Curated OER
Life Sentence
Students investigate a vocabulary word by holding a fake auction. In this word visualization lesson, students are assigned a vocabulary word through a class auction and must illustrate its meaning and find its definition. Students...
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Living History- An Intergenerational Philanthropy
Young scholars gather information from a senior friend to write a biography. In this living history books lesson, students organize information to complete a book about their senior friend. Detailed teacher instructions for completing...
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Jewish Heroes Congress
Young scholars explore Jewish heroes throughout history. In this character development and history instructional activity, students work in groups to research a Jewish hero. A life-size model of the hero is constructed. Young scholars...
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Deception in Twelfth Night
Students examine deception in fiction. In this Shakespearean lesson, students discover mistaken identity and misrepresentation in the play Twelfth Night. Students complete worksheets based on the play.
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A Piece of the Puzzle
Discover the process of writing a story by comparing it to a puzzle. Begin by examining a diagram shaped like a puzzle which contains important elements of a story. Learners mix and match the pieces with elements of a story they are...
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Robinson Crusoe: The Original "Survivor"!
Fourth graders read and analyze Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, and participate in problem solving activity similar to television show, Survivor. Eight lessons on one page.
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Mini-Unit: Natural Resources
Young scholars explore how their choices affect others. In this character development and ecology activity, students debate choice-making issues. Young scholars listen to The Lorax by Dr. Seuss and identify choices the characters made...
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CDVs at Home and School
Students identify the rules they have at home and at school. They connect the values to the core democratic values and discuss whether all rules should connect to the core values. They create a mural showing students following the rules...
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The Art of Chess
Young scholars discover the history of the most popular board game in the world, chess. In this model building lesson, students create their own chess pieces using a theme they have decided on and clay modeling pieces. Young scholars...
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How The Brahman Bull Got Its Hump
Students examine ancestors of Brahaman cattle. After reading a story, "How The Camel Got His Hump," students discuss the differences between a camel and a Brahman bull. Upon completing a discussion of how the Brahman got its hump,...
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Solution-Hero
Students analyze the decision-making skills. For this character education lesson, students read a comic book and identify the superhero. Students then analyze the types of decisions the character makes throughout the story and if the...
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Words into Pictures
Students discover the history of writing through images, and the universal themes that are still relevant. In this communications lesson, students analyze a group of symbols on the black board and must translate them into a complete...
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The Magic Words
Students investigate the truth behind several magic tricks by conducting the illusions in class. In this slight of hand lesson, students create an illusion using a coffee can and shoe box. Students perform their trick for friends and...
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Preparing to Write
Students practice writing techniques by creating a draft of a story. In this creative writing lesson, students discuss organizational techniques writers use to plan out a story they wish to write. Students have the option to write...
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My Promise
Young scholars define their own civic responsibility and create a PowerPoint presentation about their volunteer efforts. For this civic responsibility lesson, students define the word volunteer and read an article about a volunteer in...
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Mighty Earth Movers
Note that although the publisher lists almost all of the Common Core standards for both math and language arts, you will most likely want to take the general topic and choose which area to focus on. Regarding math, pupils measure worms...
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A Story of Philanthropy
Help your class define philanthropy and recognize philanthropic activities. Ask them to identify examples of philanthropy in literature and explore the philanthropic deeds of themselves and others. To wrap up, create a class display with...
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Writing a Grant
Students explore grant writing. In this grant writing instructional activity, students brainstorm possible community service projects. Students complete a grant proposal form.
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Mistaken Identities, Misrepresentations, and Changes of Mind
Students study a play and then discuss the mistaken identities, misrepresentations, and changes of mind that occur. In this discussion of plays lesson plan, students learn new vocabulary words and discuss and differentiate between these...
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Lesson Refresh: Plan with the END in Mind
Fourth graders identify literary techniques by participating in a class discussion. In this organization lesson, 4th graders practice public speaking while presenting ideas for a story to their classmates as well as critiquing the ideas...
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Look at Philanthropy in Children's Literature
Students listen to stories about different philanthropic acts. They work together in groups to create a list of the needs of their community. They chose a service project which could be completed by their class.
Channel Islands Film
Dark Water: Lesson Plan 1 - Grades 3-4
As part of their study of the history of the Channel Islands, class members craft an informational article to post on a bulletin board that features the Chumash ancestral tradition of tomol paddling.
Channel Islands Film
Eminent Domain
After viewing the documentary The Last Roundup, a documentary about the transitioning of Santa Rosa from a privately own island to a National Park, class members debate the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment that permits the...
Channel Islands Film
Island Rotation: Lesson Plan 1
How do scientists provide evidence to support the theories they put forth? What clues do they put together to create these theories? After watching West of the West's documentary Island Rotation class members engage in a series of...