Curated OER
Writing Pattern Books
Have your older students assist young children with writing in this community service and literacy lesson. Middle schoolers become partners with a local elementary school. They assist the grade school children in writing a pattern book...
Curated OER
Civil War Essay
Upper graders explore equality by writing an essay. They read the story Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco, and discuss the meaning of the story and its relevance to Civil War events. Learners investigate the five writing process steps and...
Curated OER
Letter Writing and Abigail Adams
Third graders learn the importance of letter writing for communication. In this letter writing lesson, 3rd graders identify how letter writing was important in the life of Abigail Adams. Students understand what a primary source is and...
Curated OER
Writing a Political Leader
Young scholars investigate politics by writing a formal letter. For this U.S. Government lesson, students discuss political issues they would like to address and research their topic using the Internet. Young scholars locate an...
Scholastic
Lesson 1: What Are Barriers?
Scholars discuss the concept of a barrier with a short passage on Jackie Robinson. The writing process begins with a paragraph and several other sentences about Robinson's unique traits that made breaking a barrier possible.
Curated OER
How To Write a Social Studies Outline
One of the keys to success in school is organization. This resource leads learners through the process of creating an outline for a chapter from a social studies text. In addition, they review facts they have learned in their class...
Curated OER
The Mummification Process
Sixth graders investigate the steps of mummification. In this ancient Egypt lesson, 6th graders listen to a SMART Board aided lecture to view how mummification works as well as the meaning behind the ritual. Students then complete a...
Visa
Road Rules: Researching and Buying a Car
How do the loan principal, interest rate, and term all factor into a monthly car payment? Introduce your class to some of the key steps and considerations of obtaining a loan and purchasing a car.
Curated OER
What is Framing?
Students practice framing issues. In this writing skills lesson, students participate in a classroom activity that requires them to look at specific topical issues by framing them. Students then create collages on current issues and...
Historical Thinking Matters
Spanish-American War: 3 Day Lesson
Why did the United States choose to invade Cuba in 1898? As part of a 3-day lesson, your young historians will first develop working hypotheses to answer this question, then work with a variety of historical primary source documents that...
Curated OER
The Canadian Expedition
Fifth graders research and write a pen pal letter about the geography of a Canadian town. Students create a script for a phone call with their pen pal and perform it with a friend for the class.
Curated OER
Design a New Dollar Coin
Students create a design for a new coin after researching people who have impacted history. Students must write a persuasive essay about why this person should be memorialized on the dollar coin and present their person to the class.
Curated OER
A Court Case with Real Appeal
Students analyze the United States' current appellate process, with a critical eye focused on possible inequities within the system. They then write letters to a Manhattan district attorney giving their recommendations on how he should...
Curated OER
Simon Says - Taking Small Steps Toward My Goal
Fourth graders explore ways to plan their studying towards fulfilling their educational goals. They become aware, and hopefully, learn from one another, the value of persistence and self-discipline. Students listen and respond to the...
Annenberg Foundation
Service Learning in the Social Studies
Active Citizenship Today (ACT) is a "unique social studies service learning program" that requires learners to learn about the public policy associated with community issues they identify in their local community. This web site provides...
Curated OER
Let the Campaign Begin
Students examine the many steps involved in the electoral process. They examine past president's campaigns and write an announcement speech for the candidate of their choice.
Curated OER
Lifestyles of Civil War
Eighth graders, after viewing a website on Civil War Time, explore and analyze the lifestyles of Civil War times as well as those of the soldiers through the writing of a composition of a narrative letter and story through the eyes of a...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Unauthorized Immigration and the US Economy
As part of a study of immigration and the U.S. economy, class members assume the role of newspaper editors to determine which submitted letters to print on their paper's editorial page to present a balanced view of the debate.
Curated OER
Adopt a Highway
Third graders write a letter to a community company asking for a donation to their adopt a highway project. In the letter, they include the reasons they want to adopt the highway and thank they store for their time. They word process the...
Curated OER
How Laws Are Made
Students create a graphic organizer to illustrate the steps elected representatives must take to make a new law. Included: Student work sheet and role-play ideas. Students use their graphic organizers to write a paragraph briefly...
Curated OER
If It's to Be, It's Up to Me!
Eighth graders discuss the question: How does one become an effective decision-maker or problem solver in social situations? They are given three brief scenarios and after each one students are asked, "What would you do?" Students think...
Ohio Center For Law-Related Education
Four Activities: Thurgood Marshall and the Nomination and Confirmation of Federal Judges
The process of nominating and confirming federal judges can sound like a lot of bureaucratic hoops, but a resource breaks down the steps of the Supreme Court nominations in a simpler manner. Learners participate in four activities that...
Curated OER
Forty Acres? The Question of Land at the War's End
Should land be redistributed to former slaves after the Civil War? This essential question guides a lesson on the Reconstruction Era, as learners analyze primary sources (linked), recording responses on a worksheet (linked). To model the...
Curated OER
Opportunity Knocks, But It Costs, Too!
Sixth graders write a reflection piece, outlining each of the decision-making steps they have used and what decision they have decided upon, which includes possible solutions, as well as possible outcomes for each solution. They also...