Curated OER
Development of the English Colonies
High schoolers research one of the original 13 colonies using the included worksheet. They also record their findings on a poster board to use during a class presentation. Students then take notes on the presentations using the...
Curated OER
E-mailing the Chamber of Commerce
Encourage effective internet research and e-mail correspondence as scholars investigate a US capital city they've never visited to find pertinent and relevant information. They begin by picking a city, then visit that city's chamber of...
US Environmental Protection Agency
A Mock Town Meeting on a Proposed Tank Farm
Intended as a follow up to the Protecting Your Drinking Water activity, young environmentalists use their assessment of the a hypothetical town's water supply to debate the installation of underground chemical storage tanks. With the...
Curated OER
Speech! Speech!
Critical thinkers consider how word choice in speeches impacts the meaning and effectiveness of the message being presented. They examine and respond to some of the speeches made at the 2004 Republican and Democratic National Conventions.
Curated OER
Direct Speech
Students explore characteristics of a good speech. They use speech marks to demarcate direct speech. Students read a report and rewrite it, using verbs that describe people speaking.
Curated OER
Concealed Handguns
Should adults be allowed to carry concealed handguns? Pupils use the website to research the topic thoroughly and weigh the pros and cons. They read background information on gun control and learn about the main arguments surrounding the...
Curated OER
Introductions
Students participate in the introductions at the beginning of the semester. As a class, they brainstorm questions that can be asked to gain more information about their classmates. Working in pairs, the students interview each other and...
Education World
Human Nature- Good or Evil?
Students explore the philosophical nature of good vs. evil. In this literacy/philosophy lesson, students read and discuss media articles that illustrate human nature as inherently "good" or "evil." Students practice debating skills and...
Curated OER
Telemarketers Rights and Yours
Students research the controversy of whether or not the National Do Not Call Registry is constitutional, and then hold a class debate. Students research the National Do Not Call Registry, the FTC, the FCC, and the most current status of...
Curated OER
Welcome to the Blogosphere
Create a blog spot for your classroom and promote online discussions. There are several blogging websites listed here, and you can create one specific to each class or one collective site. Teach your learners how to post on the blog, and...
Curated OER
Writing a Newspaper-Style Article
Help your secondary reader/writers assess texts by studying press releases from Statistics Canada and drafting articles based on them. They then compare the press release, their own articles, and actual news stories they find online. I'd...
Curated OER
How To Argue Without Cheating
In this debate worksheet, students read and learn about the fine points of debate and persuasion. The vocabulary presented and the ideas are quite advanced; premise, conclusion, syllogism, ad homineum, and other difficult terms.
Curated OER
Sense of Place: Our School
Students explore the concept of 'sense of place' through journaling and class discussion. In this community lesson, students discuss what makes them feel like they belong. Students give three speeches that develop the sense of place...
YMCA
Turning Courtrooms into Classrooms
Turn the class into the next episode of Law & Order! Scholars work together to create a mock trial over the course of several weeks before going before a judge for the case performance. They take on different roles, go through...
Curated OER
News Anchor
High schoolers view selected clips from news programs, analyzing the volume, stress and pacing of the deliverance. They prepare and deliver a one-minute presentation based on a current news story.
Curated OER
Speech in the Virginia Convention
“. . .different men often see the same subject in different lights. . .” but the great orator Patrick Henry used all the skills at his command to craft a speech to convince listeners to see things as he did--that liberty was worth dying...
Penguin Books
An Educator’s Guide to Gayle Forman
Sometimes a novel is the best way to tackle a tough topic. A helpful educator's guide for the novels of Gayle Forman discuss tough topics such as teenage suicide. Discussion questions and writing activities encourage readers to think...
Curated OER
Techniques for Speech Delivery
Students write and deliver a short persuasive speech using the POAM method. They also incorporate one of the three persuasive appeals into a written speech. Students apply what they have learned about persuasion and speech presentation...
Curated OER
Human Sexuality Presentations
Students examine human health by researching the internet. In this human sexuality instructional activity, students utilize the web to locate a website which contains information about a certain sexual aspect. Students create a group...
Curated OER
Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story - The Birth of Soul
Students analyze various kinds of music. For this music lesson, students listen to music clips to determine the kind of music each clip is then they participate in a class discussion about the music and prepare a presentation.
Prestwick House
I Am Malala
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Christina Lamb and Malala Yousafzai is an inspirational tale of heroism through adversity. Focus on the key details of the book with a quick review crossword...
Curated OER
Shakespeare: Hamlet's Soliloquy
Twelfth graders use the Internet to find Prince Charles' version of the Hamlet soliloquy, read and discuss Hamlet's To be or not to be soliloquy and, using the study guide questions, read and discuss Prince Charles' update of the soliloquy.
Curated OER
The President and the Press ~ FDR's First Press Conference: March 1933
Young scholars consider that many presidential aides now speak "off the record," in essence conveying a message from the president. They examine why most Presidents have fewer press conferences the deeper they get into their terms of...
Curated OER
"At" and "In" Exercise
In this grammar skills learning exercise, students respond to 22 fill in the blank and short answer questions regarding the use of the prepositions "at" and "in."