Beverly Hills High School
Memoirs of a Legend
To conclude a study of the French Revolution, young historians adopt the voice of critics of Napoleon Bonaparte and lay charges against him. They then craft a memoir in Napoleon's voice that details his motives and what he sees as his...
Curated OER
Analysis Of Theme In The Scarlet Letter
Eleventh graders engage in the reading of the novel "The Scarlet Letter" while choosing a topic to write a literature response. They search the novel for textual evidence to include in writing a paper that supports a well thought...
Curated OER
Secret Life of Bees Research
The Secret Life of Bees provides high schoolers an opportunity to connect the events in the novel to events in America’s history. After choosing a topic from a provided list, individuals research how the event affected the Civil Rights...
Curriculum Corner
Persuasive Writing Prompts
Convince me! Challenge scholars to write a persuasive argument for extra recess, no homework, or a topic of their choice.
US Department of Commerce
Looking at Numbers of Births Using a Line Graph
Was there a baby boom? Using census data, class members take a look at the number of 8-11 year olds and determine their birth years. Scholars create a double line graph to compare the number of births for two states for several years....
Curated OER
Publish a Book
Help your autistic learners to create a story and publish a book. They write simple stories, then turn their stories into books. A picture is drawn for each page of the book and the story is written below. Note: This is a good activity...
Read4Health
Piggybook: A Read4Health Lesson Plan
"You are pigs." With those three simple words, the lives of the Piggott family were changed forever. Read aloud the children's story Piggybook by Anthony Browne and teach your class the importance of personal responsibility,...
Jeopardy Labs
Third Grade Social Studies Review
In this interactive JeopardyLab game, with the assistance of a teacher, students can play against each other or in teams to review the content of Third Grade Social Studies. Allow the first team to choose a topic and a point value for a...
What So Proudly We Hail
A Lesson on Benjamin Franklin’s “Project for Moral Perfection”
Benjamin Franklin identified 13 virtues that he felt would strengthen his character if he could focus on each one. A thorough lesson explores high schoolers' personal values in the context of their lives, and compels them to strive for...
Southern Poverty Law Center
Choosing Reliable Sources
It is more important than ever that 21st-century learners develop the skills they need to become savvy consumers of media. Young learners locate and identify reliable sources of information with a helpful media lesson.
Curated OER
Expository Writing (Informational Brochure)
Design an informational brochure to urge people to move to a specific community. The purpose of this activity is to expose pupils to expository writing. After creating the brochure, they write a three-paragraph persuasive or...
Film English
Inseparable
Built around a moving short film about second chances and tough choices, this instructional activity mixes grammar, prediction, and narrative writing. Pupils practice with adjectives and prefixes before moving on to the film. The...
Curated OER
Write a Rap Song
Students compose lyrics for a rap song. In this music instructional activity, students choose a topic, such as "Our School," and use rhyming words to compose a rap song. Students perform the song for their classmates.
Curated OER
Staying on Topic: Select a Sentence
After reading sample paragraphs -- each with a topic sentence, conclusion, and 2 supporting details -- readers choose from among 3 possibilities another supporting sentence that fits the topic at hand. Only 2 examples are given, so this...
Curated OER
How to Build a College List
Getting ready to choose a college can start with the simple task of making a list. Upper graders reasearch colleges, choose one to research, then compile a list of schools that they think they'd most like to attend.
Curated OER
Chain Across the Hudson Lesson Plan A - Locating the Chain
Learners read a letter from George Washington requesting them to identify on a map a location that would stop the advance of British warships. They choose a location and justify their choice.
Curated OER
Focus on the Topic When Writing
In this focus on the topic when writing worksheet, students read how to select and narrow a topic, check resources and write a thesis sentence.
National Constitution Center
Creating Your Own Town Hall Poster
Middle and high schoolers are walking into a world rife with strong political viewpoints and vocal opinions. Help to prepare them for controversial discussions with a lesson in which they choose, research, and learn more about a...
Novelinks
Words By Heart: K-W-H-L Strategy
How can we heal our hearts through forgiveness? The third activity in a series of six prompts readers to answer questions about Words by Heart by Ouida Sebestyen. Not only does it activate background knowledge on the...
EngageNY
Choosing Songs for the Film Soundtrack
Music has the power to bring topics alive. Learners take on the role of sound director in their film planning and choose the songs to accompany their photographs. They must also support their decisions with evidence and reasoning as they...
Curated OER
Abortion
Abortion has remained a highly controversial issue ever since the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Using the website, learners sift through all the information they need to participate in a debate about the topic. They learn about the...
The New York Times
The One-Question Interview
Generate interest in current events, the theme of a new unit, or a research project. Individuals select a question from the list generated by the class, conduct one-on-one interviews, analyze the responses, draw conclusions based on...
Curated OER
Credible Sources on the Internet: What to Trust, What to Dismiss and When to Cite a Source
Wait, you mean researchers don't all use Wikipedia? Teach your class about intelligent research with a lesson about evaluating digital sources. The lesson starts with a quickwrite and includes vocabulary exercises and several...
Curated OER
Phineas Gage: “This I Believe” Venn Diagrams After Reading Strategy
Difficulties with brain injuries still continue today. After reading Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science, class members read a series of modern personal essays about brain injuries and choose an essay to compare...