NPR
The History of America’s Weed Laws
To understand the laws regarding marijuana use in the United States, you can go all the way back to the 1800's to learn about farming hemp, or you can go back to 2018 when California became the sixth state to legalize recreational...
Curated OER
What a Character!
Middle schoolers read a novel and discuss character personality. First, they analyze a character in a novel and keep a chart or web of the character's identity, which includes specific examples from the book. They then write a script...
Curated OER
Persuasive Writing -- Commercial Style
Students create persuasive TV commercials for common products. They develop a list of products, write the script for a commercial, and act-out and videotape the commercial to present to the class.
Curated OER
Creative Writing: Children's Building Blocks
Your class can participate in a writing program involving four building blocks. By exploring words, sentences, writing forms, and story organization, they improve their creative writing skills throughout this year-long unit. Early in the...
Curated OER
Wall Reading
In this wall reading worksheet, students read ten paragraphs and answer three questions for each paragraph in how the information relates to themselves. Students then answer twenty eight multiple choice questions about the reading.
Curated OER
Primary and Secondary Sources - 7th
A link to a beautiful Animoto presentation is included, giving examples of primary sources that a student might want to contact when doing research. Using the Topaz Internment Camp in Utah as a sample topic, middle schoolers view a slide...
Curated OER
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Socratic Seminar
After reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and an article about the use of the novel, class members engage in a Socratic seminar focused on whether or not Twain's book should be banned.
MENSA Education & Research Foundation
Quotation Station: Using Quotes in the Classroom
An informative list compiled with quotes, authors, and discussion questions, along with 20 out-of-the-box application ideas, make up the collection of lessons geared to spark dialogue and creative thinking about quotations.
Maryland Department of Education
The Concept of Diversity in World Literature Lesson 3: Igbo Culture
What cultural concepts must readers understand in order to connect to Things Fall Apart? As part of their study of Chinua Achebe’s novel, class members research Nigeria and the Igbo culture to create a collaborative, web-based,...
ReadWriteThink
Exploring Plagiarism, Copyright, and Paraphrasing
Plagiarism, copyright, and fair use are the focus of a three-part instructional activity designed to inform scholars of how to properly cite others' work. First, pupils use a KWL chart to begin thinking and...
Curated OER
Searching for Stars
Positive character traits in literature are explored in this character development and literacy lesson plan. Learners listen to Cinderella by Charles Perrault and Little Gold Star by Robert D. San Souci, followed by a discussion...
Curated OER
The Final Word
Although this instructional activity is based on “Final Word,” Craig Wilson’s USA Today column, the strategies could be adapted to any local columnist. After reading three articles independently, groups share observations about content...
Indiana University
Asian Literature: “The View in Spring” by Du Fu
Over the course of the lesson, your pupils read and analyze a translated eight-line poem from the Tang Dynasty written by Du Fu, a poet caught behind enemy lines during the An Lu-Shan rebellion (755-763). Literary/historical context is...
Curated OER
Think of an Ending
Good endings are hard to find. And write. This, the final lesson in a six-part series devoted to study of the ingredients of a good story, focuses on crafting endings. Class members draft ideas about what should happen to each of their...
Curated OER
The Balkans and World War I
Learners review the causes of World War I and draw timelines of the 1914 events. They conduct Internet research to discover the role of the balkans in the war and how it spread to a worldwide conflict. Students then research the recent...
Curated OER
First Peoples Project
Students participate in this project to connect the indigenous groups of the world. They create a calendar with their artwork with the hope new ideas can be exchanged between groups.
Curated OER
Newspaper for Inner City School
Students use their writing skills and digital cameras to produce a newspaper. They write about school events, class projects, items of interest, culturally-related issues, and interview students. Students edit digital images and insert...
Curated OER
Places in our School Yard - An "I Spy" Book
Learners create a class big book using the "I Spy" game format and adding 3 clues to help readers guess the areas of a naturalization project.
Curated OER
A Journey To Africa: Art And Artifacts
Middle schoolers create a multimedia presentation based on a piece of African Art. They use the art piece to demonstrate the culture and ceremonies of the area in which it was produced. They research facts for a Power Point, write a...
Curated OER
The Autobiography of a Middle School
Students use digital cameras to document school experiences. Afterwards, they use computer software to manipulate their photos and write poetry, essays or biographies to compliment the pictures. Finally, students create an...
Curated OER
E-Mail Mentor Project
Students use e-mail to introduce themselves, ask for and receive advice and information on certain school concerns, and share information on activities they enjoy with other students from other schools.
Curated OER
Creating a Landmark Calendar-An Enterprise for Your School
Students scrutinize the steps necessary to produce a school calendar featuring local architectural sites and landmarks.
Curated OER
Multigenre Research Project
Students research influences on African American literature. They research someone who has influenced the development of African American literature and create a multi-genre research project. They create a photograph poem, character...
Curated OER
The Art of the Matter
Students understand that elements of art are important aspects of certain jobs. In this art/careers lesson plan, students discuss art related careers, listen to guest speakers with art related careers and do internet research art related...