Curated OER
Mexican and American Views of Texas
Students study the territorial status of Texas in 1830, 1840, and 1846 and interpret an historical timeline. They develop a general statement of Mexican and American views of Texas.
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Chance Dance Compositions
Fourth graders create dances through a randomly generated process (such as throwing a dice) and perform their dances for the class. Class work is based on Merce Cunningham's "Chance Dance" and includes walking, skipping hopping, and...
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Civil Rights and the Michigan Supreme Court II
Students view a PowerPoint presentation on the Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society's Civil Rights and/or the Native American Rights. They write a reaction paper and prepare for a class discussion. They work in groups and discuss...
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European Union Governance
Students explore the government functions of the European Union and how legislation is passed. As a class, students define the European Union and their interests in economic, political and social issues. Using the internet, students...
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World Religion At A Glance
Ninth graders research and assigned religion and fill out information they gather on their "Special Assingment Instruction Sheet." They create a sample brochure about the religion they researched, edit the brochure with another student...
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Teaching Imagery with Gary Paulsen
Students read excerpts from memoirs written by Gary Paulsen as examples of how to write a narrative piece. They identify figurative language used and then they write a memoir of their own that contains imagery and figurative language.
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Writing Persuasive Letters
Students explore how to write persuasive letters. They work in small groups to brainstorm ideas and organize them into a cohesive argument to be presented to the class. Students explore the concept of persuasion and how it is a strategy...
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Language Arts: Creating Character Maps
Third graders select characters from books they have read to create character maps. After drawing the maps, they add the characteristics around a sketch of their chosen character. In groups, 3rd graders who have read the same book,...
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Citizen Me
Fifth graders examine what it means to be a citizen. Using the Constitution, they discover the functions and purpose of government. They compare and contrast the difference between a democracy and a monarchy. As a class, they discuss...
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Somebody's Knocking At My Door
Students perform animal sounds and movements, demonstrate a steady beat using both feet, and perform portions of the song "Somebody's Knocking At My Door" in this Music lesson for the Kindergarten classroom. State and National Standards...
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Mapping Comprehension
Learners explore story structure. They discuss questions they can ask themselves while silently reading. Students implement their story knowledge by making story maps. They read The Little Pink Rose and the Cloud and create a story map...
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Decisions That Changed Our Lives: A Look At the African American Quest for Freedom and Rights
Students are introduced to the goals of abolitionists throughout history. In groups, they use the internet to discover the purpose of the Underground Railroad and why there were bus boycotts in the 1960s. They compare and contrast the...
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Who in the World Is....?
Students access how to scan the newspaper for relevant information. They become acquainted with the sections of the newspaper. Students practice summarizing what they have learned.
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Character Mapping
Third graders choose one character from a book they have read recently. Using paper, they create a character map of the character along with a small drawing to show what they look like. To end the lesson, they share their character map...
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The Five Paragraph Essay
Students investigate the concept of writing a five paragraph essay. They go through the steps to develop an essay from prewriting to a final draft using a writing prompt of Olauda Equiano. The handout for the assignment has questions for...
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Recap and Activities (Reveloutionary War Era)
Eighth graders discuss the importance of the Second Continental Congress. They compare and contrast present-day athletic mascots and their roots in the Revolutionary War. After discussing Loyalists and Patriots, 8th graders write...
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Immigration For Grades 3-5
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the concept of immigration. They conduct research using a variety of resources. Students create a KWL chart to organize the information. The lesson also includes a resource link for the...
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Historical Fiction: A Wealth of Interpretations
Students read a book from the Dear America series and contrast different points of view. They respond to the book either by participating in a literature circle or completing a journal entry. They compare and contrast two books or a...
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A Creative Presentation
Young scholars read chapter books by Gary Paulsen. In groups, they identify imagery presented in the book. Students locate 10 quotes, categorize each quote into one of the five senses, and then organize it and create a display of their...
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Creating A Life Map
Students investigate the concept of a life plan and how to write one with the help of a graphic organizer that encourages one to create a timeline for planning. They write journal prompts that are based upon personal knowledge of life...
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Milestones in the Space Program
Students brainstorm names of astronauts from NASA space missions. They are explained that the Cold War was not actually a war but pervasive tension that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union for several decades...
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Connecting to China
Learners use the internet to research the culture of China. In groups, they examine the giant pandas and draw their own picture of the two interacting. They also write a paragraph describing what they saw and can share it with the class.
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Touring the World With Tomie dePaola
Students listen aloud to books by Tomie dePaola. They utilize the Internet to study the geography and culture of the places the they read about in Tomie dePaola's books. They answer questions about Norway through an Internet treasure hunt.
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Our Compromise, Our Constitution
Sixth graders explore, analyze and study our constitutional government and become aware of the purpose of our government. They assess the basic rights that are protected by the United States Constitution through graphic organizers and...