Michigan State University
4-H Teen Leadership
Take your 4-H teens to the next level! Help them learn how to be an active part of their communities with a teen leadership development unit. Individuals, together with school and community partners, create and execute a service-driven...
Curated OER
Papyrus to PDA
What a great project. Graphic arts learners consider the social, political, and economic impact made by a chosen invention. They build an argument to substantiate their reasons for choosing said invention. They create an oral...
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The Looking Glass: Artwork of Robert Harris
A series of 4 activities foster critical thinking, careful observation, and creative expression with the work of Canadian artist Robert Harris. Learners respond to half a painting and then to the whole picture while listening to a poem;...
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Underground Railroad/Quilts
Students explore the Underground Railroad communication system. In this cross curriculum fine arts and United States history Civil War lesson, students view several websites that feature quilts constructed by slaves during the...
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Lesson Plan: A Bird's Tale
Who wouldn't love to get a letter from a blue bird? Elementary art enthusiasts analyze the social and historical context of Ason Yellowhair's Navajo piece, Bird and Cornstalk Rug. They examine the construction and images on the rug...
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Act It Out!
An effective way to demonstrate understanding is by synthesizing one's own work. Use a creative lesson designed for a unit on Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun for small groups to show what they know about the play, its themes and...
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United States Legends
Students learn about legends in different states by communicating with students from different states. They exchange pictures and description through the Internet.
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Preserving the Past with Oral History
Students research history by interviewing people in their community. They create a list of questions and record their responses. They end the project with some type of final product which might include a memory book.
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Writing and Presenting a Fable Using Research
Elementary and middle schoolers research animal facts and use them in a fable. First, they pair-share to find animal traits to use in writing a fable. They then complete a prewriting worksheet. After going through the writing process,...
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Listening for Leschi: Voices from the Past
Students explore the written and oral histories of mid 19th centruy western Washington. They imagine that they are a reporter who can travel back in time and interview Leschi to create a newspaper article that features him.
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Our Wonderful Stories: Lesson Plan 5
The fifth installment in a writing unit that culminates with a Hyperstudio illustrated group story project, this plan is ripe with ideas for ways to design group writing projects for elementary writers. Use the whole unit as a base from...
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Les Métiers (Jobs and Professions)
Work a few of these activities into your unit on jobs and professions for beginning French speakers. This teacher's guide focuses on feminine and masculine word endings, and introduces the teacher to different opportunities for oral...
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Family Tree
Young scholars create a family tree in this culminating activity to their family unit. In this family tree lesson, students extend their learning about the family unit by working in small groups to develop a three generation family tree....
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Wonderfully Wild Unit
Students explore the ethics of 'fair' in regards to humans relationship with wildlife. In this wildlife study lesson, students read the story starters about wildlife and then discuss how to finish the story. Students finish the stories...
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Postcards From Noah's Ark
Students complete a research project on a selected animal as the culminating activity on a unit about animals. They write a descriptive postcard sent by the animal as a passenger on Noah's Ark, and with a partner create a PowerPoint...
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A Growing Success
Young scholars create a multimedia presentation as a culmination of a plant unit. In this hyperstudio lesson, students research from assigned sites and create a Hyperstudio stack. Young scholars write a cinquain.
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Gazebo Construction
Students create and give oral proposals for the construction of a gazebo using a blueprint created with Geometer's Sketchpad. They then build a gazebo model using the blueprints created and provide evidence why it should be selected for...
EduGAINs
Community Involvement Investigation— Guidance and Career Education
Not only do extracurricular activities look good on a college application, they can foster important life skills. From sports to volunteering to employment, extracurricular activities can inform your learners' experiences later in life....
Smithsonian Institution
Mary Henry: Journal/Diary Writing
A great way to connect social studies with language arts, a resource on Mary Henry's historical diary reinforces the concepts of primary and secondary sources. It comes with an easy-to-understand lesson plan, as well as the reference...
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Dr. Teeth and Dr. Gums To The Rescue
Second graders role play as dentists researching teeth and their care. They create a slide show showing how a character, Bear, can take care of this teeth explaining habitats, diets and teeth.
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We the People (Cultural Research)
Fourth graders conduct cultural research, collect oral histories using tape recorders and cameras, and share their ancestral heritage with classmates through family heirlooms and ethnic foods.
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Murals, Memories, and Making Art
Fourth graders examine the life and works of famous artists. Using the internet, they take notes and present their information to the class in an oral presentation. They create their own original artwork in the same style of their...
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History and Geography: Making a New Nation
Fifth graders examine the contributions of the different groups that built the American Nation. They identify the successive waves of new immigration, explain their attraction to America, and study the importance of Ellis Island.
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Abraham Lincoln
Students brainstorm different names of presidents and reflect upon the importance of the role in government. They demonstrate a knowledge of the important events in the life of Abraham Lincoln. Students conduct research into the founding...