Curated OER
An Art-To-Art Discussion
Students analyze a work of art from a variety of cultural perspectives, and give their own personal evaluation of the work.
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Prisoner in One's Own Home
Examine the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. After reading an article from the New York Times and exploring the author's word choice, young readers find the central idea in the text and work on researching...
Novelinks
The Book Thief: Concept Analysis
Designed for teachers who plan on using Markus Zusak's The Book Thief, this packet includes background information about the author, themes addressed in and issues raised by the novel, a list of research and project ideas, and...
Curated OER
Wherefore Art Thou, Art?
Students analyze various perspectives on the controversial "Sensation: Young British Artists From the Saatchi Collection" art exhibit on display at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
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Holidays Seasoned with Meaning
Students consider how the world events of the past year have impacted their perceptions of this holiday season. Each student then explores one general theme related to his or her feelings about the season by creating a news-based collage...
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No New Workers Need Apply
Students explore older people's perspectives on work and retirement by creating charts to reflect statistical trends and formulate interview questions. They write follow-up articles that record and comment on the attitudes of their...
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Time Travel, Black Holes, and Relativity
Young scholars read the novel, The Time Machine, and compare H.G. Well's perceptions of the future with those presented in The Third Wave, by Alvin Toffler. They research current scientific and mathematical theories that relate to space...
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Inquiring Minds
Students participate in a "fishbowl" discussion to address the notions of government and intelligence accountability for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. They write letters to the President of the United...
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Terror on Trial
Learners think critically about their perceptions of terrorism and examine the motivations, goals and actions of countries against whose "state-sponsored terrorism" the United States State Department has issued sanctions.
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Running Rings Around the Competition
learners explore the debate behind Beijing's bid to host the 2008 Olympics from the perspectives of different groups involved. They then 'cast votes' as members of the International Olympic Committee as to which city should be chosen.
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Birth of the Cowboy
Students examine how the image of the cowboy changed at the turn of the century. They read about cowboys' shifting reputation at the turn of the century and connect popular perceptions of the cowboy to a trend in popular culture that...
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Photo-Documenting Earth Art
Students study Earth Art Sculpture and its historic perspectives. They study important Earth Art sculptors, notably Andy Goldsworthy and view works of important Earth Artists. They explore the basic use of digital cameras and journal...
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Land Use and Lawmaking in California
Students read writings by Ralph Waldo Emerson to analyze transcendentalism and analyze photographic essays depicting environmental issues. In this art and history lesson, students read excerpts of Nature by Emerson to identify...
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History of Mythology, Astronomy and Astrology
Ninth graders examine the relationships of science and technology and how it influences people's perceptions of places. For this mythology and astronomy lesson students view a PowerPoint presentation and complete a...
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Writing Own Tale
Third graders read The First Strawberries and complete a character chart. In this writing a tale instructional activity, 3rd graders discuss viewpoints and identify character traits. Students complete character charts and write...
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Propaganda
How does word choice affect the reading of a text? Compare two headlines that were written about the same event. Is one biased? Discuss how word choice often reveals the author's feelings about a topic. Then look at different techniques...
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Mark Twain: Straddling the Civil War
Mark Twain's life, politics, writing, and role as a mirror of pre- and post-Civil War American culture are the focus 11th and 12th graders in this section from an expansive author study. A critical writing assignment comparing Twain...
Student Handouts
Examining Primary Sources: Rudyard Kipling, “The White Man’s Burden” (1899)
Combine literature and history with the poem "The White Man's Burden" by Rudyard Kipling. Pupils read the poem and answer four questions about the text.
Newspaper Association of America
Community Connections with Geography and the Newspaper
Understanding geography and government begins at the local level. Using maps and the parts of a newspaper, a unit plan introduces the concept of community. It starts with the creation of classroom and school maps, and then moves through...
New York State Education Department
English Language Arts Examination: August 2014
Tired of searching for complex passages suitable for high school level assessments? A challenging examination includes numerous complex text excerpts as well as question items to match them. Learners analyze literary elements, author's...
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A Different View
Readers need to understand how their personal view point may differ or change how they see the view point found in a written text. Third graders read two informational pieces and fill out a graphic organizer to help them differentiate...
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The Human Geonome Project Structured Controversy
Students debate government funding of the Human Genome Project. In this ethics lesson, students use the stuctured controversy framework to research the opposing viewpoints regarding project funding.
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Taking a Stand - 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery Voting Rights March
Students examine the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery Voting Rights March. They view pictures reflecting their perceptions of their most important rights as citizens, write journal responses, create collages illustrating courage, and read...
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Opening Doors to Social Studies with Children's Literature
Third graders use the Decision Tree strategy to brainstorm ideas about two decisions that must be made. They predict what will happen in the rest of the story. Students discuss the time period the story takes place in. They study the...