Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fairy Tales

For Teachers K
Students listen as the teacher reads fairy tales to students and identify patterns. They listen as the teacher re-reads the fairy tales and signal or recite patterns as they listen. Students identify patterns in the fairy tales. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is History? Timelines and Oral Histories

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students determine that their lifetime shows just a small piece of history. They determine how two or more accounts of the same event can be different. They write an account of the same event from two perspectives.
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

The History of Space Exploration

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars research and identify important events in the history of space exploration. They work in groups of three to four in order to research an important astronaut and record their finding on a poster board and present to the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Polar Express

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students read the story, "The Polar Express." Prior to beginning the story, students predict events of the story and drink hot cocoa. Afterwards, they write a short story about Christmas and create a model train for the classroom....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Samuel Pepys

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young writers examine the world of diaries. They study the diary of the famous Samuel Pepy, and discuss why it's so important. Together, as a class, they create a diary that describes what happened in school on a certain day. The catch...
Lesson Plan
Digital History

The Boston Massacre

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What better way to get your class interested in history than to embody important historical characters and make events come to life? Stage a realistic mock trial of the British soldiers accused of murdering five Bostonians after the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Great Kapok Tree..

For Teachers K - 4th
Students predict what each animal in the story read says and then compare them. They pretend that a tree was cut down and write a new ending for the story. Students explain why the story is not true and create a Venn Diagram comparing...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reporting on a Battle

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students report on battles of the Civil War. In this American Civil War lesson, students conduct research that allows them to report on selected battles of the war. Student's newspapers should include eyewitness statements, photographs,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Making of a Coat

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students read the story A New Coat For Anna and discuss their knowledge on how to make a coat. In this reading and coat making lesson plan, students discuss coat making and listen to a speaker that spins thread to make coats.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Chuck Close Up Close

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students practice the art of storytelling using realistic art. They pick one illustration of a character in the book and create a story about the possible life he lived. The important details that are needed is the name, occupation,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
With The Great Kapok Tree, by Lynne Cherry as the hook learners discuss the rainforest, the animals that live there, and conservation efforts. Then, students write a letter to the man in the story asking him not to cut down the Kapok...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

My Brother Sam is Dead: A study of the Revolutionary War

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders complete an analysis of the Revolutionary War through literature. After "My Brother Sam Is Dead," students create a time capsule containing items that would be relevant during the Revolutionary War. They identify key...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

1920s Images and Ideals PowerPoint Project

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students explore Teaching the American Twenties, noting fashion, life styles, Hollywood, key authors, key people, and key events. They explore the sites and note what they can identify from the time period for this collection. They write...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spin and Bias in the Media

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners compare different types of media.  In this media comparison lesson, students will assess the where all types of media gets its information by viewing a video of a news story and critiquing it.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Tooning into a Media Frenzy

For Students 8th - 12th
For this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about Anna Nicole Smith's death and respond to 3 talking point questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

LOOKING AT A CHARACTER

For Teachers 2nd
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Imagining Back Story: Creating an Artifact for an Extra-Extended Text

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students create a "back story" for a character from Measure for Measure.  In this Measure for Measure lesson, students read the text closely as they look for clues about where the character came from and how he or she became what...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hope In The Hard Times - A Unit on the Great Depression

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students examine the Great Depression through the analysis of the novel, 'Bud, Not Buddy.' They analyze photos from the National Archives website, complete a character analysis, and conduct research and summarize a topic from the Great...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Adapting a Musical

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers transform literature into musical productions. In this integrated arts instructional activity, students discuss how musicals are written and produced. High schoolers then select literature they are familiar with to adapt...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Quilting - A Pioneer Craft

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore quilting in pioneer families. In this quilting instructional activity, 5th graders review the history of quilts, the role of women, and quilting patterns. They create their own pattern and quilt square.  
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Depicting Motherhood in Family Stories

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore triptychs.  For this art history lesson, students define the terms "photograph" and "triptych".  Students discuss changes that occur between mothers and daughters and create an original triptych using...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Historical Career Search

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Young scholars analyze the use of language, including non-standard written and oral English. They write persuasive, descriptive, narrative and/or evaluative pieces in response to the story read and keep reflection journals. Finally,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Visiting a Marine Sanctuary

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students gather information on a kelp forest and identify species in that ecosystem.  For this underwater ecosystem lesson students gather data, give an oral presentation and create a poster.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Land as a Valuable Resource

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate why the soil is important to our lives. In this natural resources instructional activity, students have a farmer as a guest speaker. Students begin to understand how farmers use and protect our natural resource....