Facing History and Ourselves
Literature and Imagination Make Democracy Work
The final lesson in the "What Makes Democracy Work?" series examines the connections between imagination, literature, and democracy. Class members listen to a podcast, read an excerpt from Azar Nafisi's, The Republic of Imagination, and...
Curated OER
HIV/AIDS: Our Fear, Our Misery
Students in an ESL classroom brainstorm their thoughts, fears and perceptions about HIV/AIDS. In groups, they review how one contracts the virus and how it affects them and their families. They read true stories about people living...
Curated OER
Does It Looks All Right to Me?
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. For this service learning lesson, students examine the accomplishments of Civil Rights leaders' as works of philanthropy. Students read literature regarding diversity and study the Selma to...
Curated OER
Native American Unit
Third graders explore America's history prior to 1492. This unit of six lessons identifies five regions of the United States and assists students in the development of an understanding of the Native Americans who lived in the regions.
Curated OER
You've Got to be Taught to Hate and Fear
Students explore themes of prejudice and acceptance. In this character education lesson, students listen and respond to several fiction books, poems, and lyrics with a similar theme. Students locate articles with the main idea of...
Curated OER
Establishing a Global Perspective: Do Values Cross Borders?
Twelfth graders explore values in global perspectives. They discuss values in popular films and complete a timeline of their personal, societal, and key events. They design a photograph that reflects the concept of values. They create...
Curated OER
I Belong, But Why Don't You?
Students explore discrimination. In this character development instructional activity, students identify groups and organizations to which they belong and the requirements that go with each group. Students discuss inclusion and exclusion...
Curated OER
Visualizing School Equity
Learners examine the funding gap in school systems. In this diversity education lesson, students read an article regarding the inequitable school funding. Learners research information pertaining to school funding in their state.
Curated OER
Courage to Be You: King Day (7th)
Students define discrimination and relate it to their own experiences. In this discrimination lesson, students discuss feeling like a stranger and complete a personal experiences worksheet. Students then find strategies to reduce or...
Bill of Rights Institute
Preserving the Bill of Rights
Consider how America's founding fathers and their experiences contributed to the rights we all enjoy today. A collection of reading, writing, and collaborative exercises prompt high schoolers to think about the ways their current lives...
Facing History and Ourselves
A Scene from a Middle School Classroom
Citizens in the modern world can't imagine making the same social choices made by many Germans in the 1920s and 1930s, but they don't realize that they actually do it every day by ostracizing others. A case study of middle schoolers...
Santa Ana Unified School District
Getting to the Core: Early American Poets
How do poets convey emotion and represent their views of life? Pupils learn more about Whitman and Dickinson through the unit and analyze their bold reinvention of craft and style for poets to come. Looking at classic pieces such as...
California Academy of Science
Colorful Fish Adaptations
I love lessons that incorporate the arts, they're so engaging and address a more diverse set of learners. Your class will investigate the reasons fish from the coal reef have adapted such colorful fins. They design a fish that uses color...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Educating European Immigrant Children Before World War I
As if surviving a journey to America wasn't enough of a feat for early 20th century immigrants, they then needed to settle into American life. Learn about the ways New York public education attempted to meet the needs of its students,...
Smithsonian Institution
Who's in Camp?
Pupils complete readings, a group activity using cards, and a writing activity to better understand people's lives during the American Revolution. The resource emphasizes people such as the militiamen, women, officers, and children,...
Curated OER
Athletes And Gay Teammates
Students research the issues surrounding gay athletes and the way their leagues, their teammates and their fans react. They interview local athletes about their views and present their findings to the class.
Curated OER
Peace Education | Wreath or Tree Craft
What is peace and what does it mean to our society? To understand why peace is celebrated and what character traits or concepts relate to the action of peace, learners engage in a discussion, story time, and a craft project. The lesson...
Indian Land Tenure Foundation
Create a Map
Do your learners have a connection to their natural environment? Create neighborhood maps together with your little learners. The lesson starts as the class talks about where they live and what their homes look like. They review their...
Curated OER
Developing Thinking and Reasoning Skills in Primary Learners Using Detective Fiction
Students are introduced to the genre of detective fiction. Based on their reading level, they are given a different series of books to read. For each story, they are to make predictions and practice decoding messages. To end the...
Curated OER
Description of Materials for Parts of a Fossil Lesson Plan
Students study fossils. In this fossils lesson, students discuss and study real fossils. Students color in pictures of fossils and their sections. Students then identify fossil picture parts and names. Students write definitions for...
Curated OER
Stonewall and Beyond: Gay and Lesbian Issues
Help learners understand their own biases and how their perspectives may have been influenced by biased media sources. They keep a journal while viewing videos, exploring websites, and engaging in class discussions related to gay and...
Curated OER
A Modest Proposal: Irony Made Understandable with Rock and Roll
Who doesn't love music? Poems and songs will engage your high school class in a discussion about irony. Use songs like "Rockin' in the Free World" or "Born in the U.S.A." to illustrate the ironic point of view. Print the lyrics so...
NOAA
Marine Ecosystems
Be at the top of the food chain when it comes to understanding marine ecosystems. The 21st installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program investigates marine ecosystems, ocean zones, and food...
Teaching Tolerance
Community Arts Showcase
An art showcase encourages class members to explore the themes of social justice and tolerance. They create an original artwork, engage in group discussions, and journal writing. The art gallery also provides a chance for families and...