Curated OER
My Community: Then and Now
Middle schoolers compare and contrast their community to what it was like 50 years ago. They research various aspects of their community and compare and contrast with what it is like now. Students present and discuss their findings.
Curated OER
Then and Now
First graders investigate the past and present by analyzing a group of images. In this community history instructional activity, 1st graders read the story Sarah Morton's Day by Kate Walters and discuss the time frame of the story....
Curated OER
Rabbit and Bear Paws: the Aboriginal Community Then and Now
Students read and discuss a story featuring aboriginal characters in the past and compare/contrast it to how aboriginals live today. They read and discuss information on the Rabbit and Bear Paws website, develop a list of the aboriginal...
Curated OER
Community Building
Students explore the issues of urban and suburban sprawl. They work in small groups to create their own planned communities.
Curated OER
Everyday Heroes Then and Now
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this philanthropic heroes lesson plan, students read Kate Shelley: Bound for Legend and discuss the Industrial Revolution. Students consider Kate Shelley's contributions to society as they...
Curated OER
What Now?
Learners consider local and national divisiveness over the presidential elections by examining a New York Times editorial and then writing op-eds suggesting how to address post-election discord in their schools and/or communities.
National Wildlife Federation
Conceptualizing Module III
Many researchers focus on one impact of climate change in isolation, but researchers gain a global perspective when they come together. A timely lesson teaches scholars about the projected impacts of global temperature increases. Then...
Curated OER
Then and Now
Students list the similarities and differences seen as they compare and contrast historical and current street maps of their local communities.
Polar Trec
Arctic Smorgasbord!
Two blooms of phytoplankton, instead of just one, now occur in the Arctic due to declining sea ice, which will have widespread effects on the marine life and climate. In small groups, participants build an Arctic food web with given...
Curated OER
My Community Then and Now
Third graders examine and discuss the characteristics of their community. They compare their present community with its characteristics at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and they make flat or relief maps that include unique...
Curated OER
True Admissions
Learners examine affirmative action and study the diversity of their own classrooms and communities, then of a particular college or university. They write essays examining how colleges should increase the diversity of their student bodies.
New York City Department of Education
Grade 3 Literacy in Science: Animal Adaptations
Third graders research and study animal adaptations and then use their findings to write narratives that include scientific criterion. This lesson is all about literacy and science! The lesson is completely designed for addressing Common...
Curated OER
Plants in Texas: Then and Now
Seventh graders discuss continuity and change, identify various plant materials, and compare and contrast ways in which early people used plants in Texas in prehistoric times with ways that modern man in Texas uses plants today.
Curated OER
Group Portraits: Then and Now
Students use photographs to examine ship masters and shipyard workers. As a class, they explore other group portraits and discuss the information that can be found from the photos. As a group, they create their own group portrait mural.
Curated OER
Where Were Your Ancestors in 1871?
Here is a nicely designed instructional activity on ancestry and family history. In it, learners read an article entitled, "Where Were Your Ancestors in 1871?" Then, they make up a series of questions to profile their family and their...
Curated OER
Cause Célèbre
In this exercise, learners identify characters from an "Archie" comic and discuss the relevance of "Archie" to today's youth. They create public service advertisements featuring celebrities to address common concerns among teenagers in...
Curated OER
National Marine Sanctuaries Fish
Information is provided on Gray's Reef, Florida Keys, and Flower Garden Banks marine sanctuaries. Young marine biologists then visit the FishBase and REEF databases to collect fish species information for each location. They then...
New York City Department of Education
Grade 11 Literacy in Social Studies: Research Paper
The lesson guides young academics through the steps in producing a 10-page research paper on any topic in American history. Historians begin by formulating a thesis and gathering resources, then move on to creating an outline, and end...
New York City Department of Education
Grade 5 Literacy in English Language Arts: Should the School Day Be Longer?
Scholars read newspaper articles relating to a longer school day and complete note-taking organizers as they read. They then form opinions and complete outlines before writing essays supporting their point of view.
New York City Department of Education
Grade 3 Literacy: Investigating Sharks
Shark! Scholars read about sharks in Facts about Sharks by Susanna Batchelor. They then pretend they are shark scientists and choose a shark they want to study. Learners research their sharks and record information in graphic organizers...
Curated OER
Who is the Expert? Exploring Credible Sources in Healthcare
How do you decide what sources are credible when researching online? Evaluate sources with a focus on researching health issues. After brainstorming common health concerns and how they would try to diagnose these problems, class members...
Learning to Give
Your Place in the Community
Learners identify their beliefs and values and compare how these values relate to those of their community. They then determine how their values affect the roles they play in different situations. A quiz about values and beliefs...
Curated OER
Making Active, Healthy Lifestyle Choices
What does the term "lifestyle" mean? What constitutes an active lifestyle? What constitutes a healthy lifestyle? The main ideas in this lesson focus on what an active healthy lifestyle looks like. There are questions for discussion, and...
Curated OER
Energy Balance in Your Life
How do young learners figure out how to balance their energy in and their energy out? The main thing to understand is calories. How many calories are in foods and beverages consumed and how many calories are burned off by physical...