Curated OER
Primary Sources and Protagonists: A Native American Literature Unit
Introduce your middle schoolers to the lives of past Native Americans. First, learners work together to put photographs in a sequence. Then, using their sequence, they create stories to share with the whole class. No matter how old your...
Scholastic
The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
Practice sequencing events using Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's narrative poem about the famous revolutionary hero. Learners read Revere's own account of the event, and compare/contrast the two texts using a t-chart. Finally, they imagine...
Scholastic
Women's Suffrage for Grades 6–8
Learners study the decisions and solutions involved in winning the right to vote. After reading background information on the fight for women's suffrage, including one woman's story, and its eventual success in the United States and...
Curated OER
Quilt Block Collage
Learn the art of quilting with this lesson plan that can be connected to a history lesson plan on quilts in Ancient Egypt, China, and modern art. After studying a general history of quilts, its uses, and the history of different...
Curated OER
Developing Awareness: An Intercultural Communication Lesson Plan
Students, divided into two groups, are put into a new culture, where they must create their own body language for greetings, etc. They learn aspects of other cultures such as body language, discourse patterns, male and female roles.
Curated OER
Native American Basket Making
Students design a unique basket plaque incorporating at least one symbol from their chosen tribe. They also identify, share, and give rationales for the symbols in basket plaques. Whole class discussion jig-saws their discoveries.
Curated OER
ISM: Bertha Stenge Quilt Collection Activity: Design a Local Quilting Pattern
Students research quilt designs by Bertha Stenge. They make a list of things that they could stylize as a design motif. They create a quilt design based on local history and landmarks and sew it onto a pre-made quilt block or quilt.
Curated OER
Indian Ragas
Students explore Indian ragas and learn the differences between an Indian raga and the Western scale. They sing the familiar song "America," first in the Western major scale and then in two Indian ragas (bhairavi and purvi) on a neutral...
Curated OER
Reading Trees: Understanding Dendrochronology
Students examine tree-ring dating and discuss the lack of water the settlers in Jamestown faced. They create paper tree rings, simulate rain patterns, and describe the history of construction paper tree sequences.
Curated OER
Whose Breakfast isn't for the Birds?
Learners explore coffee production. In this cross-curriculum rainforest ecology instructional activity, students research regions where coffee comes from and investigate how the native birds in the rainforest are effected by coffee...
Curated OER
Boundaries
Young scholars identify and analyze the boundaries which exist between urban and rural, wildness and country and among rural areas, country, town, and city. Students actively participate in planning, obtaining materials, setting goals...
PBS
Civil War: Before the War
Free the slaves! Scholars research primary documents and videos while working together to create abolitionist posters. They examine the John Brown raid as a template to creating their own demonstration.
Curated OER
"Water is Life" Global Water Awareness
Students examine and calculate the percentage of potable water remaining on the earth. In this ecology and geography lesson, students brainstorm the main factors affecting water distribution. Students use mathematical problem solving to...
Curated OER
2.0 "Water Is Life" Global Water Awareness Mini-Unit (Grades3-5)
Students study the amount of potable water on the Earth. In this water lesson plan, students examine the amount of potable water as compared to all the water on the Earth. They discuss why many parts of the world do not have access to...
Curated OER
Introduction to Immigration
Learners read and discuss selected library resources about students and immigration.
Curated OER
Presidents: Outlining
Pupils outline the notes they have taken on the life of a president they are studying for a research project.
Curated OER
Bee Kind Hearts
Young scholars promote random acts of kindness. In this character education instructional activity, students record acts of kindness that they witness on paper hearts. Young scholars create a chain of hearts to hang in the school.
Curated OER
Egyptian Dynasties
Sixth graders read the chapters in their social studies books and answer questions about Egyptian Dynasties. In this Egyptian Dynasties lesson plan, 6th graders research in their book, and then work in groups to answer the questions.
Curated OER
Sidewalks to Success in Middle School
Students write a brochure that educates incoming middle school students on how to succeed.
Curated OER
Famous Rock Groups
Students define igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary, and use rock identification books to identify igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. Students then discuss which rocks early man would have found useful for tool creation.
Curated OER
Money Circulation: A Story of Trade and Commerce
Students are introduced to the meaning, symbolism, and value of the quarter. They determine the percentage of total monetary value held in quarters and graph the results. Students infer about the U.S. Mint's distrubution of coins. They...
Curated OER
The Art of the Quilt
Students examine why fabric was first sewn in layers and how it was used. They identify, compare and make 3 different fabric design types which will become a basis for looking at the quilts created by African Americans. They begin the...
Curated OER
The Study of the Spanish-Speaking People of Texas
Students analyze photographs from an historical perspective. They examine photos on the Study of Spanish-Speaking People of Texas website, complete a worksheet, and write an essay.
Curated OER
World History: Why Civilizations Fall
Young scholars examine factors leading to the demise of ancient civilizations. They list causes that led to the downfall of these societies. Students conduct Internet research and participate in online archaeological investigations.