Curated OER
Circle of Caring
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning lesson, students study the works of well-known philanthropists and write an acrostic poem using the word CARING.
Curated OER
Traditional Mexican Paper Cutting
Students examine the art form of Mexican paper cutting and discover how to make a pattern. After reading the book "Look What Came From Mexico", they discuss Mexican folk art and view some samples. Individually they create a Mexican...
Curated OER
Let's Be Honest!
Students investigate the concepts of honesty and take a survey about honesty. They use the New York Times to conduct research to identify the characteristics commonly found in stories about cheating. Students write reflective papers...
Curated OER
A Step Back in Time
Fifth graders study the Civil War, discuss the life and policy decisions of Abraham Lincoln and the concepts/issues that developed to create North vs. South. This lesson is meant to be used before visiting Ford's Theatre.
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Literature Study of the Civil War Era
Learn more about the Civil War. Young scholars will choose a novel based on the Civil War to learn more about the viewpoints of that time period. They will then discuss the roles of the members of a Literature Circle and then participate...
Curated OER
Building Character: Holocaust Survivor Testimonies
Host a fishbowl discussion to help your class recognize and articulate the relationship between words and the character traits they describe. They analyze Holocaust survivor testimonies and apply the character traits they observe. No...
Curated OER
Fire Fight
While somewhat dated (young scholars write letters to President George W. Bush about the Iraq War), this lesson could be a good way to reinforce rhetorical reading and critical thinking. Students examine information regarding Operation...
Curated OER
Now That's Beautiful!
Your class experiences dozens of messages about beauty every day by reading magazines, watching movies, and listening to the radio. Have them analyze society's view of beauty in groups after discussing several resources, including Dove's...
PBS
U.S. Agricultural Subsidies and Nutrition
Most young people don't spend a lot of time thinking about why some foods cost less than others. This resource uses clips from the documentary, Food, Inc. to explore the impact of agricultural subsidies on nutrition, health, and the...
Curated OER
That's the Spirit
Is, as Walt Whitman contends, America’s “almost maniacal appetite for wealth,” the heart of the American dream? Class members grapple with this question as they read David Brooks’ article “The Commercial Republic,” and quotes that...
Curated OER
Philanthropic Behavior
Youngsters create class rules by determining the environment they would like to have in their classroom. They come to a consensus about how to have a safe, fair, fun learning environment by discussing the rules in the Karla Kustin poem,...
Curated OER
Social Roles
Students role play in order to better understand the social roles of the Colonial period. For this Colonial period lesson plan, students guess what role the student is playing based on social role cards.
Curated OER
Turkey Time
Students move safely in a general direction while practicing their chasing, fleeing, and dodging skills. They practice using a Thanksgiving theme for the activity.
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"Yarning" About Latitude and Longitude
Students identify various locations using latitude and longitude. In this map skills lesson, students use yarn and labels to create a "human globe." Students identify the Prime Meridian, the Equator, and Northern and Southern Hemisphere.
Curated OER
Portrait of a First Grader
First graders generate ideas of the things that a 1st Grade student thinks, does and feels based on a model on bulletin board paper. They (counselors) pick one students and trace that student's body onto a pieces of bulleting board paper...
Curated OER
Getting to Know You
Middle schoolers introduce themselves utilizing an alliterative descriptor. They begin building a nurturing learning community and follow multi-step directions for preparing applications and completing forms. Each student also...
Curated OER
I Feel Angry or Sad When...
Learners identify inclusive procedures for activities. For this social skills lesson, students perform skits that illustrate inappropriate as well as appropriate classroom behavior.
Curated OER
Shapes and Review of Locomotor Skills
Students engage in a series of loco-motor activities based on shapes. In this loco-motor lesson, students demonstrate physical skills through races, jumping, hopping, galloping in circles, squares, rectangles and triangles.
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Chinese New Year
Gong hei fat choy! Celebrate Chinese New Year with a variety of activities that introduce learners to the Chinese myth of the race that determined which animals earned their place the zodiac.
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Political Issues and Opinions
The emergent adults in your US Government class can become informed, self-aware voters. This activity enables them to form an opinion about particular political issues then identify themselves on the political spectrum. Informed and...
Curated OER
Crazy Fish Camp
Students participate in a lesson that reviews the importance of fishing for people who live as natives in Alaska. The game is played in order to unwrap an object that represents the fish in a short amount of time. The object is to open...
Curated OER
Group Juggling
Students participate in a group juggling game in which they use skills such as coordination, concentration, and team work to pass a series of tennis balls around in an established pattern. During reflection, the class discusses how this...
Curated OER
The Color of Success
Students participate in an activity in which they share with each other what success means to them. They are given bags of crayons and blank sheets of paper and create an image that displays what success means to them. Bags of crayons...
Lisa Staab Shadburn
Play Therapy Activities to Enhance Self‐Esteem
Discover activities to help learners increase self-awareness, build peer and family relations, and develop positive self-esteem. Here you'll find six suggestions for instilling a sense of confidence and self awareness in youngsters. Each...