Curated OER
Artists Teach Us to See the World through Visual Symbols
Tenth graders analyze a biographical piece of art by Raymond Saunders. They identify shapes, symbols, and lines that are used, and how the piece relates to the artist's life and modern society. They design and create an original piece of...
Curated OER
Writing as a group activity
Did you know that 50% of all Americans can trace a relative who traveled through Ellis Island? Relive these journeys with your class and then provide sentence strategy templates for them to use to compose their own informative...
Curated OER
Stop the Fighting and Start Uniting
Research current and proposed peace talks around the world with this New York Times lesson, Using the Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria as a starting point, middle schoolers create a news program on the subject. They propose a future...
Curated OER
Putting a Spin on Current Events
High schoolers explore the artistic value of propaganda. In this visual arts lesson, students analyze antique artistic pieces for their political agenda perpetuation. High schoolers discuss propaganda techniques of the past to today...
Curated OER
Through the Eyes of a Child
Students explore how documentaries can present realistic and sometimes difficult perspectives on events in our world. They choose current issues that interest them and create their own documentaries.
Curated OER
The Whole Story
Students collect and convey information about a current event. By focusing on who, what, when, where, why, and how questions, students study to thoroughly analyze and report on important world events.
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
Expressing Your Views to the Letter
Analyze the motivation, purpose, and value of letters to the editor by examining letters written in response to the violence at Columbine High School. For homework, middle and high schoolers write their own letters to the editor about an...
Curated OER
How to Write a Biography
Looking for a great lesson on how to write a biography? Here, middle schoolers draw from magazine articles, novels, historical figures, and current events to choose a person, or character to write about in a biography. They follow a...
Curated OER
Interpreting History
Ninth graders analyze a given quote about history and identify the concept that inspired it. In this history lesson, 9th graders research current and historical events, figures, and relationships. Students develop a lesson plan that...
Curated OER
Putting a Spin on Current Events
Students examine the symbolism on a 17th-century cabinet. For this symbolism lesson, students view samples of a 17th century cabinet and identify it's symbols. Students create their own cabinet by using various art supplies and paint...
Curated OER
Putting a Spin on Current Events
Middle schoolers discover propaganda. In this Greek mythology lesson, students discuss meanings of ancient art work with their class. Middle schoolers investigate the dishonesty behind propaganda.
Curated OER
Breaking News: School Bans Hugging and High Fives
Students explore current events by analyzing a news article in class. In this school ban lesson, students read a story about a high school in London that has banned physical contact between all students. Students answer study questions...
Curated OER
The Gay '80s, '90s and '00s
After reading and discussing a news article from the New York Times regarding gay and lesbian issues of the last thirty years, students engage in several activities to explore current events. They create a timeline, either electronically...
Curated OER
History Trifold in Publisher
Students create a timeline of events happening around the world. In this timeline lesson plan, students use Microsoft Publisher to create a timeline of events happening around the world as they live their lives presently.
Curated OER
Rain Forest Reporters
Students work as magazine reporters to produce a print or multimedia magazine about rain forests.
Curated OER
The World in 22 Minutes: Constructing a TV News Lineup
Students examine several newspapers to compare front pages, headlines, and photographs, experience role of news editor, define and discuss factors that go into news judgements, and arrange twenty-two minute news broadcast by selecting...
Curated OER
Musical Cares
Students explore ways in which music can relay messages of peace and how popular songs can be interpreted as commentary on current issues and themes.
Curated OER
Winning Tickets
Learners research background, personal interests, family history, and positions on current issues of the leading presidential and vice presidential candidates. They create unbiased presentations aimed at informing voters about...
US Mint
Absolutely and Relatively: The Puerto Rico Quarter Reverse
How much does your class know about Puerto RIco? How much can they learn from the back of a 2009 quarter? Use the coin, part of a series of quarters that depict US territories, to teach learners about the geography, culture, and history...
Curated OER
Teaching with Timelines
Students create illustrated timelines to accompany the historical events and people they have studied. In this chronological history lesson, students collaborate to create timelines that are enhanced with each new historical era they...
Curated OER
You Have All the Answers
Students explore the concept of theories in science while examining the theory of evolution. They conduct research and participate in a discussion about current issues in science culminating in the creation of question and answer pamphlets.
Stanford University
Observing Human Rights Day
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...
Madison Public Schools
Journalism
Whether you are teaching a newspaper unit in language arts, covering the First Amendment and censorship in social studies, or focusing on writing ethics in journalism, a unit based on the foundations of journalism would be an excellent...