Overcoming Obstacles
Gathering Information
Before making important decisions, gathering as much information as possible is best. That's the take-away from the second lesson in the Decision-Making module of the Overcoming Obstacles course. Middle schoolers engage in a series of...
Channel Islands Film
Arlington Springs Man: Lesson Plan 1
Learning to craft quality questions is a skill that can be taught. Class members use the Question Formulation Technique to learn how to create and refine both closed-ended and open-ended questions. They then view West of the West's...
Harry S. Truman Library & Museum
Marshall Plan: Convince the American People
This is an excellent resource for US history classes, especially AP history. After learning some background on the Marshall Plan, the class, divided into two groups, researches opposing positions on this aid program. Groups read and...
Curated OER
The Visual Thesaurus and the SAT
Demonstrate strategies for tackling unfamiliar vocabulary words in preparation for the SAT. Using Visual Thesaurus computer software, middle and high schoolers interpret contextual clues, solve sample sentence completion questions, and...
Curated OER
Bird Ecology Unit
Birds, plants, and vegetation, is there anything more lovely? There is! Engage your class in the scientific process, data collection, and data analysis. They stroll their campus observing and identifying various birds and plants,...
Curated OER
Identifying Birds
Eighth graders identify and name birds in their school yard by comparing and contrasting pictures of 12 common birds in the Phoenix metro area using the Ecology Explorers Protocol. They formulate questions based on observations that lead...
Curated OER
Ask Questions About a Topic
Students explore reading comprehension by completing a graphic organizer. In this journalism technique lesson, students discuss important questions they can ask about stories they read to improve comprehension. Students identify keywords...
Curated OER
Formulate an Inquiry
Students define questions and issues to be investigated through the photo essay. They practice interviewing skills and write questions defining the topics they want to investigate in their photo essays.
National Australia Day Council
True Blue? On Being Australian
Who or what is an Australian? Discover a plethora of student-centered, engaging activity ideas on the question of Australian identity, organized according to five major themes: people, symbols, place, sport, and words.
Turabian Teacher Collaborative
Introductions: Formulating Problem Statements
Describing a problem efficiently doesn't solve it, but a well-crafted argument can move readers to action. High schoolers focus on structuring problem statements by reading examples of strong essays and working in groups to create...
Curated OER
Questions About Rivers
Young scholars investigate rivers. In this geography lesson, students work in cooperative groups to read about rivers from articles they have collected. Young scholars form questions using Bloom's Taxonomy as a guide.
Student Handouts
Graphic Organizer: Reference Citations
Pupils practice researching sources and logging citation information with this graphic organizer. After posing a general topic, groups of students are asked to devise general questions about that topic, and to research sources...
Curated OER
Introduction to Primary Sources
Young scholars explore the usage of primary sources, what they are and how they originate. Artifacts are compared and contrasted as part of this historical inquiry as questions are formulated and conclusions drawn.
Curated OER
Technology-Lesson 3-Putting Technology to Work
Students explain the use of different technologies based on their resolving power. Explain how technologies are used to solve scientific and health-related problems. Explain the concept of using right tool for the job and develop a multi...
National Library of Medicine
Your Environment, Your Health: Runoff, Impervious Surfaces, and Smart Development
Can a sidewalk increase the amount of pollution in local streams? Scholars learn the answer to this question though research and experimentation in the fifth unit in the six-part series. Pupils study runoff, impervious surfaces, and the...
Curated OER
Image Conscious
Students take a stand on the concept of changing their appearance. In this changing of ones image instructional activity, students create a design that would change their image and discuss the age they think they...
Curated OER
Noncombatancy and the Seventh day Adventist Church
Upper graders investigate how the Seventh Day Adventists are objectors to the practice of war. The lesson covers the Civil War and examines the church's position about the practice of war. The research extends to modern wars and learners...
Curated OER
Pet Shop Decision
Students are given the "Pet Store Decisions" task sheet and a rubric that goes with it. Students discuss the task and make a plan for using the rubric sheet to complete the task. Students formulate questions, studies and data collection...
Curated OER
The Newspaper Article
Have your class participate in an interview activity using an informational text about the Amazon. After reading a Cultural Connections story about a person from the Amazon, middle schoolers write interview questions based on the text....
Curated OER
Using Keywords
Third graders identify how to use keywords in resources. In this using keywords lesson, 3rd graders practice using keywords from a table of contents. Students also formulate questions for peers using keywords from orgainzers.
Curated OER
Social Effects of WWII
Fifth graders study the social effects of World War II on America. In this WWII effects lesson, 5th graders read paragraphs about the history of World War II. Students watch a video about the period and formulate questions for Veterans...
C3 Teachers
Women’s Rights: What Does It Mean to Be Equal?
A guided-inquiry lesson asks seventh graders to research the compelling question, "What does it mean to be equal?" Guided by three supporting questions, researchers complete three formative performance tasks and gather evidence from...
Curated OER
College or Bust?
Based on a New York Times article, "The College Drop-Out Boom," participants in a fishbowl discussion formulate and express opinions about the correlation between level of education, career options, and economic mobility. Ample...
Curated OER
The Monroe Doctrine: Whose Doctrine Was It?
Was James Monroe the sole contributor of the Monroe Doctrine? Young scholars study the doctrine and cite evidence to show contributions of John Quincy Adams and Thomas Jefferson in its formulation.