Curated OER
Active Reading with American History
Explore connections within and between informational texts with this lesson about encyclopedia articles. Middle schoolers write encyclopedia articles focusing on topics in American history. They discuss how to determine credibility...
Bantam Books
The Martian Chronicles: K-W-H-L Activity
Prepare your class for a unit on Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles with an activity that works for pre-reading, during reading, and post-reading. Learners fill out a K-W-H-L chart to reflect on what they already know, what they'd...
Curated OER
Take Your Pick of "Beary" Fun Activities.
Students complete an integrated unit on bears. They read numerous books about bears, create a bear puppet, act-out stories, create a polar bear painting, participate in a Teddy Bear Picnic, and conduct a Teddy Bear parade.
Curated OER
Animal Encyclopedia Search
Students use an online encyclopedia to gather information about animals. They identify habits of ten animals they find interesting. They share their information with the class.
Academy of American Poets
Teach This Poem: "Election Day, November, 1884" by Walt Whitman
To begin a study of Walt Whitman's poem, "Election Day, November 1884," learners first call out a word or two that describes their reaction to the recent presidential election. They then read an encyclopedia entry about the Presidential...
Curated OER
"Me" Resource
Learners elucidate themselves by writing up to six entries in different formats. Some formatting choices include a dictionary, encyclopedia, or atlas entry, a magazine article, a newspaper article, and a table of contents. Some...
Curated OER
Human Body Corp.
Learners investigate body systems by participating in a role-play activity. Third, fourth, and fifth graders pretend that they are an organ or system of the human body, and they must write a letter to the body "corporation" discussing...
Curated OER
Jan Brett Encyclopedia Lesson
Third graders develop encyclopedia skills to locate information. In this Jan Brett library instructional activity, 3rd graders research animals in the encyclopedia and complete a worksheet on one animal. Students relate their work to the...
Curated OER
Encyclopedia Introduction
Second graders demonstrate how to use reference materials. In this library media lesson plan, 2nd graders are introduced to the encyclopedia and are shown how to use the encyclopedia as a reference. Students use encyclopedias to complete...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Two Different African-American Visions: W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington
The strategies civil rights activists Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois proposed for blacks to achieve racial progress is the focus of an activity in which class groups identify the strategies as well as the benefits and drawbacks...
National Endowment for the Humanities
A Debate Against Slavery
Slavery is a serious topic that can be challenging for middle schoolers to study. Young scholars can see firsthand through primary sources what occurred during that time period in the United States. The third of five lessons provides...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Working in Birmingham's Iron Industry
What did railroads, iron, and industry contributed to Birmingham's successful growth? The instructional activity explains how the iron industry worked. It also describes how the location of Birmingham and its proximity to railroads....
Dick Blick Art Materials
EZ-Grout Mosaics
Young artists create 2-D art using air-dry clay and acrylic paint in this mosaic-making activity. Kids trace their design sketch on a clay slab, cut out the pieces, and after drying, paint and mount their tile design.
School Improvement in Maryland
Political Systems: Advantages and Disadvantages
Every political system has advantages and disadvantages. To gain an understanding of these differences, groups investigate the political system of another country—oligarchy, monarchy, dictatorship, parliamentary—and prepare a...
Curated OER
An Illustrated Guide to the Late 1800's
Eleventh graders investigate the time of the late 1800's. They conduct research using a variety of resources that could include the internet. Students create an alphabetized encyclopedia of important historical people of the time period.
Curated OER
Introducing the Encyclopedia
Second graders examine a set of encyclopedias to see that there are numbered set of books that include facts on a variety of subjects. They watch a the teacher demonstrates how to use the books. They complete a "Encyclopedia Match"...
Curated OER
Encyclopedia Expertise
Fourth graders, in groups, practice using the encyclopedia as a reference tool. They research animals today using the encyclopedia. Their job be to find three or more strange but true facts about the animal listed on their card.
Curated OER
Let Me Tell You About My State
Fifth graders research one of the 50 U.S. States that they were unfamiliar with. In this U.S. Geography lesson plan, 5th graders utilize encyclopedias as well as the Internet to research a chosen U.S. State in order to write a report....
Curated OER
The War of the Words
“Who’s This Guy Dylan Who’s Borrowing Lines From Henry Timrod?” The basic question in this lesson from the New York Time’s Learning Network is whether artists and authors who use the words of others are stealing from that artist or...
Curated OER
A Pill with a View
Learners brainstorm a list of potential uses for micro-video technologies. After reading an article, they analyze the development of a new pill-sized camera. In groups, they create a children's book that shows them the various systems of...
Curated OER
TE Activity: Pollution Politics
Learners examine how a bill becomes a law in the US Congress. They investigate legislation about global warming. They determine the role of engineers as they educate Congress, the public and other government institutions about global...
Curated OER
5 Mother's Day Lessons and Activities
Students complete a craft project. In this Mother's Day lesson plan, students learn about Mother's Day around the world, write an essay about their mother, create a Mother's Day card, create coupons for meaningful time with their...
Curated OER
Activism of Terrorism
Students research animal rights issues and controversies and determine whether they believe extreme tactics are justified. They practice debate and rhetoric skills by successfully arguing both sides of the issue.
Curated OER
Where in the World is Mr. Fultz?
Young scholars use maps and other geographic resources to learn about their world while problem solving. They read clues each day and use classroom resources to narrow down where the prize is located.