Discovery Education
Clutter Cutter
Challenge young learners to cut the clutter with this fun engineering project. As employees of a home and office supply company, young engineers are asked to develop devices that organize everyday items. After participating in a...
World Wildlife Fund
Shapes
Investigate the properties of three-dimensional figures with this Arctic-themed math lesson. Beginning with a class discussion about different types of solid figures present in the classroom, young mathematicians are then given a...
Curated OER
Sexually Transmitted Diseases - Day 5: Communication
How does one have a discussion with a partner about a sexually transmitted disease? This is probably not a conversation that happens to be in everyone's repertoire. This lesson presents some role-playing scenarios that your class can...
Curated OER
Immigration and Ancestors
We are all immigrants to this country and the study of immigration can help students connect to history in a personal way. Students will listen to audio clips from the Ellis Island web site, discuss the treatment of immigrants in the...
Curated OER
Put Your Truss in Building Bridges
Students apply abstract concepts, such as stress, fulcrums, the law of gravity, and the strength of different geometric shapes. Groups of student contractors operate simulated architectural firms to create strong, economical bridges.
Center for Civic Education
What Is Authority?
Young scholars examine the concepts of power and authority as they begin learning about government in this elementary social studies lesson. Through a series of readings, discussions, and problem solving activities, children...
Curated OER
Exploring Transformations
Students explore what happens when geometric figures are transformed on the coordinate plane. They work in pairs, moving geometric shapes in the plane, and formalize their rules as functions.
Curated OER
Researching African Americans Who Made a Difference
Celebrate Black History Month with this instructional activity, in which middle schoolers create an essay about a famous African-American. Writers conduct research online, take notes to write an essay in proper format, and use ideas,...
State Bar of Texas
Roe v. Wade
At what point does the right of privacy end and the government begin? Scholars research rights under the Ninth Amendment to the Constitution. Using the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case as a starting point, along with small group work...
Journey Through the Universe
How Far is Far?
The earth only revolves around one thing — and it's not any of your pupils. The lesson includes two activities dealing with the distance to the sun and the moon. First, scholars create a pin hole camera and use the rules of similar...
Curated OER
Human Rights
Pupils explore the need for rules and human rights. They imagine what it would be like without rules or rights. Students complete a case study involving human rights in Afghanistan. Pupils share a top ten list of Human Rights.
Curated OER
Commanding Performance
Students identify the many aspects of their daily lives that are guided by rules or laws.
Curated OER
BEWARE OF POISONS
Students research and explore all the safety conditions to being exposed to poisons in real-world situations. They review/discuss/investigate about types, sources, effects and responses of poisons by creating general questions to pose to...
Curated OER
Prototype Production
Learners create a product out of concrete. In this concrete lesson plan, students also demonstrate safety when using the tools provided.
Curated OER
Lesson Plan: U.S. Government
Students examine reasons for studying government. In this U.S. government instructional activity, students brainstorm the reasons for rules. Students draft their own class constitution in the style of the U.S. Constitution.
Curated OER
Chocolate Fever
Students study plants in the rainforest. They complete a variety of activities surrounding the subject of chocolate. They create new candy bars, invent learning games and write poetry--all focusing on chocolate.
Curated OER
Lines of Symmetry - Mirror Dance
Fifth graders analyze how to divide space or shape into mirror sections to create lines of symmetry. In this lines of symmetry lesson, 5th graders discuss symmetry in dance, math, and living. Students participate in a dance warm-up and...
Curated OER
Care For Your Classroom Computer
Students discover the proper way to care for their computers at school. As a class, they use the Internet to view a website on how to care for pets and relate it to their classroom computer. To end the lesson, they are given different...
Curated OER
Building Relationships in a High School Classroom
Students explore building new friendships during the first week of school. They participate in a variety of getting to know each other activities. Students work cooperatively and develop collegial relationships with their classmates.
Nemours KidsHealth
Food Allergies: Grades K-2
Students explore different types of food allergies. In this food allergy lesson plan, students look at what foods people with peanut, seafood, milk, egg, soy or wheat allergies have to avoid. They create a button for a student with an...
Curated OER
Environmental Law-Making
Students go through the process of creating and passing a federal law. They select an environmental issue, research related policies for the issue, draft the bill, discuss it among committee members, bring it before the class and bring...
C-SPAN
The Impact of Citizens United v. FEC
What began as an effort to show a movie by an interest group has impacted financing of federal elections. Did the Citizens United case lead to more "dark money" in politics, or did it shine a light with more speech? Using video clips...
Curated OER
An Exercise in Kindness
Although this resource is not a traditional lesson plan, it does explain an activity for creating a safe and supportive environment while teaching young learners the importance of being kind to one another. Start bt reading the...
Curated OER
Laws...Who Needs Them?
Who needs laws? Junior high schoolers sure do! Provide your 7th-9th graders with an understandng about why laws are important and how they are used to create a functioning society. Learners use a series of handouts and readings to build...