Curated OER
Jan. 3, 1959 | Alaska Becomes a State
Make connections with past history and current events with this critical thinking exercise. Kids read background information relating to Alaska's statehood as well as information on oil drilling and Alaska's economy. They put it all...
Eastland FFA
Grapes of Wrath Movie Questions
John Ford's 1940 film version of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath is the subject of a 23-question worksheet designed to accompany a viewing of the film. The questions not only focus viewers on events, but also ask them to make...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Campaign Echoes
Get on those thinking caps, because your class is going to analyze a political cartoon related to the 2008 presidential elections. Included is a large image of the cartoon, background information, and three guiding questions which can be...
Curated OER
Survey of the Louisiana Purchase in 1815
Students explore the survey of the Louisiana Purchase by creating their own surveying and mapping techniques such as natural maps, pace maps, and orienting. Other students then try to follow the maps.
Curated OER
Simplified Botany--Leaf Chromatography
Students investigate the different pigments contained in green leaves by completing an experiment that strips away the chlorophyll and separates the pigments left behind.
Curated OER
Exploring US Foreign Policy after WWII--The Cold War
Scholars explore U.S. Foreign Policy and Cold War ideologies adopted after WWII. They conduct Internet research on a topic or issue related to the Cold War Era, watch two films, and compose a time line and a multimedia presentation to...
Curated OER
Word Association Poetry with Visual Thesaurus (or Not)
Young poets get inspiration and guidance for making word association poems with the Visual Thesaurus. Your class could complete this project with nothing more than a pencil and paper as well. A nice one-off for a substitute during your...
Curated OER
Poverty Point Indians Leave Their Mark
Poverty Point is a historical landmark in Louisiana that was inhabited by Indians. Students will learn about the large mound the Poverty Point Indians created called Bird Effigy Mound in this nine-slide PowerPoint. Slide eight includes 8...
Curated OER
Language Variation: Sociolinguistics and Dialectology
Sociolect? Jargon? Morphosyntactic? Labov? Ebonics? The fifteen slides in this presentation serve to introduce terms and concepts used in the discussion of how ethnicity, age, social class, education, religion, and gender influence...
ARKive
Biodiversity and Evolution
Why is diversity in biology so important for an ecosystem? Explore biodiversity, evolution, and natural selection with a presentation for your biology class. It features clear information, activities for further understanding, and...
Quia
Charlotte’s Web Lesson Plan
Make your classroom into a place of kindness and compassion with E.B White's Charlotte's Web. The first four pages of the lesson plan guide you through several steps and projects, including discussions on Charlotte and Wilbur's...
Curated OER
Parrot in the Oven: Instructional Routine
After reading "The Bullet," a particularly intense chapter in Victor Martinez's Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida, class members listen to the Spanish and the English versions of "Dimelo" by Enrique Iglesias. They then discuss how the...
Curated OER
Parrot in the Oven: Anticipation Guide
Get readers thinking about the major themes in Victor Martinez's award-winning novel, Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida by asking them to agree or disagree with the prompts on an anticipation guide and to discuss...
Novelinks
The Chosen: QAR
Question the text with a reading comprehension activity based on Chaim Potok's The Chosen. Learners read four passages from the book and decide if the question after each passage is between the reader and the author, for the reader...
Curated OER
The Martian Chronicles: Concept Analysis
If you're planning on including Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles in your science fiction unit, use a concept analysis guide to frame your instruction. It covers literary elements such as setting, narrative voice, and theme, as...
Curated OER
Thanksgiving
Introduce the basics of Thanksgiving with a language arts instructional activity. As pupils practice observation skills, vocabulary, and reading comprehension, they design paper turkeys by outlining their hands and feet and by...
Colorado State University
How Does the Earth Cool Itself Off?
Where does all the heat go when the sun goes down? An interesting lesson has learners explore this question by monitoring the infrared radiation emitted over time. They learn that hot spots cool more quickly that cooler spots.
PBS
Lessons in Leadership, Roosevelt Style
It's easy to criticize those in power until you're sitting at their desk, faced with the same decisions. A history lesson prompts secondary learners to research the Roosevelt presidencies through the lens of leadership and...
California Department of Education
Name That Job!
Can you name the job that involves scholars, classes, and grades? If you guessed teacher, you just won a round of Name That Job! The second activity in a five-part college and career readiness unit has career seekers team up and go head...
American Museum of Natural History
Being a Conservation Biologist: Eleanor Sterling
Eleanor Sterling responds to 21 questions posed by young learners about the challenges she faces as a woman conservation biologist. She also discusses her research of the aye-aye, an unusual animal that lives in Madagascar.
American Museum of Natural History
Talk to a Titanosaur
Learn all about the Titanosaur with an engaging website that delves deep into the large reptile's physical traits, family history, discovery, and fossil reconstruction.
American Museum of Natural History
Journey to the Stars
Fifteen detailed pictures and informative captions delve deep into the exploration of stars—their life cycle and importance in the universe.
Curated OER
Big Arky, A Real Arkansas Monster
Middle schoolers examine the world of the Arkansas alligator and topics that are related to wetland environments. They pay attention to the relationship between geography, climate, environment, and the animals who live there. A role-play...
Curated OER
Outstanding Women
Research the lives of famous women in this social studies lesson. Middle schoolers use various sources to research a famous woman and create a presentation about the accomplishments of the woman. They can find the central idea throughout...