Curated OER
American Revolution
While just an outline for an exploration of the American Revolution, this lesson could be augmented to provide a richer experience. The activity calls for learners to discuss the Declaration of Independence, study Paul Revere's midnight...
Curated OER
The Branches of Government
After reviewing and reading about the three branches of US Government, complete this activity with your class. In groups, they will place their "cards" on the board under the correct branch. This lesson plan is weak and unclear. I'd make...
Curated OER
Giving Directions
While incomplete, this lesson provides an interesting way to approach an activity on giving and following directions. Learners work in groups, using a newspaper and maps, to give each other directions to a specific location. The handouts...
Curated OER
Wrap a Gift
With wrapping a gift as the focus, this lesson has learners practice vocabulary and formulating descriptions. They wrap and unwrap a gift identifying the objects as they go. This activity could be enhanced to make it a richer experience.
Curated OER
Finding Your Way Using QR Codes
If you are taking your class on a library tour, use this scavenger hunt activity to spice it up. Although this hunt isn't actually attached (like the lesson says it is), you will get a good idea of how to implement a task like this....
Curated OER
Find Figurative Language
Meet with the school library specialist and work together to plan a visit and presentation on figurative language. After defining and examining examples of targeted terms, the class travels to the library where the SL has collected...
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Citing Sources
Practice citation skills with this activity, which takes learners to the Library/Media center. There, they will view a Powerpoint presentation and practice collecting data in both print and non-print sources. All necessary materials are...
Curated OER
Philanthropic Literature: Quilt to Freedom
A reading of Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson launches this study of slavery, freedom, and the Underground Railroad. After a discussion of the importance of showing respect for others and of helping each other in...
Curated OER
Akron: This City Reads
High schoolers 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
Email Buddies
Collaborate with another class (or school) and have your learners share ideas about their reading through the use of email. Perhaps you'll create a specific question or a few questions for writers to choose from. Not only will they...
Curated OER
In the News
Fourth graders will use AlphaSmarts/Neos to create a one page newspaper in Word which features an early explorer. This lesson can be done entirely in the classroom. The students will perform research about the explorer prior to the...
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Guess Who's Coming to Our Classroom
Students use their research skills to determine the famous person given in clues. Using a character recently dicussed in their classroom, they discuss how they would create a costume for them. They write sentences to be used as dialogue...
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The New Deal: North Carolina's Reconstruction
Eighth graders study North Carolina's reconstruction through an interdisciplinary project that emcompasses social studies, language arts, visual art, music, and technology.
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Unlocking Soliloquies and Unleashing "the Dogs of War"
What is a soliloquy, and who is Julius Caesar? Explore soliloquies with this lesson that gets your kids up and moving! Learners line up, facing each other. Then they read the soliloquy (one side reads one line, and the other side reads...
Foreign Policy Research Institute
Islam and Islamic Culture
Whether democracy will ever take hold in Islamic nations continues to be a topic of great debate. Here, a series of questions, research, and discussion provide a foundation for class members to come to their own conclusion which they...
Curated OER
Civil War Slang
Students explore the language of the Civil War time period. In this Civil War instructional activity, students work in groups to research the meanings of Civil War slang.
Curated OER
Analyzing Sonnets
Model for your class how to craft an analysis of a sonnet by examining the literary techniques used, the background of the poet, and critical reviews of the poem. As guided practice, learners are assigned a sonnet, complete a preliminary...
Curated OER
Preparing for the New SAT
Read the College Board's explanation of changes in the SAT for 2005, including essay and grammar questions, use College Board's suggestions for ways to study, practice sample questions, and explore other sites with practice tests.
Curated OER
A Monument Please, For the Big Cheese
Young scholars research a President from the United States. In this United States history lesson, students read about their selected President and record interesting facts. Young scholars design a monument for the President they researched.
Curated OER
Julius Caesar: iambic pentameter
Read in iambic pentameter! Read Julius Caesar and Macbeth to study the famous meter. While the lesson points out the specific passages to use, you'll have to find them and copy them yourself.
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Beauty Queen Heads to Iraq
Students study about Jessica Gaulke, a beauty queen from Minnesota. She is then deployed to Iraq with the National Guard unit she is in. They have to role play her and react to what they think they would feel if they were in her shoes.
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Outsourcing City Hall
Pupils examine how some city halls around the country are using private companies to run them. After watching a video, they write a reaction paper to some part of it. They write an article for their school newspaper discussing whether...
Curated OER
Springfield Digital Storytelling Project: Landform Riddle
Creative projects and collaborative learning are hallmarks of 21st Century learning skills. Using an iphone, 6th graders create an iMovie which shows a student composed riddle. The riddle needs to be about one of the landforms they have...
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Working Animals
Students discuss the role of animals and how they can work with people to better the community. In this working animals lesson plan, students discuss how animals and people work together to complete different tasks in the community.