Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind Curriculum Activity: From a Distance
Challenge your class with an amazing set of ideas that really put the project back into project-based learning. It all starts with a whole class research task. Each learner will look up and take notes on multiple facets of things that...
Journey Through the Universe
Voyage of Discovery
Did you know that Pluto is smaller than the United States of America? It is difficult to conceptualize the size of planets and the distance between them, and the lesson addresses those exact issues. After a discussion, pupils create...
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Literature and Art Through Our Eyes: African-American Artists
Examine the contributions of African-Americans in the worlds of art and literature. Over the course of a few days, young scholars will read and analyze a poem, a short story, and a piece of art. They complete a range of...
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Highlights of Modern American Family Art and Literature
Students develop imagery in literary and art works. They discuss Jacob Lawrence's painting, the "Tombstones, 1942", which conveyed overcrowded tenements and families living in Harlem (New York, New York). They design picture stories...
Civil War Trust
Civil War Play
Raise the curtain to a class play that depicts the Civil War through both factual information and literary devices. The performance showcases the Battle of Antietam (Battle of Sharpsburg) and brings attention to women's roles,...
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Maskerade, My Self, And No Other
Students examine themselves, discover their strong, positive attributes, and recognize areas in need of improvement (since each individual possesses strengths but all people have some weaknesses). They develop self-acceptance, trust in...
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An Analysis of Jim Crow Laws and their Effects on Race Relations
First graders analyze the role of the Jim Crow laws on race relations. As a class, they are segregated based on the color shirt they have or some other simple criteria and wear either a square or circle sticker representing the majority...
Spreading Gratitude Rocks
Gratitude Bank
Money isn't the only type of currency that fills a piggy bank. Learners practice filling their banks with the the things that make them grateful. Pupils write about their talents, relationships, challenges, and life skills, making...
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Ecosystems, Habitats and Survival
Students analyze the habitats of animals and people, how they are developed and maintained, and what factors affect shelter selection. They create a classified ad that describes a specific animal's habitat.
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Evaluating and Developing Websites at Key Stage 3
Learners develop an awarness of material on the web, critiqueing and creating rather than simply surfing. They create produce their own websites.
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Socratic Seminar on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter From Birmingham Jail
Key in the struggle to gain the rights of democratic citizenship was the April 1963 arrest of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for civil disobedience. To deepen their knowledge and understanding of events during the civil rights movement,...
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Beauty is More Than Skin Deep: Examining the Positive and Negative Depictions of Physical Appearance in Children's Films
Third graders compare and contrast different versions of the same story. They recognize our differences, identify qualities that make us special and unique individuals, and create a 'Wanted' poster illustrating a special quality.
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Children's Literature and African American Culture
Third graders examine various stories and poems and identify characteristics that make each individual unique. After analyzing the readings, they create their own personality poems to accompany self-portrait drawings. The poems and...
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The Art of Interpreting Percent
Ddefine the relationships between fractions, decimals, and percentages in a series of lessons. The class practices converting between these three versions of a number. They also find the common factor of a numerator and denominator and...
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Using Poetry in Teaching Reading to Special Education Students
A series of well-written activities, these lessons prompt middle schoolers reading below grade level (at a second, third, or fourth grade level) to use poetry to practice basic reading skills. They rhyme, build words, make inferences,...
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Global Warming and Hurricanes: Is an Increase in the Number of Stronger Hurricanes an Indicator of Global Warming
Ninth graders investigate whether stronger hurricanes are signs of global warming. In this environmental science lesson, 9th graders research both sides of the issue about global warming. They debate for or against this issue in class.
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Pattern Value Portraits with Light
Students use the elements of art and principles of design to explore value. In this color value lesson, students use the portrait of a a face to help them understand color value, tints, shades and tones.
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Bad to Good Singing
Fourth graders view videos and identify good singing and bad singing. In this singing lesson, 4th graders recognize that pitch, tone quality and breathing are important to good singing.
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Civil War Play Lesson Plan
Learners act out the Civil War through reader's theater. In this performing arts lesson, students research the Civil War and find costumes, props and scenery appropriate to the time period. They become characters from the Civil War time...
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The "Me" Decade: 1970
Students view the video on Mary Tyler Moore Show. They discuss what they notice about the treatment of Mary Tyler Moore's character in the show. Students listen to a lecture covering notes on web diagram, such as: Fads, fashion, the New...
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Look and See Books
Students photograph appropriate subject matter for the content, write the text, use transferable letters to design their very own book.
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First Day of GT
Students discuss feelings about being teased about being a gifted student. In this feelings lesson plan, students then toss balls to each other and give responses based on questions asked.
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Seasoning the School Year
Students observe the changes a class tree goes through as the seasons change and record observations in journals. They investigate changes in the weather, changes in the length of the day, and how that affects people. They create...
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Writing Up a Spanish Storm: Using Creative Thinking for Creative Writing
Students in a Spanish class are introduced to the techniques of creative writing. In groups, they focus on the pre-writing section of creative writing and keep a folder of their works throughout the instructional activity. They end the...