Curated OER
The Function of Music
Explore concepts of audience, purpose and symbols in this lesson from Media Smarts that asks students to consider all the functions of music. Through a series of discussions and activities, your class will brainstorm possible functions...
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Functional Classroom Design
Students work in groups to design an effective and functional classroom. In this classroom design lesson, students discuss community and make a mental map and sketch of their classroom. Students complete a handout about the design...
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Organizational Strategies for First Year Composition Writers
Identify and analyze deductive reasoning through genuine texts. Compare cultural practices and beliefs about national ID cards. Look for another example of a deductive argument and prepare a brief paragraph analyzing the audience,...
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Lifestyles of Civil War
Eighth graders, after viewing a website on Civil War Time, explore and analyze the lifestyles of Civil War times as well as those of the soldiers through the writing of a composition of a narrative letter and story through the eyes of a...
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Rachel's Life is in a Hole
Explore how lack of access to water impacts peoples' lives in poor countries. Through text reading and discussion, middle schoolers are presented with the story of a young girl who lives and functions with limited water resources. They...
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The Sparkplugs: Special Occasions for Writing In the History Classroom
Learners are to discover ways in which to spark their interest in writing. As a class, they examine the purpose and function of political conventions. Individually, they role-play they are a page at a National convention and identify...
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Mathematics Alive: Environment and Design of Human Habitats
Third graders explore the structural composition of buildings and houses. In this math lesson, 3rd graders explain how architecture is related to mathematics. They create a blueprint of a structure with at least three different spaces.
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How was Your Day? Creating Mixed Media Designs
Students explore how art reflects culture and history. They examine everyday life experiences in various countries. Students design a mixed media composition. They create a class presentation.
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Underground Lives
Students analyze two Robert Harris prints for clues regarding subject's social, family, and belief systems, evaluate reasons and methods for preserving ancient stories, create visual representations of past and future of Harris' subject,...
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Interpreting An Archaelogical Site
Students study the site of an archaeological dig site in order to begin looking at how they can be interpreted. They look at a soil profile and respond to a research question that simulates a real site. The other questions are used to...
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Thanksgiving Lesson Plans
Thanksgiving lesson plans can lead to a discussion of nutrition, chemical compositions, and healthy habits.
Denver Art Museum
Tea Gathering Quick-Write
Japanese tea gatherings are the inspiration for a great activity. Learners are provided with an image of a tea caddy made for thick tea and asked to describe what they notice and what that might mean. This leads into a larger activity...
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Things Fall Apart: Research, Writing & Presentation Project
A great resource for your unit on Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. Small groups conduct research about related topics (list included), write papers, present PowerPoint slide shows, and take a student-created test. Fill in a few gaps to...
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Understanding and Fighting Stereotypes through Words and Images
Use some provocative modern art to get your class considering stereotypes and the impact they have on us all. Your class will discuss the print art Indian Look-Alike by Melanie Yazzie and stereotypes in general before conducting research...
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Truth Or Consequences
High schoolers examine historical works of art and analyze how these paintings could be used for personal, cultural, and/or political purposes. This exploratory lesson on art ideology includes two handouts/worksheets for student use and...
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“Pardon This Interruption-Columbus Has Landed!!!”
Students research, design, rehearse, record, and present a 60 second Public Service Announcement, based on Columbus' arrival in the America. The students, working in groups, utilize the design process in creating their PSA. This lesson...
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The Delicate Balance - Iowa's Natural Resources
Discover the natural resources in Iowa by studying it's history. For this environmental lesson, your students will observe a topographical map of Iowa and identify where its most valuable resources are. They complete an Iowa name...
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Folk Groups
Students study the characteristics of a folk group, themselves and their folk groups, and write about a folk group that is meaningful to them. They identify various folk groups within the school community and discover that everyone,...
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Lesson Plan on the Mayflower, the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag
Fifth graders write journal entries and a story based on the Mayflower era. They identify the roles of both the Pilgrims and Wampanoags in their writings.
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Supreme Court Shake-Up
Students examine the role of the Supreme Court through an interactive program. They analyze the history of the Court and its members. They finally explore how the Supreme Court works.
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Publication Project
Ninth graders publish a magazine during a ten week marking period. They make individual contributions to the group project that is based on career choices. They write and publish articles, poems, entertainment pieces, and a play that...
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Is the Hudson River Too Salty to Drink?
Students explore reasons for varied salinity in bodies of water. In this geographical inquiry lesson, students use a variety of visual and written information including maps, data tables, and graphs, to form a hypothesis as to why the...
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Making a Quilt
Students use vocabulary to describe the quilt making process. In this quilting instructional activity, students collect needed materials, sequence the steps for quilting and create an original peace quilt. Students write about their quilts.
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Lewis and Clark: Prized Possession
Learners create a Sacagawea-inspired wampum belt. In this Native-American lesson, students study Sacagawea and her influence on the Lewis and Clark expedition. Learners learn about wampum and prized possessions and work in groups to...