Curated OER
Liberty, Equality, Uniformity?
Students examine the French draft law to ban religious symbols from public schools. They research "secularist" and "pluralist" positions regarding this ban, debate the topic in class, and draft a position paper on the ban.
Curated OER
What Makes a Cat a Cat?
Students investigate the lives of pets by videotaping them. In this animal life lesson, students videotape a cat and other pets using school cameras in a computer lab. Students review the footage from the cat and other...
Curated OER
Aqueduct Architecture: Moving Water to the Masses in Ancient Rome
Ninth graders compare ancient and modern technology in water transporting. In this lesson on the evolution of the aqueduct, 9th graders build a working aqueduct model and examine its components. They explain the importance and use of the...
Curated OER
Persuasive Speech
Tenth graders participate in a instructional activity that is focused on the concept of writing persuasive speechs. They conduct research from a variety of sources in order to gather information to write well informed speeches.
Curated OER
How To Write Good Letter to the Editor
Students discover how to write a letter to the editor that would be good enough to be considered for publication. They include her or his opinion about the story, share a story of a similar experience to the author's or offer advice to...
Curated OER
George Orwell's Essay on his Life in Burma: "Shooting an Elephant"
Pupils read George Orwell's essay "Shooting an Elephant" as an analysis for the historical context. In this historical analysis lesson, students analyze the main points in the essay to identify its cultural and historical context. Pupils...
Curated OER
Opening Statements (Timed Writing) Model Lesson Plan
Students review purpose and timing of opening statements in mock trials, discuss particulars of what should be included in opening statements, and write individual opening statements based on facts of their case.
Curated OER
Scaffolding a Reading/Writing Lesson
Students explore pre-reading activities. Through looking at titles, and observing pictures, students predict what will happen in a story. They listen to a part of the story and then write their own conclusion. Students complete the story...
Curated OER
Write for Change
Young scholars discuss and list injustices experienced in the novel "Hoot". They review the different ways letter writing was a part of the novel "Hoot". They choose one issue that is of concern to them and state their viewpoint on the...
Curated OER
Organizing Ideas
Eighth graders investigate varous writing skills as part of larger course of study. The lesson is essentially a rough guide for conducting a class for writing. The main focus of the plan is organizing ideas using various strategies that...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan: Global Warming
Students explore the concept of global warming. In this climate change lesson plan, students explore the provided links to PBS NOW sources and research the greenhouse effect and the effects of global warming. Students support their...
Curated OER
Preparing Arguments
Students review the information from the previous lesson on persuasion essays. In groups, they brainstorm a list of arguments to use to support their trip to Six Flags. They also develop counterarguments and gather information to put...
Curated OER
Children's Media and Censorship
High schoolers form opinions about children and television censorship after analyzing literature. They complete a journal writing activity to identify the topic and make a list of inappropriate television shows for children. Next, they...
Virginia Department of Education
Counterarguments
Create an urbane battle royal in class with the old Coke vs. Pepsi challenge that develops upper level high school learners skills in developing counterarguments in essay writing. The educator divides the room according to tastes, and...
PBS
The Impact of Genetically Modified Seeds
What is all the fuss about genetically modified foods? PBS provides this resource designed to supplement the documentary Food, Inc. to help learners investigate the benefits and controversies of genetically modified foods...
Curated OER
Writing Persuasive Paragraphs
Fourth graders discover a fun-filled way to write persuasive paragraphs. After reading stories about mice and weasels, they choose which animal to be their topic. Students use a web outline to organize their opinion, four supporting...
Curated OER
Anti-social Behavior - A Topical Lesson From Learn.co.uk
Middle schoolers discuss issues of crime, punishment, respect and responsibility,
and explore arguments about causes of crime and possible solutions, and write persuasive essays sharing their views.
Curated OER
Techniques for Speech Delivery
Young scholars write and deliver a short persuasive speech using the POAM method. They also incorporate one of the three persuasive appeals into a written speech. Students apply what they have learned about persuasion and speech...
Curated OER
If I Had A Million Dollars
Young scholars write a persuasive letter. In this philanthropy lesson, students write about what they would do if they had a million dollars. They discuss worthwhile community causes they could donate money to. Young scholars also...
Education World
Human Nature- Good or Evil?
Learners explore the philosophical nature of good vs. evil. In this literacy/philosophy lesson, students read and discuss media articles that illustrate human nature as inherently "good" or "evil." Learners practice debating skills and...
Curated OER
Stewardship
Students explore deforestation and cultural mandate. In this stewardship lesson, students complete a KWL chart about deforestation and discuss how stewardship relates to the cultural mandate after reading silently in...
Curated OER
Deduction
Students investigate the linguistic devices used by writers to create meaning. In this writing lesson, students discover why writers write in different ways showing examples of different types of text. After reading each type students...
Curated OER
Screening the Silver Screen
Students write New York Times Movie Guide Reviews using descriptive and persuasive language.
Curated OER
Smiles Change the World
Learners develop speaking and listening skills while evaluating a list. In this consensus lesson, students define consensus and discuss how it might be used at recess. After learners understand how consensus works, students review and...