Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let's Walk That Talk

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students present speeches. For this philanthropy lesson, students invite another class to come visit. They talk about philanthropy and present persuasive speeches written in a previous lesson. The visiting students answer the question...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Road to the American Revolution

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students consider the case for forming a new, independent nation. In this American Revolution lesson, students examine the people, places, and events that led to the outbreak of war in the colonies. Students compare colonial protests to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cyber Safety

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students explore internet safety. In this cyber safety lesson plan, students gain information on how to choose safe websites. Students get tips on what types of information is safe to share on the internet and things to be aware of.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Seeking Civil Rights

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students explore the impact of the Plessy v. Ferguson case. In this social justice lesson, students examine the case, Jim Crow laws, and non-violent forms of protest. Students write essays to persuade the government regarding unjust laws.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Measures To Combat Mad Cow Disease

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers read an article at CNNfyi.com about Mad Cow disease. They identify and explain bovine spongiform encephalopathy and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. They formulate ways to combat mad cow disease.
Lesson Plan
1
1
Museum of the Moving Image

Political Ads in Historical Context

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Campaign ads target both timely issues and general themes. Presidential campaign ads from 1952 and 1988 provide class members an opportunity to compare how the topics ads choose to address can dramatically influence election outcomes.
Activity
iCivics

Drafting Board: Electoral College

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Should the president of the United States be voted by the Electoral College or the popular vote? Your young historians will consider the pros and cons of the Electoral College, and make an argument using reasons and evidence...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Persuasive Writing

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders study persuasive writing. They analzye an editorial for introductory,body, and concluding sentences. They develop arguments for and against various topics in small groups.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Missing Link

For Teachers 6th - 11th Standards
What is the missing link? Provide your class with this incomplete essay (it's missing transition words), and have writers place words from the transition word bank into the essay. Also, since only three of the five paragraphs are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Effective Letter Writing

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students explore letter writing.  In this persuasive writing lesson, students write a letter to a local organization based on a topic of their choice.  Students employ the correct letter writing procedure as outlined in the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

That Was Then, This is Now: When I Was Puerto Rican

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explain how geographic/cultural setting influences identity by comparing/contrasting Esmeralda's Puerto Rican self with her American self. They closely read text to pinpoint when Esmeralda was no longer Puerto Rican. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Art That Matters (Printmaking Option)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars plan and execute a relief print that attempts to protest or persuade. They focus on effective definition of shape, use of symbols, and impact on their intended viewers.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Too Much of a Sweet Thing

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine the growing prevalence of processed sugar in the American diet, first through a demonstration that makes graphically clear the amount of sugar an average boy and girl consumes on a daily basis.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Thomas Jefferson's Library: Making the Case for a National Library

For Teachers 7th - 11th
Students examine a letter written by Thomas Jefferson. In this instructional activity on the Thomas Jefferson Library, students discover a methodology for creative writing by examining Jefferson's letter to congress explaining why they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Political Systems in Louisiana

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students examine propaganda as it relates to political campaigning. They' attention be focused on a few important basic concepts they need to explain the functions and use of propoganda.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

My Inspiration Project

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students explore what is very relevant in their personal lives during this project. They reflect upon past experiences and are encouraged to investigate what their post-high school graduation plans are.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Senior Scrapbook Assignment

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders write creatively and reflectively on 20 different events or memories that shaped their senior year. They organize memorabilia into a scrapbook with 20 entries and create a cover that represents their senior year. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

We Thank You, Veteran!

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders use information from videos, picture books, and relatives' military backgrounds to write a short or extended message of gratitude on a greeting card for local veterans.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Persuasive Paper: RFID

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students write a persuasive essay. In this persuasive writing lesson, students argue either for or against RFID technology. Students research RFID both as a class and individually, and follow paragraph-by-paragraph instructions to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning About Evaluation

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students evaluate the essays of their classmates. For this evaluation lesson, students write two non-fiction essays on two different topics that they may choose. After a lecture on the aspects of the paper that will be evaluated,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Extemporaneous Speeches

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students perform the six steps of writing an extemporaneous speech including, choosing a topic, researching, writing, practicing delivering and processing.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bumper Stickers: A Matter of Focus

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Honk if you love bumper stickers! Long used as a persuasive tool, bumper stickers are used to launch this study of persuasive writing. Each class member is given a bumper sticker and asked to formulate three questions the strip might...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Classroom Law Project

Should we believe everything we read? Becoming a discerning consumer of media

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Class members investigate the role media should play in a healthy democracy. As part of this study, groups analyze political advertising, use FactCheck to assess not only the veracity of but the persuasions techniques used in candidates'...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Not Hurting Others

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students are encouraged to use gentle persuation rather than bullying and recognize how their behavior affects others. Students reflect to themselves with provided questions, read a story and reflect about how the characters acted, and...