Curated OER
Perceived Risks
Young scholars rank a list of everyday risks to compare with classmates. They rate each risk on both its ability to be controlled and its observability in the environment. Results are graphed.
Curated OER
The East Fork Project
Students identify possible sources of health risks, types of exposures, routes of exposure, and populations that could be affected after discussing water pollution and environmental health hazards. After discussion, students conduct a...
Curated OER
A Fair Trade
Students examine a piece of art to find objects and symbols used by the artist. In this visual art lesson plan, students look at Jaun Quick-to-See Smith's, "Trade Canoe for Don Quixote." They look for symbols and items that show the...
Curated OER
What Shapes Can You See?
Students investigate shapes in art. In this visual arts lesson, students examine the ancient Panamanian "Plaque" and identify the geometric shapes in the art piece. Students combine basic shapes to make an artistic picture of their own.
National Endowment for the Humanities
In Emily Dickinson's Own Words: Letters and Poems
Analyze the depth and beauty of American Literature by reading Emily Dickinson's letters and poems. The class analyzes Dickinson's poetic style and discusses Thomas Wentworth Higginson's editorial relationship with Dickinson. They pay...
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Victor's Virtue: A Cultural History of Sport
Pupils explore the meaning of the ancient Greek word aretê and the place of virtue in historical athletic competition and modern sports. They begin by reading an informational text on the goal of sports in education, and then...
Curated OER
Hold On to Your Hats
Elementary schoolers study the symbolism and influences found in advertising. First, they learn about the history and cultural significance of the Summer Official's Hat that was a symbol of status in ancient China. Then, they access...
Dream of a Nation
Big6 Research Project
Do research projects at your school look like a class of eighth graders staring at a blank screen? Use the Big 6 research method to guide middle schoolers through the process of finding a topic, searching for and evaluating sources,...
University of Wisconsin
BEAM: Background, Exhibit, Argument, Method
Thinking of assigning a research paper? Get writers off on the right foot with a lesson that introduces the BEAM research model. Writers brainstorm the background of their topic, explicate the aspects of their topic, consider the...
Global Oneness Project
Reclaiming Rivers
Robert Hass's article "Rivers and Stories" underscores the importance of rivers in the development of civilization and the importance of reclaiming supposedly dead rivers and implementing policies that protect river health. Groups...
Channel Islands Film
Magic Isle: Lesson Plan 1
What are the factors that limit growth and expansion? As part of their study of Catalina Island, class members view the West of the West's documentary Magic Isle and research William Wrigley and the Santa Catalina Island Company. After...
National Endowment for the Humanities
“Read All About It”: Primary Source Reading in “Chronicling America”
Can investigative journalism become too sensationalistic and accusatory, or is it vital for the survival of a democracy? Middle schoolers analyze primary source documents from early 20th-century newspapers as well as Theodore...
Curated OER
Language Arts: Revision and Peer Editing
Young scholars are able to evaluate their peers' essays to determine clarity, completeness, and persuasiveness. They are able to revise their own essays for greater clarity and fluency, adding explanation where needed and cutting...
Curated OER
Poetry III--Haiku Writing
Students create and solve haiku riddles. In this haiku writing lesson plan, students work in groups to match a haiku to an illustration. Students write haiku and assess themselves and their peers.
Curated OER
Pixel Painting
Learners study the artwork of Chuck Close to examine Photorealism. They create a pixel painting using a monochromatic color scheme.
Curated OER
"Wright-ing" Biographies for Young Readers
Students research the life of the Wright brothers or another famous person, write a draft biography, peer edit, make edits, and share the final biography with a younger reader. Lesson can be adapted for younger and older learners.
Curated OER
Writing with Writers
Students participate in Writing with Writer's, a step-by-step set of directions aimed at improving different genres of student writing. They identify the characteristics of different genres and follow a specified writing process to...
Curated OER
What it means to be a scientist and What is the Scientific Process?
Young scholars read an article and describe the scientific method. In this scientific process lesson, students compare basic science and applied science. Young scholars discuss ideas such as team work, application of an idea, how...
Curated OER
What Happens Next?
Fifth graders complete activities to help them sequence events in a story. In this sequencing lesson, 5th graders read a story and work in groups to retell the story by creating a flowchart of events to reconstruct. Students create their...
Curated OER
Career Development: Attitude Survey
Students examine the importance of a positive attitude at work and in school. They complete an attitude quotient survey, and discuss the results and the importance of having a positive attitude toward work and learning.
Curated OER
Revision Lesson
Students, through a series of 4 lessons, explore what it means to revise their written work. They revise a bland story together and then practice revising their own papers by identifying the main action and "exploding" that moment into...
Curated OER
Dinosaurs
Students research and identify the characteristics of a variety of dinosaurs. They participate in a class discussion about dinosaurs, analyze and examine fossils, and conduct research using a variety of sources to write and present a...
Curated OER
ESOL Career Advancement
Students discuss basic interpersonal communication with coworkers and new vocabulary words. They role play new situations and then play a cooperation and positive attitude in the work place game.
Curated OER
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Students view selected works of Keith Haring, discuss artist's life, brainstorm words to illustrate, emphasizing words that have emotional impact, practice drawing figures in style of Keith Haring, and paint figure(s) and background,...