Curated OER
Passport to Courage
Students discuss the character trait of "courage of convictions" and apply this to their daily life. Using the internet, they research the life and work of Thomas McKean and discuss the courage needed to sign the Declaration of...
Curated OER
That Was Then
Students compare and contrast their community in the past and today. Using primary sources, they develop their own history of their community. Individually, they create maps of the local area and complete sketches of local gravestones.
Curated OER
From Memoir to Expository Writing with Advanced English Language Learners
Young scholars create a memoir. They compare writing with story telling and personal experience. They analyze how they learn, so they can begin to look critically at their own learning.
Curated OER
Edward Elgar
Students explore the music of Edward Elgar. As a class, they listen to Elgar's "Nimrod" and the "Adagio Cantabile" from Beethoven's piano Sonata. They listen to the music, write down the moods and discuss their feelings. Students compare...
Curated OER
Human Rights Issues Around the World
Seventh graders begin the lesson by comparing and contrasting the Bill of Rights with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For each document, they highlight the material that is the same for both and discuss the items that are...
Curated OER
Chinese Calendar
Third graders listen to a Mak Kam's, "My Chinatown: One Year in Poems," before locating China on a map. They discuss the Chinese language and culture, comparing it to the American culture. They determine which animal sign they were born...
Curated OER
Topic: Math, Chemistry, and Food
Learners listen as the teacher tells the story of Sisyphus rolling the stone up the mountain. Students prepare two batches of jello, one with fresh pineapple, and one with canned pineapple. While the jello is setting, learners work on...
Curated OER
Primary History: Children of World War 2
In this history reflection learning exercise, students use the prompt to write an essay comparing the experiences of a World War 2 evacuee and a newcomer coming to live in a strange country. Prior knowledge of the Pied Piper evacuation...
Digital Public Library of America
Teaching Guide: Exploring To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, considered by many to be a seminal piece of American literature, contains many complex literary themes that carry through United States history. Use a series of discussion questions and classroom...
Curated OER
"Pumpkin Fiesta" -Venn Diagram
In this compare and contrast worksheet, students place a set of 11 statements about the story Pumpkin Fiesta in their correct places on a Venn Diagram.
Curated OER
Tintin and I: Primary and Secondary Sources
Mickey Mouse, Elmo, and Tintin? Belgian cartoonist Georges (Herge) Remi’s famous comic character launches a study of primary and secondary source material and the impact these sources have on storytelling. Class members also examine the...
Curated OER
Hot and Cold Colors
Students experiment with the color and solar energy absorption. In this color and solar energy absorption lesson, students spend two days discussing and experimenting with the concept of energy absorption. They paint cans with different...
Curated OER
Mathematics Alive: Environment and Design of Human Habitats
Third graders explore the structural composition of buildings and houses. In this math lesson plan, 3rd graders explain how architecture is related to mathematics. They create a blueprint of a structure with at least three different spaces.
Curated OER
“I Can” Common Core! 1st Grade Reading
I can read and understand fiction and nonfiction texts! Here is a great checklist that highlights 19 first grade Common Core reading standards. The resource is three pages long. Pages one and two focus on comprehension for fiction and...
Curated OER
Create Learning Experiences with The Polar Express
Center content-integrated lessons around the timeless holiday book, The Polar Express.
Curated OER
Esperanza Rising - Anticipation Guide
Learn about Mexican culture while simultaneously strengthening reading, writing and computer skills. In order to get the most out of Esperanza Rising, pupils should have prior knowledge of Mexican culture. Therefore, there are links to a...
Curated OER
Teach Text Features & Read Nonfiction
Elementary schoolers examine the components of reading nonfiction. They use think-alouds to help them complete reading the selected sections. They also identify text features as they read.
Curated OER
Mangrove Ecosystem
Eager ecologists explore ecosystems through video and photographs of a Mangrove. They discuss the animals in this habitat and how they interact with each other after reading and discussing "The Sea, the Storm and the Mangrove Tangle."...
Historical Thinking Matters
Spanish-American War: 1 Day Lesson
After analyzing newspaper articles portraying different perspectives of the explosion of the Battleship USS Maine, your young historians will take a stand on which position is the most believable in both discussion and writing.
Curated OER
Understanding Tiananmen Square
William Bell's Forbidden City is used as the basis of a study of China, Chinese culture and government, and especially of the events in Tiananmen Square in 1989. Class members select a topic for Internet research and then prepare a...
Curated OER
Lesson: Nikhil Chopra: Performing Memory
Film imitates life; that's what they say. Using performance theory to tie the lesson together, learners attempt to understand memory and daily rituals as seen in art, film, and life. They read two chapters from the book, watch the...
Curated OER
Bog Child
You are destined for an engaged and happy class as they read Siobhan Dowd’s Bog Child because there is nothing missing from this study guide, seriously. This might be the easiest novel to teach because you don’t have to do a thing in...
Growing Minds
Potato Exploration: Projects All About Potatoes!
How many potatoes tall are you? Unearth this rich resource! A reading of John Coy’s Two Old Potatoes begins a cross-curricular exploration of potatoes. Class members read, write, weigh, measure, and experiment with potatoes. Additional...
Prestwick House
Understanding Language: Slant, Spin, and Bias in the News
We live in a time of fake news, alternative realities, and media bias. What could be more timely than an activity that asks class members to research how different sources report the same topic in the news?