American Chemical Society
Isolation of Phytochrome
Why do soybean plants that are planted weeks apart in the spring mature simultaneously in the fall? Four independent activities cover the history of phytochrome research, scientist collaboration, the electromagnetic spectrum, and...
Teach Engineering
What is Going on with Grandma?
Pupils individually determine what they need to know about osteoporosis and how they will find that information. They share their thoughts with a partner before moving on to share with the class. The class arrives at a list of a set of...
Theodore Roosevelt Association
Defining America's Role in the World
As the first American president to win the Nobel Peace Prize, and only one of four presidents to do so in United States history, Theodore Roosevelt's foreign policy achievements and preservation of peace are often overshadowed by his...
Social Media Toolbox
A Look at Social Media Policies
Should school news publications use social media if their district is against the use of social media in school? Pupils ponder the policy, then examine their publication's plan in parts seven and eight of a 16-part Social Media Toolbox...
Kenan Fellows
Unit 4: Bioethics and the Future of Biotechnology
What's the future of biotechnology? Explore a hot topic in the fourth and final unit in a series of Biotechnology lessons. Learners develop an understanding of the many issues in bioethics, then create an argument for or against the role...
Boston University
South African Short Stories: Apartheid, Civil Rights, and You
How are short stories from South Africa connected to issues of civil rights in the United States? A unit plan uses South African short stories to discuss issues such as apartheid, colonization, and civil rights. Questions and activities...
EngageNY
Relationships Between Key Scientific Concepts: What Causes Hurricanes?
A storm is brewing in the sea. Scholars complete multiple reads of How Does a Hurricane Form to determine gist, cause-and-effect relationships, and deepen vocabulary understanding. To finish, they complete graphic organizers to record...
Workforce Solutions
Networking Bingo
A game of Bingo gets scholars networking. Independently, participants complete the worksheet responding to each applicable prompt. With the group, peers roam the room to network in search of similar answers.
Curated OER
Social Studies: Jeffeerson and the Declaration
Young scholars investigate Thomas Jefferson's intentions for the Declaration of Independence. In discussion, they consider what parts of the document are most useful today and to what purposes does it address the most. Finally,...
Curated OER
Silence: A Key to Successful Reading
Learners explore silent reading. They discuss how to choose their own reading materials and how to tell if a book is right for them. Students read a book silently to themselves for ten minutes. They write a message about what they...
Annenberg Foundation
Revolutionary Perspectives
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Learners go to the heart of the causes of the American Revolution. Examining political cartoons, Enlightenment documents, and firsthand accounts, they present their ideas and reflective...
EngageNY
Building Background Knowledge: Vietnam as a “Battleground in a Larger Struggle”
Read. Stop. Think. Scholars use a reading strategy to process the challenging text, "The Vietnam Wars." They read a paragraph and then stop to think about the text and its meaning. Readers then go on to work with partners and make notes...
EngageNY
Taking a Stand: Equal Rights for Women
Equality for all? Scholars talk with partners to predict Shirley Chisholm's stand in her speech "Equal Rights for Women." They then read the speech and circle unfamiliar words to understand the meaning better. Readers go on to answer...
EngageNY
Examining How Word Choice Contributes to Tone and Meaning: Close Reading of “Wet and Crying”
Scholars participate in a Write-Pair-Share activity while answering questions about the meaning of words in "Wet and Crying." They use their Write-Pair-Share note-catchers to guide their thoughts and then share with the class. After...
EngageNY
Analyzing Events: Carlotta’s Journey
How does one talk silently? Class members participate in a silent communication activity known as a Chalk Talk. During the activity, they answer text-dependent questions analyzing Carlotta’s Journey. They use markers and chart paper to...
EngageNY
Mid-Unit 3 Assessment: Drafting the Position Paper
Organize your thoughts! Scholars work on the drafts of their position papers about sustainable water management. The draft serves as their mid-unit assessment. Before beginning, the class discusses the prompt and then learners work...
Curated OER
Commas vs. Semicolons Lesson Plan
Ninth graders use correct punctuation when writing. After defining the use of commas and semicolons, they discuss how punctuation can help eliminate confusion. They listen to a letter, first with correct punctuation, and then without...
Curated OER
Gift of the Magi Lesson Plan 3
Explore the literary concept of theme through the The Gift of the Magi. Starting with a class discussion, the concept of theme is explored through examples from famous stories and movies. Next, the class analyzes the possible themes of...
Curated OER
Martin's Big Words
Martin's Big Words, by Doreen Rappaport, is a story about Martin Luther King. Encourage your learners to create a list of questions before beginning the reading. Also, learners should be working on monitoring and clarifying to ensure...
Curated OER
The Underground Railroad
High schoolers write about the impact of the Underground Railroad. They examine primary documents as they conduct independent research to explore the role of the Underground Railroad during the fight for abolition. They compose essays...
Curated OER
Night: Socratic Questioning Activity
We construct meaning through discussion, so help your readers of Elie Wiesel's work Night with a socratic questioning activity. The strategy is outlined on the first page, and the second page offers some example questions you give to...
Curated OER
Career Choices: Interests, Values, and Skills
Have your class write down their career interests and conduct research into the different types of jobs they can have in a field. They will use critical thinking skills in order to begin thinking about making a career choice. They are...
Curated OER
Lyddie
Students investigate the character trait of perseverance and how it is used to help a girl gain independence in a fictional story. The story also has them think about the value of relationships and then write reflectively about...
Bright Hub Education
How to Use Commas Correctly
Commas can be quite confusing. Young writers target troublesome grammar skills by focusing on the four most troubling uses: joining two independent clauses, separating introductory materials in a sentence, separating unnecessary...