Missouri Department of Elementary
The Successful Student: Picturing the Successful Student
Class groups brainstorm the characteristics that make up a successful student before taking part in a whole class discussion. Assigned group roles promote member participation.
Towson University
Berries...With a Side of DNA?
Sometimes science lab can be ... delicious! Middle school science scholars extract DNA from strawberries and other fruits in an engaging lab activity. The teacher's guide includes pacing, materials list, and worksheets with answer keys.
Boys Town
More Tools for Teaching Social Skills in School
Put an end to wasted instructional time with this lesson plan on responsibility and preparedness. After completing this series of activities students will learn the importance of these social skills not only in the classroom,...
Space Awareness
Investigating the Atmosphere - Air Takes Up Space
How do you know there is air? Can you see it, smell it, feel it? To begin the investigation, learners watch a video and discuss what they know about air and the atmosphere. Then, they participate in five different hands-on, inquiry-based...
PHET
Features of the Sun
There are so many things to discover about the sun! Pupils discuss their knowledge of the sun, explore its features, apply their knowledge by labeling photographs, and then reflect on their learning by working in groups to draw and label...
Let's Drum!
Let's Drum!
Here's a group of exercises designed to introduce a group or class to the rhythm, as well as the basic sounds of a drum, bass and tone. Individuals investigate different types of drums and form drum circles to practice traditional...
School Improvement in Maryland
Analysis of Marbury v. Madison
Should the United States Supreme Court have the power of judicial review? Instructors guide class members through a review of Marbury v. Madison and assist class members in writing a brief of the case. As independent practice,...
Federal Reserve Bank
What Really Caused the Great Depression?
Falling wages. Rising unemployment. Falling prices. Sound familiar? Young economists look at the role the US banking system had in causing the Great Depression.
Federal Reserve Bank
What Do People Say?
After reading a series of fictitious letters that represent actual events during the time period, young historians craft a small town newsletter to explain the causes of the Great Depression.
US Holocaust Museum
Remember the Children: Daniel’s Story
Imagine being a child forced from your home and into a concentration camp during World War II. Scholars prepare for a visit to the United States Holocaust Museum by researching the children of the horrible event. They analyze...
Social Media Toolbox
Law Review
How can your journalism class ensure they use social media responsibly and legally? The sixth lesson in a 16-part Social Media Toolbox series asks pupils to dig deep into the legal aspects of social media use by school publications....
Visa
Credit
What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a credit card? Don't miss this important life skills and financial literacy lesson, which focuses on consumer responsibilities, creditworthiness, and establishing a credit history.
School Improvement in Maryland
Supreme Court Case Overview I
As part of a study of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, class members examine four Supreme Court decisions—Gitlow v. New York, Mapp v. Ohio, Gideon v. Wainwright, and Griswold v. Connecticut—that incorporated the due...
School Improvement in Maryland
Are These Human Right Violations?
Using the Declaration of Human Rights and the United States Constitution as reference tools, class members examine 14 scenarios to decide if the situation represents a violation of human rights, and if these same rights...
School Improvement in Maryland
Types of Economic Systems
As an introduction to economics, government classes investigate different types of economic systems (traditional, command, market or capitalist, mixed) to determine answers to basic question about how goods are produced.
PBS
Stories of Painkiller Addiction: Commitment to Recovery
Recovery from substance addiction is an ongoing process. The final lesson in a series about painkiller abuse and addiction prompts learners to research various recovery options before writing a short story about a character who is going...
Curated OER
A Money Plan
Middle schoolers discuss what a budget is and its purpose. They create a draft of a simple budget that they could possible use. They discuss their trade-offs when they choose to follow a budget.
Curated OER
Return South Migration Lesson Plan
Students study the reasons so many immigrants returned to the South following the Civil Rights Movement. They examine how the former slaves influenced the cultural life in the Northern cities.
Curated OER
Contemporary Immigration Lesson Plan
Students research contemporary immigrations of Africans to the United States. They investigate the laws and regulations of immigration and the impact of immigration on the nation.
Curated OER
Multiple Intelligences Holistic Plan
Ninth graders apply basic algebra concepts to equations using cognitive, affective, and kinesthetic components. They create their own word problem, perform the story problem using a dramatic presentation, and present the problem to the...
Teachers' Curriculum Instituted
The Roman Record
Using Google Earth, Google Docs, and other Google Tools, collaborative groups of seventh graders research and then create and share online newspapers reporting on the early development, geographical features, political issues, and...
Curated OER
Halloween Carnival
Young scholars review previously taught movements of kicking, striking, throwing and catching while involving a Halloween theme. They go to workstations with names such as "Floating Ghosts," "Shadow Shapes," "Spider Web," &quo
Curated OER
Swimming Survivor Challenge I
Students review and/or learn basic Red Cross swimming skills. On the first day, the class is divided into Tribes based on the hit T.V. show Survivor. Each team has a task sheet that must be completed.