Curated OER
Creating Classroom Rules
Perfect for establishing classroom protocols, this activity gets even the youngest learners thinking about rules and their consequences. The lesson begins with a discussion and a reading of the poem Humpty Dumpty that gets youngsters...
National Endowment for the Humanities
The War in the North, 1775–1778
Using primary source documents, including maps, learners examine Revolutionary War events from 1775 to 1778. The focus here is on the challenges George Washington and the Continental army faced and how they persevered in spite of those...
Curated OER
Creating Classroom Rules
Why do we even have rules? Youngsters need to fully understand the answer to this question in order to be on their best behavior. First they examine how they help people get along in a group and keep people safe. They create personal...
Curated OER
Sustainable Transportation
Here is an impressive series of lessons that has learners work together to create a sustainable community transportation plan that could be implemented where they live. This is an ambitious project for your pupils to take on, and will...
Curated OER
The Red Badge of Courage: A New Kind of Realism
Is it possible to tell a true war story? Tim O’Brien says that fiction is for “getting at the truth when the truth isn’t sufficient for the truth.” To get at the truth about war, class members examine primary source materials from the...
Curated OER
Building Vocabulary: Touching Spirit Bear
Two activities are provided for you here as you start to read Touching Spirit Bear with your class. First, introduce them to some of the new vocabulary they'll encounter once they start reading. Then, complete two KWHL charts. For the...
Teach-nology
Sarah the Soccer Ball Juggler
Soccer stars and fans alike will enjoy a fun cloze activity about Sarah the soccer player. Using the word bank below, kids find places in the reading passage to place the words most appropriately.
Curated OER
Opening Day Lesson: Getting to know each other
If you want an ice-breaker type activity, you should look at this resource. It introduces the idea and purpose of a press conference and then uses that concept for pupils to learn about one another. The teacher models the activity by...
Google
Advanced 5: Evaluating Credibility of Sources
How do discerning readers determine bias and credibility? Ask small groups to figure it out! First, each group is provided with either articles or videos that contain bias. They examine the resources, respond to included questions, and...
NPR
The Obama Years
Beginning with a quick writing prompt, young historians write about what they will remember most about President Obama's legacy. The activity opens up a larger discussion and exploration of his accomplishments, milestones, and the impact...
Curated OER
Mucket Mania: The Mussel Industry in Arkansas
Middle and high schoolers read and discuss articles about the mussel industry in Arkansas. They pay close attention to the history of pearling and button making industries on the Black and White Rivers of Arkansas. This impressive,...
Curated OER
Kernel Count!
Here is an impressive and thorough lesson on estimation. Young mathematicians estimate how many kernels of popcorn can fit in a tablespoon, then how many tablespoons of kernels can fit in a baby food jar. The popcorn is then popped. All...
Curated OER
Fragments, Comma Splices, and Fused Sentences
Identifying when to use commas, semicolons and other forms of punctuation can be difficult for students. This 10 question activity which relates to sentence fragments, could be used to help students identify correct use of punctuation.
Curated OER
Close Reading Passages of Literature
Encourage kids to think deeply about what they are reading with five thought-provoking questions about one passage. After choosing a passage that is intriguing or confusing to them, learners write a summary, explain what they like or...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: All Eyes on the Iowa Caucus
Explore the primary elections through political cartoons. Three talking points guide deeper thinking as pupils analyze a cartoon, which depicts the 2008 campaigning in Iowa. Analysts identify caricatures, research why winning Iowa is...
TV411
How Do You Read Your News?
Words carry baggage. Class members are asked to consider the weight of words in an exercise that contrasts the word choices in two versions of the same event. Consider following the exercise with an activity in which pairs craft positive...
Curated OER
Pronouns: Reflexive and Intensive
What is the difference between reflexive and intensive pronouns? To find out, review the definitions and examples for various types of pronouns. Then complete several activities that help the class learn to recognize and use pronouns....
Curated OER
Graphic Organizing: Early American History
In collaborative groups, young US historians sort cards (each labeled with a single early American event or issue) according to which of the first four presidents was leading the country at the time. Learners copy the events onto a...
Curated OER
Follow Your Dreams: Career Goals
It is so important for impending high school graduates to start thinking about their potential careers. Here, they discuss the persistence of Blondie Hasler and his impressive transatlantic trip. They follow various routes on a map and...
Oglebay Institute
Post-Impressionism: Pointillism
How can little dots in two colors make a third color? Experiment with pointillism and color mixing with a series of activities. After viewing paintings by Seurat and watching a teacher demonstration, pupils create samples of three...
Curated OER
Breaking News English: Slovakia and Paraguay
In this Slovakia and Paraguay worksheet, students read the article, complete a gap fill, answer short answer questions, complete a survey, write, and more about Slovakia and Paraguay. Students complete 10 activities total.
Curated OER
Fossil Formation Fun
Students compare the three types of fossils: preserved organisms, mineral replacement fossils, and impression fossils. They create a model of amber,
sponge fossil, and make traces of fossil.
Curated OER
Pi Day
In this Pi Day instructional activity, students complete activities such as reading a passage, phrase matching, fill in the blanks, correct words, multiple choice, spelling sequencing, scrambled sentences, asking questions, take a...
Curated OER
Cosmic PE Bowling
Learners explore fitness through participation in a lifetime activity. They are shown the mechanics, scoring, etc for bowling. Students recieve PE twice a week during this time. They have what is called "Cosmic Bowling in PE" during...