Curated OER
Depicting Motherhood in Family Stories
Students explore triptychs. For this art history lesson, students define the terms "photograph" and "triptych". Students discuss changes that occur between mothers and daughters and create an original triptych using family photographs.
Media Smarts
The Citizen Reporter
Ripped from the headlines! Discuss topical social issues like racism, discrimination, and diversity while exploring the concept of citizen journalism. Begin with a professional-looking presentation on the history of citizen journalism....
Curated OER
Beowulf: Songs of Ancient Heroes
Introduce your class to epic heroes with these activities for Beowulf. After watching a video clip, taking notes on heroes, and tracking characteristics of heroism throughout Beowulf, class members retell an episode of Beowulf using a...
Curated OER
Writing History: From Students to Scholars
An Online NewsHour article about scholarly ethics launches this study of plagiarism. Since historians are supposed to bring original ideas and perspectives to their publications, they must give credit to the ideas of others. After a...
Curated OER
Drama: The New Friends
Reader's Theater is a great way to build fluency, intonation, and dramatic flare. The class reads the theater piece, "The New Friends" paying attention to how they express emotion and feeling as they read. They discuss the use of plot,...
Curated OER
Epic Improvisation
Really? Rapping The Odyssey? Really. A discussion of the oral tradition of story telling and its links to Epic poetry sets the stage for a series of activities that encourage improvisation to integrate music into other classrooms....
Curated OER
A Passage Through Time
Young learners research and present information about a chosen subject to their peers, parents, instructors, and community. This instructional activity has a strong research and public speaking component, and would be ideal for your...
Curated OER
Parody Hilarity
Upper grade and middle school writers study the art of parody. In this language arts instructional activity, learners study the work of Lewis Carroll, read and discuss parodies from the book, Alice in Wonderland, and construct their own...
Curated OER
Hendrick Avercamp and the Winter Landscape
Students study the winter landscape art of Hendrick Avercamp. In this art history lesson, students read passages about the art and artist Hendrick Avercamp. Students learn about winter landscape art and write an acrostic poem about a...
Curated OER
Gilbert Stuart and Presdidential Portraits
Students read passages about the context of paintings for artist Gilbert Stuart. For this art history lesson, students study paintings by artist Gilbert Stuart and learn about the context of his art. Students then complete a presidential...
Curated OER
NGA Kids Inside Scoop Summer 2006
Young scholars read passages and study paintings to learn about the artist Giovanni Antonio Canal and his subject of Venice. In this art history lesson, students read about Canaletto and explore Venice through his paintings. Young...
Curated OER
Family Food Favorites
Third graders conduct an interview and create a class cookbook. In this family heritage lesson, 3rd graders read Everybody Bakes Bread and discuss a dish or recipe that is a part of their family's heritage. Students interview family...
Curated OER
Hit the Trail
Students read about the history of cattle trails and complete language arts, math, social studies, and more activities about barbed wire. In this barbed wire lesson plan, students read poetry, research changes over time, draw cattle...
Curated OER
The Eighty Yard Run
Students read and explore the themes of the book The Eighty Yard Run. In this literature lesson, students discuss their observations and predictions. Students develop their own story which is similar to that of The Eighty Yard Run.
Curated OER
Daily Life and Schooling
Learners compare the ancient Greek method of schooling and writing to contemporary methods and learn the Greek alphabet on wax tablets.
Curated OER
Narrative Collage
Young scholars use a book or passage for their inspiration to create a narrative collage. They need to illustrate the action or the setting.
Curated OER
Tales From Around the World
Students read stories. In this culture lesson, students read stories from different regions around the world. Students look for each region on the map and listen for interesting cultural details in the story. Students then discuss the...
Curated OER
Novel Creation
Students create an alternate ending with digital animations to illustrate their text. In this novel creation lesson, students read a novel and analyze the plot in small groups. Students collaborate on an alternate ending and create a...
Curated OER
Benjamin Franklin and the U.S. Constitution
Students explore U.S. history by completing a quiz about civics. In this Benjamin Franklin instructional activity, students read assigned text about Franklin's role in the development of the Constitution and the creation of a new...
Curated OER
Next Year's Seeds
Reading, a math game, and a simulation activity provide the engagement on a lesson about seeds and crops. Learners in grades two through four read an informational passage about crops, seeds, and farming. They highlight important...
Curated OER
Who is George Washington Carver, Anyway?
Students read about George Washington Carver, then work in small groups to design, write and illustrate a booklet about his accomplishments.
Peace Corps
Celebrating Our Connections Through Water
Water is vital for survival, but how does it help global cultures flourish? Elementary and middle schoolers learn about the different cultures around the world that celebrate water and incorporate it into their festivals or traditions.
Curated OER
Call It a Hunch
Give young scholars a chance to practice making inferences after reading the book Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges. They confirm whether or not their conclusions are true, have a class discussion, and then independently complete an...
Curated OER
Fathers and Sons in Henry IV
Students explore the power struggles in England's history using Shakespeare's Henry IV. In this Shakespeare lesson, students write answer to journal questions about the play and discuss specific passages. Students work as groups to...