Unit Plan
American Institute of Architects

Architecture: It's Elementary!—Fifth Grade

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Young citizens construct an understanding of urban planning in this cross-curricular unit. Covering every aspect of city development from the political, economic, and social influences to sustainable building practices, this...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Color, Play, Podcast

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students encounter the format of a podcast and plan what content they will include. They work in small groups or with the whole class to develop an outline. Students practice reading their scripts to other students.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Running Colors

For Teachers K
Students play a game with mats of different shapes and colors spread out over a playing area. As a shape and color is called out students run the the corresponding mat and stand on it.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hold On to Your Hats

For Teachers K - 5th
Elementary schoolers study the symbolism and influences found in advertising. First, they learn about the history and cultural significance of the Summer Official's Hat that was a symbol of status in ancient China. Then, they access...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cherokee Leaf Printing

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars investigate their local creeks and forests and practice identifying trees.  For this ecology identification lesson plan, students utilize a pad and pencil while on a field trip near their school and describe their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Japanese Noh Masks

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students examine Japanese theatre and create their own face masks which display certain emotions, props, costumes and perform in improvisational theatrical games.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Museum Text Messaging

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students pretend they are in a museum and are to explain a painting to a friend using text messaging. They identify the correct painting based on the message. They answer questions to complete the lesson.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Segregated Pencil Sharpeners

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore racism through pencil sharpeners.  In this civil rights lesson, students utilize a pencil sharpener with one of two colored pencils and explain how some people were not allowed to use certain items because of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Nutrition and the Media: Cereal Box Consumerism

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
How many treats do you buy each week? Learners investigate diets and how the media tricks consumers into purchasing unhealthy snacks. They will investigate the designs and logos affiliated with cereal boxes and identify specific phrases...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Come Fly with Me

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students identify rhyming words from the book A Fly Went By by matching words written on index card with same endings, eliciting word when prompted by teacher, and by identifying rhyming words in the text.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Social Studies: Micronesian Independence Day

For Teachers K - 5th
Students pretend that they are visiting a relative in Micronesia and compare its Independence Day with the U.S. holiday. They compare the two countries' flags while older students in grades three through five create travelogues. Younger...