Academy of American Poets
Teach This Poem: "The Shapes of Leaves" by Arthur Sze
Arthur Sze's poem, "The Shapes of Leaves," encourages young scholars to notice and speak for others who "do not speak." The lesson begins with pupils writing about a tree that they really like. The class then examines an image of...
Keeping a Betta
Swim with the fishes. Class members observe, research, and record physical characteristics of Betta fish. They change the environment of the aquarium by adding rocks and plants and observe any reactions the fish have to the new environment.
Texas Education Agency (TEA)
Career Investigations
So many jobs, so little time. Using the informative resource, scholars watch videos and view a PowerPoint to explore career opportunities in hospitality, education, and human services. Individuals then conduct research on a chosen career...
Texas Education Agency (TEA)
Where Do I Fit In?
It's time to explore career options! Pupils view a PowerPoint presentation about the steps necessary to participate in various career and educational opportunities. Next, they create online presentations related to the topic before...
PBS
The Harlem Renaissance
A reading of Walter Dean Myers' "Harlem" sets the stage for studying the literature, art, and music of the Harlem Renaissance. The instructional activity begins with a review of the social, political, and economic conditions of the 1920s...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Introducing Metaphors Through Poetry
Metaphors are word pictures, creating images in our brains that draw readers to consider how two seemingly unrelated items are alike. Poems by Langston Hughes, Margaret Atwood, and Naomi Shihad Nye provide learners with an opportunity to...
Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation
Where Is Angel Island? An Introductory Geography Lesson
Prepare young historians for a study of Angel Island Immigration Station with a lesson examining primary and secondary source materials, maps, and websites. Using what they have learned, individuals create a map of Angel Island, labeling...
Nemours KidsHealth
Concussions: Grades 6-8
Teach middle schoolers to learn how to prevent concussions, recognize the symptoms of a concussion, and what they should do in case of a concussion. After reading articles that provide background information, groups create factsheets...
Nemours KidsHealth
Water Safety: Grades 6-8
Taking care of younger children is often the first job for many middle schoolers. Learning how to keep themselves and their young charges safe, especially around water, is essential. Two activities teach teens, and tweens water safety...
Vaquera Films
Wonder Women - The Untold Story of American Superheroines: High School Curriculum Guide
A 41-page curriculum guide tells the story of the untold stories of American Superheroines! Divided into three modules, the guide is designed to be used before, during, and after viewing the 2012 documentary Wonder Women! The Untold...
C-SPAN
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
The United States is built on the presumption of equality—yet we have not passed the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution. Using video clips featuring historians, a museum tour, and an interview with Ruth Bader Ginsberg, learners...
C-SPAN
Jane Addams and John Dewey
Imagine living where there was eight inches of garbage on the street! These were the situations the Progressive movement sought to reform. Using video clips about John Dewey and Jane Addams, learners consider the philosophies and impact...
C-SPAN
Choice Board - Conversations with Suffragists
Celebrate 100 years of women's suffrage by planning a re-enactment of famous women discussing their fight. After learners view a series of interviews with famous women played by actors, including Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, and...
Bonneville
Electrical Energy and Solar Module Efficiency
It's much more efficient if everyone knows the relevant terms. Pupils research vocabulary terms related to electric currents to start a unit on solar energy. They then use a multimeter to measure the voltage and current for a solar...
Digital Public Library of America
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Despite the passing of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, as well as the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the struggle to ensure fair voter registration and election procedures continues. Young historians...
National Woman's History Museum
Red Power Prevails : The Activism, Spirit, and Resistance of Native American Women
Native American women powered the American Indian Movement and other social changes, but they are often forgotten by history books. Examining a series of resources, including a documentary film, photographs, secondary sources, and social...
Texas Education Agency (TEA)
Piggy Bank vs. Bank – Choosing and Maintaining Your Account
Cha-ching! Using the practical resource, scholars investigate the different types of bank accounts and banking services available. Pupils view a PowerPoint, practice writing checks, and complete a checking account research project.
Texas Education Agency (TEA)
Suggested Career Cluster Activities
The sky's the limit! Scholars investigate career opportunities within a chosen career cluster. Depending on the pathway they select, they may conduct research, create a presentation, volunteer, or start a campaign ... the opportunities...
Bonneville
Background Research on Alternative Transportation Vehicles
There's no alternative to a great research project. The second of five lessons in the Solar Transportation unit has scholars research different types of alternative vehicles. They determine the price, range, battery size, and cost to...
C-SPAN
Women's Contributions in the Civil War
Women's history is often hidden, but pupils discover the role women played in the Civil War using a series of video clips. After reviewing the interview with a scholar of women's history, class members fill out a chart and then research...
Digital Public Library of America
Women in the Civil War
Vivandieres and cantinieres, nurses and soldiers, loyalists and unionists. A primary source set provides young historians an opportunity to investigate the many roles women played in the United States Civil War.
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
George Washington: General, President, Slave Owner
Times change; behaviors that were once considered acceptable can be seen in a very different light. Middle schoolers revisit the legacy of George Washington in a three-day lesson plan that uses primary sources to reveal Washington as a...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
The Battle of Trenton
The Continental Army's victory at the Battle of Trenton marked a turning point in the American Revolution. Young historians examine maps, read primary source materials, and create a timeline of events to understand why the victory was so...
Nemours KidsHealth
Colds and Flu: Grades 9-12
Flu fighters unite! To get the word out about the importance of getting vaccinated against the flu, groups create posters that persuade teens to get immunized. Also, scholars read articles about how to cope with colds, then create...