Federal Judicial Center
Amistad and Dred Scott—a Comparative Activity
What do slaves fighting for their freedom on board a ship and a slave fighting for his freedom in a courtroom have in common? Budding historians investigate the two different cases of the Amistad slave revolt and the Dred Scott argument....
Newseum
Decoding an Editorial Cartoon
What advantages do political cartoons have over written editorials? Scholars discuss the topic by exploring editorial cartoons. Working in small groups, pupils analyze an Uncle Sam cartoon and complete a worksheet. As a fun extension,...
Newseum
'The Press and the Civil Rights Movement' Video Lesson
Scholars watch a video featuring journalists who covered the civil rights movement, then respond to questions on a viewing guide. The video features interviews with participants and original news footage from the 1950s and 1960s. In...
Newseum
Quick Skim or Deep Dive? Picking the Right Search Strategy
To search online to find answers to some questions requires only a quick skim, while others demand deep research. Scholars engage in a lesson that teaches them the difference and how to craft questions that produce the best online search...
Newseum
Is It Fair?
Young journalists learn how to analyze word choice, context, and counterpoints to judge the fairness of a news story. They practice using these tools to judge a series of headlines for the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. They...
Poetry Society
War Horse and WWI Poetry
Here's a resource that deserves a place in your curriculum library. As part of their study of War Horse individuals create an anthology of World War I poetry.
Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning
Reading Activity
Ready to integrate technology into your ELL instruction? Check out this reading instructional activity that has language learners using the Internet and apps, joining online book clubs, and creating blogs. A fine model of what can be done.
Curated OER
Time Marches On
High schoolers discover the times of Colonial America by creating a timeline. In this U.S. History lesson, students research a teacher-directed website about African Americans in early colonial times. High schoolers utilize their...
Curated OER
Suitable Schools
Students explore education requirements for different professions, and define the skills and knowledge that adults use in their everyday lives. They define and describe what students, teachers and parents expect from formal schooling.
Curated OER
Tell It Like It Is
Students consider the accuracy of the Web sites they regularly use, then prepare for a formal debate on the reliability of Wikipedia and similar Web sites. For homework, they prepare note cards and practice delivering their orations.
Curated OER
Plagued by Warfare
Students define "biological weapon" and explore why these types of weapons are so dangerous. They also explore the covert shift of American grant research money to an organization that once directed the Soviet Union's germ warfare...
Curated OER
Woman on a Mission
Learners explore the July 1999 space shuttle mission while learning how to cite Web sites in correct MLA bibliographical format. They discuss the mission's goals and historic importance as the first American space flight commanded by a...
Curated OER
Quality Work Used to Make a Star Quilt and Its Tradition
Learners discover how to design and create a star quilt with the use of the following resources: the community, art, technology, and the teacher. They examine how to apply the skill of doing quality work to other areas of their life.
Curated OER
Cyber Skills
Students, in groups, design and develop Web sites dedicated to special skills traditionally taught by humans rather than by technology. They write Web site reviews that describe and assess their group's envisioned Internet site.
Curated OER
Protecting Our Space
Learners share opinions and information about safety issues and concerns on social networking Web sites, and develop public service announcements designed to inform their peers and parents/guardians.
Curated OER
Nature in a Flick of the Eye
Students explore the visual information a diorama artist provides by thinking of all the details for the background of a location described by their teacher. They investigate diorama artists and their importance in creating the illusion...
Curated OER
Spy vs. Spy?
Young scholars consider their beliefs about proper and improper surveillance and then create imaginary neighborhoods featuring surveillance technology in various public and private sites.
Curated OER
School Newspaper
High schoolers investigate writing a school newspaper. In this writing a school newspaper instructional activity, students choose topics that will be included in the school newspaper. High schoolers view online sites about writing...
Curated OER
Impressionism
Students explore and discuss Impressionism and artists, like Monet and Renoir, who defined the Impressionism Art Movement, choose an artist to research, and create web sites based on their research.
Curated OER
Writing an Effective Resume
Rating prospective teacher candidates based on sample resumes opens this discussion of effective business communication. After generating a list of interview candidates based on their resumes, pupils justify their choices. A study of...
Curated OER
Immigration Explorations, Part I
Young scholars visit a number of sites on immigration that were created by other children. They evaluate the sorts of research students carried out to create the site, how it is structured, what sort of information and graphics are...
Curated OER
Exploring Space Fiction
Students visit web sites with information on space fiction and collect information for their stories.
Curated OER
Physical Fitness and Obesety
Learners use Internet web sites to discover how physically fit they truly are. Each group must use three web sites to answer questions and make an assessment of the person they have. Each group report back to the class what they have...
Curated OER
Writing a News Report
Students explore journalism by analyzing current events. In this news report lesson, students identify important questions to ask during an interview and discuss a fictitious news story about a missing teacher. Students read published...