Curated OER
Spanish Drama: Latin America
Students explore Hispanic countries. In this Hispanic culture and language lesson, students choose an Hispanic country to research. Students explore given websites and prepare a dramatization incorporating the facts they find. Students...
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LOOKING AT A CHARACTER
Second graders investigate self- and teacher-selected literature (e.g., picture books, nursery rhymes, fairy tales, poems, legends) from a variety of cultures. They re-enact and retell stories, songs, poems, plays, and other literary...
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Thomas Jefferson on the Sedition Act
Students research and cite arguments Jefferson used in objecting to the Sedition Act. They discuss Jefferson's opinion on how constitutional questions about the Sedition Act could be resolved.
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Laws and Force in Law Enforcement
Students investigate the issues of police brutality, use of excessive force, and the underlying issues by participating in a round-table discussion. They compare how these issues are explored differently in different types of...
State Bar of Texas
Gideon v. Wainwright
How does a trial begin without a lawyer for the defendant? The 1963 Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright serves as the backdrop for the study of the rights of the accused. Scholars use a short video along with paired discussion and...
Channel Islands Film
Island Cattle Ranching
Is cattle ranching on Santa Rosa island viable or non-viable? Rather than focusing on the issues of the transition of Santa Rosa island from a privately owned island cattle ranch to a national park, class members are asked to consider if...
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Agree To Disagree
Students discover their own talents and preferences and determine how they apply to the world of work with a group activity. They express their choice and discuss their positions.
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Who Ever Heard of the Big Bang?
Students examine the theories that attempt to explain the origins of the Universe. Some theories are based on scientific facts. Others find their source in folklore. The variety of beliefs systems are discussed as a motivating factor for...
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Writing a Letter to the Editor
Pupils identify the main elements/structure of a letter to the editor. They brainstorm for thoughts and opinions on a specific topic and write a first draft of a letter to an editor of a newspaper. They give each other preliminary feedback.
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Testing DNA and the Death Penalty
Students explore issues surrounding death penalty debate and participate in a values-clarification activity to help them form their opinions on this topic. They create a talk show to discuss issues involved with DNA testing and the death...
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English Colonization
Fifth graders discuss their prior knowledge of what colonization means and give their opinions of why someone would want to start a colony. After recording their answers on web map they read about the English colonization in their books;...
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To Cut or Not To Cut
Students examine the pros and cons of animal dissection and discuss various case studies in animal dissection. They research various perspectives of using animals as learning tools and write a position paper which tells their opinion on...
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Unsettling Plans
Learners consider words that reflect their knowledge and opinions about Israel, Palestinian Authority and the Gaza Strip. They develop annotated timelines about the history of the region in the 20th century and create collages that...
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Media Literacy Skills
Third graders watch a news story from three different networks in order to determine how the same story can be presented in three different ways. Next, working in small groups they create a newscast of a current event to share with the...
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Drug Testing In Schools - Take A Stand
Pupils examine facts about drug testing in schools.
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Susan Brownell Anthony
Learners learn what it was like for women in the United States prior to the time they could vote. They identify important facts and the contributions that Susan B. Anthony made to America.
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Social Studies: Indian Land Claims
Learners examine the Maine Indian Land Claims Case and determine the equity of the settlement. In groups, they evaluate and defend various topics related to the case and complete worksheets clarifying their positions. After presenting...
Harry S. Truman Library & Museum
Marshall Plan: Convince the American People
This is an excellent resource for US history classes, especially AP history. After learning some background on the Marshall Plan, the class, divided into two groups, researches opposing positions on this aid program. Groups read and...
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Flying Freudian Fun: A Look At Ethical Decision Making
There are not many more apt examples of ethics gone awry than William Golding's Lord of the Flies.. Ninth graders focus the ethics of decision making with the examples provided in the plot. They focus on the concept of the psyche and how...
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And Your Point Is . . .? Part II
After researching recent community or political issues, paired with a review of proper debate format, class members select a topic, adopt a side, and prepare for a debate. The value in this resource is the review of debate procedures,...
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Collective Poetry: Teaching Tolerance
Help your class create collective poetry following a simple, engaging model from Teaching Tolerance (tolerance.org). Each young poet writes five things on an index card: sayings from others, favorite sound, favorite place, favorite...
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I Am Special and You Are Special Too #6
We are All Alike…We Are All Different is the springboard for the creation of an illustrated book in which young writers record their impression of themselves, their families, and their interests. Sharing the completed books in circle...
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The Art of Persuasion-Analysis of Argument
Analyze advertising techniques in order to pinpoint persuasive strategies that writers use. These same techniques are then examined in persuasive speeches. You will have to find your own advertisements, but speeches are included. Finish...
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Inquiring Minds: News and Philanthropy
Students study newspaper articles and rewrite events from literature into news stories about kindness. In this news article lesson, students read sentences from newspaper articles and identify the purpose of the article. Students...