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Aztec Culture and Lifestyles
Students explore the lifestyles of the Aztecs. In this ancient culture instructional activity, students jigsaw into groups that divide up various aspects of Aztec culture. Students reform as a class in order to discuss and share their...
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Independent - To Be Or Not To Be
Students examine national symbols of freedom and speech strategies. They study the constitution, forefathers, and the Declaration of Independence.
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Bill of Rights
Twelfth graders list, describe, and illustrate the specific rights guaranteed to individuals and how they are secured. Then they examine landmark Supreme Court cases, such as, Airport Commissioner vs. Jews for Jesus, New Jersey vs. TLO,...
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Around Town
Students explore their community. For this picture taking lesson, students visit different places in the community. Students take pictures at each place they visit. Students use adjectives to describe the pictures they took and write...
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What Is A Community?
Young scholars engage in a lesson which introduces the definition of a community and challenges them to explore the characteristics of their own community. This lesson uses the true story of Humphrey the Lost Whale as an illustration of...
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Branching Out
Students research structure, function and primary responsibilities of each office of the Executive branch, create a chart displaying their research.
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Sensory Details
Students observe their environment and write detailed, sensory-specific sentences about that environment. This lesson can be extended to include the creation of a personalized story or movie of the experience (student examples are...
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Plants, Animals and Our Environment
Students draw and label the basic needs of animals. They draw and label the basic needs of plants. Students understand the basic needs of plants and animals are not only the same, but are interrelated. They know that the environment...
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Oceans: A Sensory Haiku
Students create an ocean haiku. In this haiku instructional activity, students use their five senses to write a haiku. Students watch videos about the ocean, make a sensory portrait, and create a class haiku.
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Volcanoes
Third graders study the concept of plate tectonics. In the process they embark in research and construction of a volcano. They complete a web quest while assessing how to research, give oral reports, and create a product.
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Read to Feed
Students participate in the Read-to-Feed project. For this fundraising lesson, students read books to purchase a farm animal for a family in need. Students write a letter to the family that will be receiving the farm animal.
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Isn't It Ionic?
Students research the properties and health risks of organic chemical solvents. They create a Safety with Solvents newsletter to share with others in their school and community.
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E-mail-based Lessons
Pupils practice using computers. They use the Internet to practice surfing the web and finding information. They also practice writing emails and journal entries.
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Scarecrow: A Lesson Against Hate Crimes
Students analyze and discuss different types of hate crimes. They listen to and discuss the background behind the song, "Scarecrow" by Melissa Etheridge. They research a hate crime and imagine how the victims must have felt. Finally they...
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Forest Stewardship Library Media Center Resources
Students develop their technology skills by accessing web sites and evaluating information. In this research lesson students research forestry topics and write a paragraph on the accessed websites.
National First Ladies' Library
The Education of Freedmen...and Women and Children
Pupils examine political debate surrounding Freedmen's Bureau, use primary sources to explore trials and successes of effort to educate newly-freed slaves of all ages, research reasons for creation of Freedmen's Bureau, discuss President...
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The Great Water Hunt
Students create a model of the land to water ratio in a large group and search for all the places water is used at their school while on a Great Water Hunt. They identify where water can be found and compare how much of world is covered...
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U.S. Geography- The Northeast
Students investigate the geography of the Northeast states. In this map skills lesson, students are shown a map of the Northeast states and identify the state names and borders. Students construct individual maps of the Northeast using...
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Geo Jammin' By DeSign - Day 2, Lesson 8: Can You Please Give Me Directions?
Students participate in a guided reading experience by following directions to cut out tangrams. They listen to the directions and cut as the reading progresses.
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Immigration to the United States
Third graders search TDC database for images of immigration from other countries, maps, and diaries. They identify why immigrants came to the United States and engage in a role-play simulating an experience the immigrants might have had.
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The Need for Government—A Cinematic and Literary Perspective
Students examine the philosophy of government. In this types of government lesson, students explore literature and movie clips to determine the value of rules in lawless societies.
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Power of the People
Students determine the meaning of democracy and investigate accomplishments of a number of United States presidents. They look at images of the presidential one dollar coins before they determine how the job of the president differs from...
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Choosing the Lincoln Statue
Fourth graders research photographs or artwork depicting Abraham Lincoln during the time when he was traveling the 8th Judicial Circuit and practicing law in Champaign County. They develop a Powerpoint presentation of the results of the...
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Getting to Know Numbers
Students study the math concepts associated with the calendar including days of the week, months of the year, odd/even numbers and numbers which come before and after. They use handheld computers with the appropriate software.