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Lesson Plan
Carolina K-12

Plessy v. Ferguson & the Roots of Segregation

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How far in the past do the roots of Jim Crow and segregation extend? Young historians closely consider this question using detailed PowerPoint slides as a basis for discussion rather than lecture, culminating in an activity where class...
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Lesson Plan
Carolina K-12

Factors of Production and Economic Decision-Making

For Teachers 10th Standards
Class members begin this engaging economics activity by listing all the resources used in producing a car and using that example to draw parallels to the four primary factors of production: capital goods, labor, natural resources, and...
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Unit Plan
C3 Teachers

Women’s Rights: What Does It Mean to Be Equal?

For Teachers 7th
A guided-inquiry lesson asks seventh graders to research the compelling question, "What does it mean to be equal?" Guided by three supporting questions, researchers complete three formative performance tasks and gather evidence from...
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Lesson Plan
University of Minnesota

Memory Items

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Ready to have an "unforgettable" time in science class? Try a fun and insightful activity, suitable for a wide age group of learners. Explore how human memory works when pupils try to remember objects they've seen before comparing the...
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Unit Plan
C3 Teachers

Democracy in Danger: Should the Right to Vote Be Protected in the Constitution?

For Teachers 12th
High school seniors investigate what national, state and local rules say about voting. After examining the Constitution's articles, clauses, and amendments, researchers look at videos, listen to podcasts, and read articles to gather...
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Unit Plan
C3 Teachers

Black Women Writers: What Gets Black Women Heard?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Zora Neal Hurston, Toni Morrison, and Maya Angelou are featured in a guided inquiry unit. High schoolers research the lives and works of these and other Black women writers and craft an argument, using evidence from their research, to...
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Unit Plan
C3 Teachers

Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Can Words Lead to War?

For Teachers 7th Standards
"Words, words, words." Despite Hamlet's opinion, words can be significant. In this inquiry lesson, middle schoolers learn how the words in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, in the view of many, lead to the American Civil War. To...
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Unit Plan
C3 Teachers

2020 Protests: Is There Anything New about the 2020 Protests?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Are marches and protests an effective form of resistance? That is the question high schoolers seek to answer in this inquiry lesson as they compare the 2020 protests to historical ones. Researchers use Venn Diagrams to compare images...
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Lesson Plan
Carolina K-12

How Do I Pre-Register and Vote in North Carolina?

For Teachers 5th Standards
Did you know that in some states your pupils can pre-register to vote? Teach the advantages to pre-registering and engage the classroom in an intriguing discussion about youth voting trends. Class members participates in a live polling...
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Handout
2
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Holland Patent Central School District

Moon Phases

For Students 3rd - 6th
Kids are fascinated by the moon for good reason! Here's a great resource to help them chart the lunar cycle for a month, referencing high-detail photographs and an informative chart as they complete their own calendar. 
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Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Polymers: Instant Snow

For Teachers Pre-K - 6th
Is it easy to make snow? Scholars use critical thinking skills as they investigate the concept of polymers by making snow. The class tests several different variables and takes measurements over the course of several days. They then...
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Unit Plan
1
1
Echoes & Reflections

Jewish Resistance

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Resistance to the Holocaust took on many forms. Learners explore the passive and active resistance of Jewish people who continued their practices and observances, as well as organized resistance against the evils of the Nazis. An...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary

Franklin’s Fair Hand American Journalism

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Scholars know him for his role in the American Revolution, but Ben Franklin was also a journalist and printer. Learners investigate his standards for what was fit to print using primary sources—including writings where Franklin explains...
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Lesson Plan
Stanford University

Observing Human Rights Day

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
How much intervention is appropriate for America to take in cases of human rights violations? Class members ponder a question that has lingered since the birth of America with a series of primary sources that reflect the degree to which...
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Unit Plan
NASA

Food For Thought

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Science can be quite tasty. A delectable unit from NASA shows learners why it's important to consider food, nutrition, and health in space. Four lessons explore the idea in great depth, including testing cookie recipes. Along the way,...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
California Academy of Science

Optimal and Sustainable: Renewable Energy Revamp

For Teachers 6th - 10th Standards
More than 100 cities around the world have shifted from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Scholars investigate a city wanting to make this switch, but needs help determining how to make the shift. Groups consider all options,...
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Lesson Plan
Digital Public Library of America

Teaching Guide: Exploring Little Women

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is a literary masterpiece as well as a timestamp of the formative mid-nineteenth century in America. Using a primary source set of photographs, letters, and portraits, readers discuss the ways...
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Lab Resource
Serendip

Photosynthesis Investigation

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Can scientists increase the rate of photosynthesis to help clean the air? Scholars complete an experiment determining net photosynthesis. Then, they apply knowledge from the activity to design their own investigations of the factors that...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Smithsonian Institution

Conflicting Voices of the Mexican War

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Americans wanted to fulfill Manifest Destiny, and this pattern continued with the Mexican War. The resource specifically teaches about the Mexican War through a variety of exercises including a research project, group work, brainstorming...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Smithsonian Institution

Who's in Camp?

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
Pupils complete readings, a group activity using cards, and a writing activity to better understand people's lives during the American Revolution. The resource emphasizes people such as the militiamen, women, officers, and children,...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Smithsonian Institution

POWs

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Why did Vietnam POWs and their families receive more media attention than POWs in previous wars?  To answer this question, class members view artifacts, read articles, and engage in class discussion. Individuals then assume the voice of...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Smithsonian Institution

Cuban Missile Crisis

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
The United States—specifically John F. Kennedy—played a large role during the Cuban Missile Crisis. A history resource poses questions that encourage critical thinking as well as in-depth analysis of images from the time period.
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Lesson Plan
Federal Reserve Bank

The Story of the Federal Reserve: Middle School Lesson Plan

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
After reading the charming cartoon about the United States Federal Reserve, pupils often need to complete activities to retain their learning. The resource does a wonderful job of using class discussion and various written exercises to...
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Lesson Plan
iCivics

Washington’s Water

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
It's easy to forget about something as simple as water, a substance that is easily available to many in the world. However, understanding water management and the importance of a renewable resource system becomes clear in an informative,...