Curated OER
How To Calm Back-to-School Nerves
Set students up for success with these tips for getting the year off to a smooth start.
Smithsonian Institution
A Ticket to Philly—In 1769: Thinking about Cities, Then and Now
While cities had only a small fraction of the population in colonial America, they played a significant role in pre-revolutionary years, and this was certainly true for the largest city in the North American colonies: Philadelphia. Your...
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
Mask of the Black God
Finally, an astronomy lesson for the high schooler! Explorers are able to read star maps for finding objects in the night sky by determining celestial coordinates. In particular, they locate the Pleiades and read about a Navajo legend...
Curated OER
Open-Ended Problem Solving - Math
If you are looking for an end-of-the-year math assessment, then this lesson could be for you! Your mathematicians are assessed on their ability to solve difficult, multi-step word problems that take quite a bit of thought and...
National Geographic
The Monsoon
Few things are as fascinating as the challenge of climbing Mount Everest. This lesson investigates how monsoon weather impacts climbers. To begin, you are instructed to show various video clips. The only one directly provided, however,...
Curated OER
Creative Ways To Teach Characterization Lessons
Teaching characterization can be a creative, engaging experience for students.
Curated OER
Jonas Salk: He Led the Battle Against Polio
Do you know who Jonas Salk is? Print these pages and have your middle and high schoolers read his biography in Time magazine. The reading itself is short, and it is followed with a key date chart, three reading questions, two connection...
EngageNY
Grade 12 ELA Module 1
Ah, the dreaded college application essay. Here's a unique approach to crafting a powerful personal essay. Class members read The Autobiography of Malcolm X and Leslie Marmon Silko's Yellow Woman and a Beauty of the Spirit, analyze the...
Desert Discoveries
Keepers of the Prairie
Young ecologists examine the case of the prairie dog, and their near extinction. They read a terrific student handout embedded in the plan, and engage in a class discussion that's based on what they read. Learners perform research on...
Curated OER
Beyond The Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye is still a classic after more than 60 years because the novel answers the questions of human psychological needs.
Curated OER
The Achievements and Challenges of Egypt
Awesome, that is all I have to say! This set of lessons provides learners with an understanding of ancient Egyptian laws, lifestyle, religion, and culture. It engages them in a critical analysis activity regarding the film, "The Prince...
Curated OER
I learn, You Learn…We All Learn with iPads!
Before the learning can begin, careful decisions and specific planning need to be done in order to ensure effectiveness.
Curated OER
September 11 Lesson Plans
By interviewing family members about 9/11, students can provide material for deep and meaningful discussions.
Curated OER
The Achievements and Challenges of Zimbabwe
Here is an excellent set of five short lessons and activities intended to help learners not only gain an understand of current issues in Africa, but build critical thinking, synthesis, analysis, expository writing, research, and...
Curated OER
Selfless Service and The Giving Tree - Building Ethical Conscience
Upper elementary schoolers investigate philanthropy and selflessness by reading a children's book. In this ethics lesson plan, they read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, and research Mahatma Gandhi's troublesome, yet inspiring, life....
Curated OER
What’s your Name?
Youngsters work to build empathy, cultural understanding, and a sense of self as they uncover the story behind their own names. They read the book, The Name Jar, discuss immigration and how it feels to be in a new place. Then, they...
Curated OER
Practice Makes Perfect: Citing Textual Evidence
Strategies, lesson plans, and ideas to help pupils locate and cite textual evidence.
Curated OER
Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone
Students read a chapter in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and define new words for their dictionaries. In this vocabulary lesson students choose two or three assignment from a list of projects and complete it using...
Curated OER
The Internet of Things: IoT
How has the Internet of Things affected our lives? Scholars examine the massive influence of mobile devices in this analysis lesson, which begins with a seven-minute documentary clip. They also read a New York Times article (linked)...
Curated OER
Create Learning Experiences with The Polar Express
Center content-integrated lessons around the timeless holiday book, The Polar Express.
Curated OER
Let the Campaign Begin
Students differentiate between positive and negative personal attributes and select a fictional character for nomination who personifies the qualities of a good leader. They use the Internet to learn about the election process and write...
Curated OER
Literature Response Lesson Plans
Literature responses are a meaningful way to strengthen student comprehension.
Curated OER
Redistricting: Drawing the Lines
Difficult redistricting concepts are covered in a context that will make it understandable to your government scholars. They begin with a KWL on the term redistricting and then watch a video to answer some questions. They...
Curated OER
Kid-Code: Developmentally Appropriate Spelling
Carefully balanced, developmentally appropriate spelling lessons and expectations can keep young writers focused!