Curated OER
Will the Real Ben Franklin Please Stand Up?
Learners explore the life of Benjamin Franklin. In this American history instructional activity, students research primary and secondary documents regarding Franklin's life. Learners should examine the point of view each of the accounts...
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How does it feel? Why is the Civil Rights Movement so Important?
Fifth graders study the Civil War. In this US history activity, 5th graders simulate what life was like during the Civil War by having two groups with one group given more materials than the other group. Students then draw a...
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Critic's Choice
Third graders read three to five genres and choose one as a favorite. They write an essay persuading the class to read the genre. This instructional activity serves as a nice introduction to different styles of literature.
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Connection Stems
Learners connect their lives to a story or nonfiction text. In this reading connections lesson, students make text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections as they complete connections stems based on a story.
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All About Me Poem
Eighth graders write a poem that introduces them to their class. In this poetry writing lesson, 8th graders use the format for the 'All About Me Poem" to write a poem about themselves and use it as get-to-know-you activity.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
An African American Represents Alabama during Reconstruction
The era after the Civil War saw a flourishing of African Americans exercising their rights. Using graphic organizers and Internet research, pupils consider the legacy of Benjamin Sterling Turner, who sat in Congress. Afterward, they...
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Detective Fiction for Remedial Readers
Eighth graders in a remedial reading class are introduced to detective fiction by Edgar Allan Poe and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. After reading about their lives and work, they define new vocabulary and practice using a guided reading...
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Famous Virginian Biography Project
Fourth graders research, analyze and complete a writing project on the history of Virginia. They are assigned a famous Virginian to research utilizing a variety of resources and then prepare a written report and an oral presentation to...
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Box O' Love
Students create a Valentines Day poem using an empty cereal box as their canvas. In this poetry lesson, students create their poems using rhyming words and create sentences.
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Comprehension: Understanding "sequence"
Second graders read the story The Broken Bed and then sequence the story in their own words. In this sequencing lesson plan, 2nd graders also write narrative with a specific beginning, middle, and end.
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Art as Storyteller
Students examine how paintings tell stories. They read biographies about artists, analyze paintings, research and write the art history of a painting, write a creative story based on the painting, and create a painting in the artist's...
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Thurgood Marshall
Students read about Thurgood Marshall and answer discussion questions about him. In this Thurgood Marshall lesson plan, students discuss the biography and history of him.
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Literature: "Koala Lou" by Mem Fox
Pupils participate in various activities that explore the book, Koala Lou, by Mem Fox. They listen to an audio file of the author reading the book aloud, complete graphic organizers, investigate the animals of Australia, and read an...
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Snowflake Bentley
Students read books and draw pictures about what a scientist does. In this scientist lesson plan, students brainstorm together of all the things a scientist does.
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Revolutions in Latin America: Bolivar, 1813-1814
Students compare the leadership skills of Washington and Bolivar. In this Latin American history lesson, students read biographical information about George Washington and Simon Bolivar. Students compare the men to better understand the...
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Famous Kansans
Fourth graders research famous Kansans. In this language arts lesson, 4th graders select a famous Kansan and write a persuasive nomination for inclusion in a Hall of Fame.
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Women in the Civil War
Students study the Civil War era in the US with a concentration on women during this time through literature and biographies. They create a timeline or multimedia presentation as one product of this series of lessons.
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Digging Deeper in Mission San Saba
Seventh graders explain Spanish motives for establishing Mission San Sab?? and the reasons for the mission's failure. This lesson should be used when students already have an understanding of the Spanish mission-presidio system in Texas.
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Pic-A-Fic: Choosing Fiction for Every Taste
Sixth graders examine and categorize a selection of title representing fiction genres. In this fiction genres instructional activity, 6th graders analyze and identify a variety of titles in the fiction genre. Students then find these...
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Point of View and Mentor Relationships
Tenth graders analyze the role of mentors, point of view, and prejudice using the texts of To Kill a Mockingbird and Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. For this literature analysis lesson, 10th graders review Scout's...
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Exploring Prejudice and Text-to-Text Relationships
Tenth graders use the novel To Kill a Mockingbird to analyze relationships in society. In this literature analysis lesson, 10th graders participate in a shoe activity where they bring in one shoe belonging to someone they know and a...
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Paul Revere's Ride-Fact or Fiction?
Students discuss Paul Revere's ride. For this social studies lesson, students read Paul Revere's Ride and compare the differences between the poem and the historical event.
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African-American Musicians
Young scholars research three African-American musicians and compose a report based upon their research in this Music Appreciation lesson for the middle level classroom. The lesson could be adapted for various student levels and abilities.
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Munsch mania
Third graders choose a Robert Munsch poem to interpret. In this language arts lesson plan, 3rd graders interpret their chosen poem by either acting it out or through illustrations. Once the interpretations are complete, students send...