Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Parents Hand Out Unusual Punishments

For Teachers 2nd - 7th
Students discuss how they are disciplined at home, then read a news article about some unusual punishments given to children. In this current events instructional activity, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Were Rivets to Blame for Titanic Sinking?

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students answer questions about the Titanic, then read a news article about possible causes of the disaster. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and vocabulary activity, then students read...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Recycled Vegetable Oil Powers Vans, Cars

For Teachers 2nd - 7th
Students share their knowledge about fuel sources, then read a news article about vegetable oil as a cleaner alternative to gasoline. In this current events and environmental science lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scientists Discover Giant Frog Fossil

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students examine a world map and read a news article about the discovery of a giant frog fossil. In this earth science and current event lesson plan, the teacher introduces an article with a discussion about continental drift and a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Will Smog be a Problem at the Olympic Games?

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students locate China on a world map, then read a news article about pollution in Beijing. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion about smog and a vocabulary activity, then students read the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

'No Cussing' Clubs Catching on with Kids

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students read a news article about a boy in California who wants to encourage his peers to use good language. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a short rap, discussion, and vocabulary activity, then...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Underground Vault Protects World's Seeds

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students share ideas about keeping things safe, then read a news article about a huge vault built to store billions of seeds. In this current events instructional activity, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Students Slide to School on Air-Powered Sled

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students locate the Great Lakes on a US map, then read a news article about a sled being used as a wintertime school bus in Wisconsin. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a map and vocabulary activity,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Grab a Winning Book to Read on March 3

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students identify periods of history and read a news article about a librarian who wrote an award winning book. In this current events lesson plan, the teacher introduces the article with a class challenge and a vocabulary activity, then...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Grocery Store Bans Plastic Bags

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students participate in the paper vs. plastic bag debate, then read a news article about one grocery store that is banning plastic bags. In this current events activity, the teacher introduces the news article with a debate and a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rising Temperatures Threaten Penguins

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students examine the continent of Antarctica, then read a news article about the decline in the Antarctic penguin population. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and vocabulary activity,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wind Provides Electricity for Homes, Schools

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students complete a KWL chart, then read a news article about the comeback of windmills. In this current events instructional activity, the teacher introduces the article with a KWL chart and vocabulary activity, then students read the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scientists Study Dinosaur "Mummy"

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students share ideas about how scientists know about dinosaurs, then read a news article about the recently found remains of a hadrosaur. In this dinosaur lesson plan, the teacher introduces the article with a class discussion and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

New Food Saves Lives, Could End Hunger

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Learners locate the country of Niger, then read a news article about a new type of food that is being used to fight childhood hunger in Africa. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with map and vocabulary...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Archaeologists Reveal King Tut's Mummy

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students look at pictures of a sarcophagus, then read a news article about King Tut's mummy. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion, pictures, and a vocabulary activity, then students read the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Presidential Election One Year Away

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students identify political parties, then read a news article about the 2008 election. In this current events lesson (written prior to the 2008 election), the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and vocabulary activity, then...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Baby Animals Debut at Zoos

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students determine the names of animal babies, then read a news article about zoo's experiencing animal births. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with vocabulary activities, then students read the news...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hot Weather, Rain Mean Fewer Pumpkins

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students share their knowledge of pumpkins, then read a news article about how hot weather and rain are affecting the pumpkin crop. For this agriculture and current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spiders Build Giant Web in Texas Park

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students make predictions about a photograph of a humongous spider web, then read a news article about thousands of spiders that worked together to build it. In this biology and current events lesson plan, the teacher introduces the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Teacher-Astronaut Offers New Lessons

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students read about teacher-in-space Barbara Morgan and life in space. In this space science and current event instructional activity, the teacher introduces the article with a vocabulary activity, then students read the news piece and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Honeybees are Vanishing

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students decide if they agree with a series of statements about the bee population, then read a news article about the disappearance of millions of U.S. honeybees. In this biology and current events lesson plan, the teacher introduces...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

From the School House to the White House

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students recall visits to museums, then read a news article about a museum exhibit that shows what U.S. presidents were like during their childhood. In this U.S. history and current events instructional activity, the teacher introduces...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Prehistoric Discoveries

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Young scholars agree or disagree with several statements about ancient animals, then read a news article about recent prehistoric discoveries. In this earth science and current events instructional activity, the teacher introduces the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Shaun Ellis: Leader of the (Wolf) Pack

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students react to a statement about living with wolves, then read a news article about Shaun Ellis and his time living with wolves. In this current events and wolves lesson plan, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and...