National Council of Teachers of English
Writing Acrostic Poems with Thematically Related Texts in the Content Areas
Scholars scour thematically aligned texts to gather a bank of words they can use in an original acrostic poem.
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...
Middle Tennessee State University
Lesson Plan: Immigration: A Case Study on Multiple Perspectives and Diverse Formats
As part of a case study of U.S. immigration during the first part of the 20th century, class members examine a variety of primary sources that present multiple perspectives of the responses of those in favor of immigration and those...
Carnegie Library
Creative Writing: Middle School Lesson Plan
Enhance a unit on historical fiction with an engaging writing lesson. Learners bring the Industrial Era to life as they compose their own historical fiction pieces based on primary source images of Pittsburgh steel workers.
Science NetLinks
Green Roof Design
Green roofs aren't just eco-friendly — they are literally green with trees. Groups learn about the concept of green roofs in order to be able to design one. The groups design a 5,000-square-foot green roof for a fictional apartment row...
Syracuse University
Harlem Renaissance
The music and literature of the Harlem Renaissance defined American culture, including its poetry. Using a poem from the period, individuals explore its musical qualities and how it is reflective of the period. Then, they use what they...
Syracuse University
Ancient World Writing System
Most twenty-first century pupils don't know how to interpret cuneiform. Examining images of cuneiform and papyrus writing and using a chart and Venn diagram, young historians extrapolate what life may have been like for people who lived...
Syracuse University
Civil War
What was it like to enlist as a soldier in the Civil War? By using enlistment papers, young scholars consider this question. After they've looked at the primary source and discussed it, they create a short story of a fictional soldier to...
Curated OER
Searching the States (or Provinces) Scavenger Hunt
Learners examine information on a particular state or province. Groups of students use the internet to locate facts about an assigned state. They research information such as capital, state song, and major crops. learners report their...
Curated OER
Central America and the Caribbean
Use the library or Internet to find resources on a chosen topic. The class will comprehend the collected information, structure the information with texts and graphics for a presentation. Each presentation focuses on Hispanic culture and...
Curated OER
Creating a Wild Family Album
Third graders choose an animal to research and create a portfolio about that animal that includes information from at least three resources, a graphic organizer, maps, food webs, and captioned pictures.
Curated OER
Historical Fiction Project
Students be engaged in a history project that is combined with Language Arts with the purpose of teaching students how to cite bibliographic information. This is important for doing future research.
Curated OER
Are You Sure You've Got the Right Answer?
Young researchers work through the research cycle. They question, plan, gather, sort, synthesize, and evaluate the materials they collect at the library. There are web supplements for this lesson.
Curated OER
Korean Foods
An interesting lesson to find more information about the subject of Korean foods and their origins in culture. The topics surrounding mealtime, such as religious traditions and etiquette are researched in order to put together a key note...
Curated OER
Fairy Tales
Students research the Internet using hotlists to find two different versions of a fairy tale after watching a teacher presentation of two versions of The Three Little Pigs. They design a PowerPoint presentation that shows the comparisons...
Curated OER
Timber: Living and Working in an Arkansas Forest
Upper elementary and middle schoolers examine and research the history of the Timber Industry in the state of Arkansas. An economic component is quite prevalent in this lesson as well. Groups of learners work together to write essays...
Curated OER
Akron: This City Reads
Young scholars write their thoughts about the value of reading and of Akron launching a city wide reading campaign. Students also research literacy in their own community, finding out how it compares to Akron's statistics where it has...
Curated OER
International Trade Web Pages
Students describe how a country is currently engaging in international trade in terms of both imports and exports, as well as identifying trade barriers. They conduct research to identify the institutions and culture of a country. Using...
Curated OER
Give Credit Where Credit is Due
Middle schoolers explain what plagiarism is, why it is a problem, and how to avoid it. They articulate why it is unacceptable in a research document, and they show how to avoid it by using proper citation tools. They demonstrate correct...
Curated OER
People of the US
Students use a hot list to research a famous person. They make a presentation displaying five things about that famous person. Students research what impact that famous person had on US history. They make a presentation to present before...
Curated OER
Synthesis of Information
Locating and synthesizing information is an essential part of the research process but can be overwhelming for many young writers. Eliminate some of the stress and confusion, this resource suggests, by separating these steps. To focus...
Curated OER
An Illustrated Guide to the Late 1800's
Eleventh graders investigate the time of the late 1800's. They conduct research using a variety of resources that could include the internet. Students create an alphabetized encyclopedia of important historical people of the time period.
Curated OER
Past and Present
High schoolers research their community history and choose on aspect to create an iMovie on. They use digital photographs and old images of community place that show how they have changed.
Curated OER
Simple Internet Searching Lesson 2
Learn how to use search engines and keywords! Learners evaluate the information process using given criteria and determine ways in which the process may be improved.