Curated OER
Keiko, Killer Whale
Middle schoolers will create a children's book on Keiko, the killer whale, that was rehabilitated and returned to the wild after living in an aquarium. In small groups, they conduct internet research to find out the history and current...
Curated OER
Pre-Columbian Cultures in the Americas
Native American studies is fun, educational, and highly motivating. Fifth graders will gain a deeper understanding of the six major pre-Columbian culture areas on the North American continent. They will choose one group and conduct...
PricewaterhouseCoopers
The Stock Market
Keep or sell? Young learners simulate as buyers in the stock market while learning about the benefits and important factors to know when purchasing. The thorough resource allows for observation of case studies and provides...
California Department of Education
Evaluating Web Sites
If it's on the Internet, it must be true—right? How can someone tell if a website contains less-than-truthful information? Savvy surfers evaluate sources in the fifth of a six-part college and career readiness instructional activity...
Curated OER
Anne Frank: One of Hundreds of Thousands
Students conduct research to put Anne Frank's diary into historical context. They use maps, timelines, essays and websites to examine the early victories of the German army, paying special attention to the Netherlands and experiences of...
Curated OER
Teaching With Documents: U.S. Constitution Workshop
What does it mean to be American? Explore the constitution and what it really means to be a citizen here. First, learners of all ages will investigate different primary source documents. Then, they establish each document's...
Curated OER
Ben Franklin Timeline
Celebrate inventions such as lightning rods, bifocals, and stoves with a Ben Franklin Day. Young historians conduct research and write a paragraph about an accomplishment of Benjamin Franklin including an illustration...
Curated OER
Determining the Existence of Gender Bias in Daily Tasks
Help your kids explore gender bias. Learners design and conduct a survey examining role responsibilities within families. They determine the percentage of responsibilities for males vs. females and graph the results. Then they analyze...
Curated OER
Discovering Japan Through Cooperative Research
Search a variety of sources to create a multimedia or book project about Japan. Learners use the independent investigation method to plan and conduct research about Japan. They use the information they discover to create a computer book...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Galileo: Revealing the Universe
To gain an understanding of the significance of Galileo Galilei's revolutionary ideas, class members watch the short video "Stargazing Before Galileo," and conduct a close reading of Galileo's Sidereal Messsenger. They then...
Curated OER
What's In Our Backyard?
Eighth graders investigate the importance of an ecosystem by studying their own backyards. In this environmental lesson, 8th graders examine a schoolyard or backyard by marking quadrants and recording any animal or plant findings...
Curated OER
Plant Identification: New Jersey vs. Ecuador
Sixth graders discover the different plants that grow in different climates through specimen collections. In this botany lesson, 6th graders examine plants from both New Jersey and Ecuador and discuss what conditions could create...
Curated OER
Conductive Heat Transfer Experiments
Students conduct a variety of experiments to see how heat is transferred using common household objects. The teacher uses the safety plans included in the lesson plan. This is ideal for inexperienced Science teachers.
Curated OER
Conducting the "Orchestra": How to Implement the Maestro
Learners work as a team member to produce a newspaper. In this newspaper production lesson plan, students understand the role that each staff member plays in the production of a publication as they demonstrate commitment to...
Curated OER
We the People Lesson 2
Students compare the Federalists and Anti-Federalists visions for the U.S. government. In this government lesson, students conduct research on Federalists and Anti-Federalists figures. Students use their findings to help them write...
Curated OER
Be Nice to Spiders Lesson Plan
Young scholars share their own pages with the rest of the class while they learn about spiders. In this Be Nice to Spiders lesson plan, students learn how spiders are living creatures just like people.
Curated OER
Farmworkers and the Union: A Lesson from Viva La Causa
Students examine the role of labor unions. In this labor union activity, students watch "Viva la Causa" and discuss the working conditions that led farm workers to strike. Students also read a handout regarding labor unions and share...
Curated OER
Ardipithecus ramidus: A Prehistory Lesson Plan
Students discover details about the genus Ardipithecus. In this prehistory instructional activity, students listen to a lecture about the attributes of Ardipithecus. Students then conduct further research on either Ardipithecus ramidus...
Curated OER
Veterans Day Lesson Plans
We can take a moment to recognize the soldiers who served and protected our country with Veterans Day lesson plans.
Curated OER
Lesson Plan: Global Warming
Students explore the concept of global warming. In this climate change instructional activity, students explore the provided links to PBS NOW sources and research the greenhouse effect and the effects of global warming. Students...
Curated OER
Studying the African Immigration Lesson Plan
Students read a narrative, conduct an interview and write an autobiographical piece highlighting their findings about an immigrant's experience leaving their country.
Curated OER
This Lesson Is a Breeze, So Don't Blow It!
Young scholars conduct an experiment to show that air is all around us and that wind is the movement of air. They construct a weather vane to determine which direction the wind is blowing.
Curated OER
Real Estate Lesson: Monthly Payments
Students examine real-world data relating to real estate. They conduct Internet research, record data regarding real estate in major cities, graph the data, calculate mortgage payments using a mortgage calculator, and analyze the data.
Curated OER
Globe Skills Lesson 10 Apollo 11
Middle schoolers develop their globe skills. In this geography skills lesson plan, students use a globe and a softball to replicate distance between the earth and its moon.