OER
What Kind of Vessel Are You?
This is a strange question; but what kind of vessel would you be and why? After examining images of a large Inca jug, the class sets to writing a creative narrative that answers that very interesting question. They start by researching...
Curated OER
French and Family
Where is France? Interest young learners in exploring France, French language, and French culture. They identify similarities and differences between French and American families, speak the French words for family members, analyze maps,...
Curated OER
Origami In A Box
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the assembly of origami folding paper projects. They practice creating different shapes or creatures with the folding of paper. Students are led through a guided practice before...
Curated OER
The Seven Continents Scavenger Hunt
Who doesn't enjoy an engaging scavenger hunt? Here, scholars listen to, and discuss, the informative text, Where is my Continent? by Robin Nelson. They then explore the seven continents and four major oceans using...
Curated OER
The Importance of Rules
No rules...awesome! Or is it? It's tough for young learners to think about what would happen if a rule didn't exist, but understanding the rules and where they come from helps keep everyone safe. Youngsters write a rule on the front of...
Perkins School for the Blind
Beanbag Toss
Why is learning how to catch and toss so important? If one has visual impairments, learning this basic skill will help him increase orientation and mobility, coordination, and cognitive development,. Mastery of this skill will also mean...
Vermilionville
Mardi Gras Elementary
You don't have to visit Vermilionville to experience the Cajun traditions of Mardi Gras. After examining pictures and hearing stories about these colorful traditions, learners create their own Courir de Mardi Gras masks.
Perkins School for the Blind
Let's Pretend
Playing pretend with real objects or concepts is a wonderful way for learners to make object-to-action connections, as well as practice daily living skills. Learners with visual and intellectual disabilities use a wide variety of real...
Curated OER
A Leopard Doesn’t Change Its Spots
First, introduce rank badges, which were used during the Qing Dynasty. Then, the class will work together to uncover the meaning of the images they see. They'll examine and research the meaning behind the symbols found on Leopard Rank...
Curated OER
Coil Pots
Children learn by doing. Here, they discuss cultural uses of containers, coil and slab techniques, functional aesthetics, and the principles of art and design. The entire process for making a coil pot is fully described here to make the...
Perkins School for the Blind
I See Something Red
For learners with low vision, the ability to identify colors is an important skill that will help them identify people and places. Groups of brightly colored objects are placed around the room. The child is then given a colored paper and...
Perkins School for the Blind
Initial Consonant Activity
Bingo is a super fun game and can be used to reinforce a vast number of recognition skills. These bingo cards are prepared by constructing nine squares, each delineated with raised Wikki Stix or gluedyarn and containing a...
Curated OER
Lascaux Cave Art on Ceramic Stones
Here is a great way to incorporate art into your next unit on prehistoric people. The class makes stones out of ceramic clay and then creates paintings like those found in the Lascaux Caves in France. A video link, full day-by-day...
K5 Learning
Fight for Equality: Thurgood Marshall
Students read an informational text passage on Thurgood Marshall and his contribution to African Americans' rights, and then answer questions based on what they read.
Anti-Defamation League
What "Draw-A-Scientist" Reveals about Gender Stereotypes
What do you picture when you hear the word scientist? Challenge scholars to put pencil to paper, draw a scientist, and then reflect on the patterns they observe. Learners read an article about a female scientist and write a story about a...
Curated OER
World Map and Globe - Four Main Directions
Students study the four main directions on a map. In this map lesson, students locate the North and South pole, and learn the four cardinal directions. They use the compass rose on a map to help with the directions. (Map is not included...
Curated OER
Read Martin's Big Words
Students read Martin's Big Words. In this social studies activity, students read and discuss the life and times of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Curated OER
Using the Four Main Directions in the Classroom
Students use the four main directions to locate features in the classroom. In this direction lesson, students review the 4 main directions using a world map. Students use a magnetic compass to locate the north wall in their classroom and...
Curated OER
Growing on My Own, Kids on the Grow
Students participate in an after school program that promotes critical thinking, concern for others, recognizing differences, accepting differences, self-motivation and personal safety. They cover how kids develop, expressing different...
Curated OER
Tracking Fall's Falling Temperatures
Young meteorologists track weather from day to day and record results on graphs, maps, or other places. They see firsthand how weather temperatures trend cooler as fall progresses and practice grade-appropriate skills in geography (map...
Curated OER
The Designed World
Students visit a school or public library and study how information is organized. In this information management lesson, students answer a group of questions about the organizational method of the library. Students then practice sorting...