Spartan Guides
Infographics Lesson
An infographic is fantastic way for learners to illustrate their understanding of content, express themselves creatively, and teach others in a manner that is both engaging and informative. While originally designed for a lesson on...
Curated OER
My Arkansas Family Tree
Here is a two-part lesson plan that introduces learners to genealogy by having them create family trees, and map the movements of their ancestors. While this resource is designed for kids who live in Arkansas, it certainly can be adapted...
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Autism - What Is It?
High schoolers investigate the symptoms of autism spectrum disorders, and compare expected child development with development that may indicate a diagnosis of these disorders. The final project for the lesson is the creation of posters...
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A Multi-Media Approach to Teaching The Grapes of Wrath
Integrate history, math, and art into a study of The Grapes of Wrath with a series of activities that ask learners to investigate the social, political, economic, and environmental factors at play during the 1930s. Designed to be used...
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A Practical Experiment In Colonization
Role-play and simulation exercises are fantastic ways to help learners understand the reality behind many social and historical events. Pretending they are colonists, upper graders choose a location, create a history, establish laws, and...
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Practical Experiment in Colonization
Students examine the effects that cultural background and specific historical events have upon the development of a colony. They research the colonies to design their own.
New York Public Library
What's for Lunch?: New York City Restaurant Menus
Do you remember the days when a cup of coffee cost five cents? At A.W. Dennett restaurant in 1894, you could buy a five-cent cup of coffee and as well as a five-cent slice of pie to accompany it. The menu from that year is a primary...
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Criminal or Hero
Young scholars investigate slavery in America circa the American Revolution. They will examine point- of view and perspective as they research a variety of informational resources. While this is designed to be used with the PBS video...
Star Wars in the Classroom
Star Wars Geography Unit
What kind of animals live on an ice planet like Hoth? How would the habitat on Tatooine allow different organisms to thrive? Connect social studies, science, and Star Wars in one engaging activity that focuses on the ecosystems of the...
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100 Questions
Students practice problem solving skills by asking questions and participating in a design challenge. In this asking questions lesson, students work in pairs to ask questions to design a solution for a difficult personal problem....
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Classroom Potlatch
Elementary schoolers study the history and purpose of potlatches. The listen to two stories about potlatches, then design a potlatch that they will host for their family members. They must come up with the gifts they would give, the...
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Back to Basics
Students examine the unique and diverse historical artifacts that people have designed to fulfill their everyday needs in extraordinary ways. They identify ways humans have used design throughout history to enhance the ways they meet...
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The Greatest Educational Change America Has Ever Seen
Young scholars connect the symbols from the design of the United States Mint Fifty State Quarters Program to our country's history in this five-lesson unit. The culture, unique heritage, and geography of the individual states are probed.
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T H E P O W E R O F A R C H I T E C T U R E
Students arecognize the architecture of another culture, how the architecture of a people records their history, explore artistic elements, explore and use geometric concepts of shape, pattern, and symmetry.
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Fighting The Horse Race: Creating Ads Which Explore 2008 Presidential Candidates & Issues
What is advertising? What role does it plan in an election? Middle and high schoolers discuss advertising and its purpose by sifting through different magazines and discussing the products they find. Then they relate advertisements to...
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So You Want To Be A...
Students design Career Character Poster, research occupations of interest, write about their future career choices, and present a first-person narrative about their chosen occupation.
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Create-A-Town Simulation
Learners design and construct a model town. In this community lesson, students will collaboratively build a small town from construction paper and toys.
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Dangers of the West
Eighth graders explore the American West. For this Westward Expansion lesson, 8th graders examine primary sources to investigate the dangers travelling to and settling in the American West. Students design brochures that would help those...
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Best Practices of Technology Intergration
Students compete in a Lego Robot Competition. For this after school lesson, students design and compete in the Lego Robot Competition. This lesson includes time-lines and guidelines for an after-school club.
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What Was it like to Live During the Depression?
Fourth graders research a variety of sources to discover information about how the depression effect people in Michigan. They follow a research outline while working in small groups. They design a presentation that describes live during...
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Compass Rose: Dance and Quilt
Fourth graders identify the cardinal directions by listening to a song entitled, "Stand," and by reviewing the lyrics to that song. They notice the cardinal directions that are posted around the classroom. They perform the motions as...
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The Yesterday's Tomorrow Teacher's Guide
Students explore the future and the importance of the past. In this futuristic lesson, students create a future city and identify traditions of their heritage that they feel should be passed on to future generations. They also assess the...
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Animal Masks
Students design and make animal masks. In this research and application activity, students use a computer to research what a panther eats, select an animal mask they want to make and then use the materials provided to create their...
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African Ceremonial Masks
Fourth graders examine and discuss the purposes and traditions of African ceremonial masks. They design and create African ceremonial masks using various materials.