Curated OER
A Nation Divided
Fifth graders participate in various activities related to the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson plan students understand the events and feelings of people during the Civil War by studying primary sources, journal writing, readings,...
Curated OER
Writing an Analytical Essay From a Supreme Court Case
Critical thinkers read a summary of a United States Supreme Court case, including important background information and the court's final decision. They form an opinion in agreement or disagreement regarding the case and then write an...
Curated OER
Who Cares for the Land?
A very thorough lesson plan focuses on what plants need to grow and stay healthy. There are excellent reading activities and worksheets included in this fine plan. A terrific way to introduce a unit on plants and their needs.
Curated OER
Anticipation Guide for The Crucible
Before reading The Crucible with your ninth graders, give your class this prereading guide. They write agree or disagree for nine statements listed. Example statement: Honesty is always the best policy. What makes this guide even better...
Curated OER
Structure and Support
Eighth graders read copies of The Declaration of Independence, United States constitution, and the Bill of Rights. They write an opinion about the document they feel is most important in the history of the united states. This is their...
Curated OER
A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE: COLUMBUS IN THE NEW WORLD
Eighth graders study the famous explorer Christopher Columbus. In this World History lesson, 8th graders analyze and compare primary and secondary sources. Students discuss as a class the accomplishments of Columbus....
Curated OER
Separating Fact from Fiction
In this English grammar worksheet, students study a chart of definitions and pointers. Students then read 5 explanations as to how to separate fact from fiction.
Curated OER
Strong Convictions
How can the rhetorical structure of an editorial help to develop its argument? Use this New York Times editorial to emphasize the importance of structure in a piece of informational text. Adolescent writers then use the editorial as a...
Curated OER
The School Holiday Calendar
Various Muslim holidays and their meanings are researched and your students will predict whether or not they should be recognized on the New York City school calendar. An extension could be to write a letter to the Mayor about...
Administrative Office of the US Courts
Snyder v. Phelps
Does the Westboro Baptist Church have the protection of the Constitution when protesting military funerals? High schoolers examine the 2011 Supreme Court case of Snyder v. Phelps before comparing the situation to a fictional...
Curated OER
How Advertisers Persuade
This plan centers around the article "How Advertisers Persuade," although it is not included in the lesson itself. Get your class thinking about advertising, appeals, and techniques that companies use to get their products from the shelf...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Writing American Diaries
Young scholars examine the concept of historical perspective in writing. They read the diary of Sally Wister, a young Patriot from Philadelphia during the Revolutionary Era. Additionally, they must include different points of view in...
Curated OER
Knowledge of Idioms
What is an idiom, and why is it necessary that we know and understand them? This brief PowerPoint helps answer these questions by looking at examples and offering a strategy for reading new text that might contain an idiom. The final...
Curated OER
Recognizing Propaganda/Bias
Middle and high schoolers examine the uses of propaganda during the Nazi era. Using examples of propaganda used by Hitler, they discuss how it changed the thinking and ideas of people exposed to it. In groups, they identify how and why...
Curated OER
Hurricane Katrina: You Be the Reporter
Students work in a small group to create news stories, feature stories and editorials/letters to the editor and organize them in a podcast, video-based program, or newspaper/magazine focused on Hurricane Katrina.
Curated OER
Produce a Nonfiction Text
In this language arts learning exercise, students look for the facts and create several nonfiction texts while including useful information for the reader.
Curated OER
I Want to Be a Beachcomber
Middle schoolers, in teams, examine the advantages and disadvantages of reading the news from the print format or from the online newspaper format. Students compare and contrast a printed newspaper with an electronic version using...
Curated OER
Health Education: Expressing Emotions
Second graders express emotions. In this personal health lesson plan, 2nd graders demonstrate how to express emotions and feelings in a positive manner, without hurting oneself or others.
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Stories? Information? What's the Difference?
Pupils listen to a power point presentation to distinguish between fiction and nonfiction text. In this what's the difference lesson, students identify fact from opinion within a text. Pupils listen critically and respond to text.
Curated OER
Sounding Off About Impeachment
Help your middle and high schoolers reflect on the responsibility of newspapers to act as a vehicle for 'everyday citizens' to voice their opinions. Then, using an article about the first day of the Senate impeachment trial of President...
Curated OER
Where Do You Stand?
Scholars assess a government's ability to intervene in personal health decisions. They research basic facts about euthanasia and describe their opinions about new legislation passed in the United States Congress about an individual's...
Curated OER
Your Right to an Attorney
An outstanding lesson on a person's right to have attorney's representation in a court case is here for your young learners of the law. Pupils read a lengthy account that spells out the laws regarding legal representation, then answer...
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...