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The Joy of a Garden-Earth Day
Students explore the purpose of a garden. In this Earth Day lesson plan, students read the story The Gardener and complete a Venn diagram comparing life in a city to farm life. Students discuss Earth Day and plant flowers in a garden .
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Giving From the Heart: Art From the Heart
Learners examine how art contributes to the common good. For this common good lesson, students participate in an interactive read aloud of Jeff Brumbeau, Quiltmaker's Gift. They act out the story and talk about how "Art from the Heart"...
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Investigating Nonprofits
Middle schoolers investigate nonprofit organizations. In this service learning lesson, students complete information recording forms as they research selected nonprofit organizations. Middle schoolers use their findings to design...
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Honey Bee Communication
Students participate in a role play to show how honey bees communicate with one another. In this honey bee lesson plan, students learn that honey bees communicate with dance. Students create the honey bee environment and...
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Eastern Woodland and Plains Indians
Second graders are introduced to the American Indian tribes - Eastern Woodland and Plains Indians. They complete various comparison activities to explore how differently they lived.
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Anne Frank: Timeline
Eighth graders become acquainted with major events, especially related to the life and times of Anne Frank and compare personal and family chronology to Twentieth Century events. They examine how discrimination existed in the past and...
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FACS: Sewing Factory (Textiles)
Students gain practical experience in how sewing factories are run. They experience job possibilities by running a sewing factory simulation.
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Rocks, Minerals, and Fossils
Fourth graders do 5 different lab stations to explore rocks, minerals, and fossils.
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Home: The Ties That Bind
Students read two novels, The Human Comedy and A Separate Peace and an autobiographical memoir, Farewell to Manzanar. They focus on the difficulties faced by the teenage protagonists in order to set up a connection between adolescence...
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Crystals: What Are They and What Holds Them Together
Students are introduced to the characteristics of crystals and what keeps them together. Using the Periodic Table, they examine the various elements and develop a model of an atom. In groups, they place sugar and salt in petri dishes...
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Critique Sources
Pupils distinguish between primary and secondary sources. They study about fact, opinion, and recognize bias. Students find out if information is accurate or not and report on it. For the final project pupils create an annotated...
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Tolkien's Moral Universe
Students analyze the landscape used in Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings". In groups, they discuss how Tolkien developed Elrond's promise and develop a case assuming Tolkien rejected "Manichaean dualism". They also compare and contrast the...
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Labeling
Students identify ways they label people and the affect those labels have on individuals. They identify their individual differences and share with the class their individuality. They explain how self-concept is built and preserved and...
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Quick Writes and RAFTs
Students explore Quick Writes and RAFTs in all academic areas. They review the 6+1 Traits of Writing, the purpose of quick writes and how they can be used in various content areas.
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Buzzing into the Community
Students participate in a community service project. In this service lesson, students travel to a group outside the classroom such as a retirement home, hospital or day care. Students perform a song and read a book with a buddy from...
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Saving Makes Cents
Students identify ways families save money. In this financial instructional activity, students read the book A Chair for My Mother and discuss ways to save money. Students identify coin values and practice counting money.
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Farmers and the Food Connection
Students investigate the process of growing food. In this agricultural lesson, students invite a farmer into their classroom to discuss how they grow and process food. Students participate in learning centers which focus on farming.
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Hunger and Homelessness
Young scholars graph and then reflect on how they would feel if they didn't have a snack when they were hungry. In this hunger and homelessness lesson, students listen to the story "Lucky Money" and act out parts of the story. Young...
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Talking Trees
Students investigate the ecosystem. In this environmental lesson, students read the book The Tree by Dana Lyons and list ways to save the trees. Students create a poster about saving the trees.
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Sheltering and Caring for Animals
Students learn about animal shelters and adoption agencies. In this animal care instructional activity, students watch a video about the ASPCA and discuss what an animal shelter is, how it operates and what services it provides animals...
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Collecting for Animal Shelters
Students investigate the needs of animal shelters. In this animal welfare lesson, students brainstorm the needs of a local animal shelter and implement a service plan to collect donations for an animal shelter.
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Oil + Water + Wildlife = A Real Mess
Middle schoolers conduct an experiment. In this environmental protection lesson, students explore how oil spills affect living organisms in an ecosystem. Middle schoolers work in groups to complete a lab activity and then discuss their...
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Our Space Station Earth
Students discover ways to preserve the Earth's resources. In this natural resources lesson, students investigate how many gallons of water the average American uses per day and then total their estimated usage. Students discuss the...
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Working Animals
Students examine the need for the humane treatment of animals. In this animal welfare lesson, students realize the need for animal welfare, and decide on a service project that will promote it. The lesson culminates in the creation of a...