Unit Plan
Curated OER

Europe: Indigenous Musical Genius

For Teachers 8th
Students are introduced to several forms of indigenous European music. Students become familiar with instruments, musical and forms and styles from Spain, Sardinia, Austria and Switzerland. Students recreate selected rhythms and styles.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

William Tell Overture

For Teachers K - 2nd
Pupils explore the musical concepts of rhythm, melody, expression, and tone color in a three-instructional activity unit about the William Tell Overture. They identify dynamics and tempo and play a vocal tone color singing game.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animal Encyclopedia Search

For Teachers K - 8th
Students use an online encyclopedia to gather information about animals. They identify habits of ten animals they find interesting. They share their information with the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Connections, Linking Population and the Environment

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students find out that all habitats have a carrying capacity. They explore how the world's human population has grown markedly in the 20th century, and that humans impact environmental health. Students investigate that people can and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Draw It!

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students follow directions to make two- and three-dimensional shapes. Focusing on polygons, they use the shapes to solve real-world problems and review with the class. They read two of Shel Silverstein's poems and discuss the...
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Line Up! Shape Up! Color the World!

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Students explore the Elements of Art. In this art lesson, students read the book Katie Meets the Impressionists and brainstorm the different things that artists create. Students observe various elements of art such as line and color and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Common Theme in Folktale: 900 Versions of Cinderella

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders examine various stories that have a Cinderella theme.  In this Language Arts lesson, 7th graders compare and contrast stories.  Students write various journal assignments in regards to the stories. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Leapin' Landmarks: Locating 10 Man-made Landmarks Around the World

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders label continents, oceans, and major mountain ranges on maps and use the maps to write an informational report about landmarks. In this landmarks lesson plan, 3rd graders write about 1 major landmark.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders research and write an author report on Roald Dahl, including books written by him, birthplace, family life, and other information on his writing. Students read aloud chapters in the book. Students create a newspaper...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using e-mail to Communicate with Students in an Inner City; Celebrating Diversity through a Penpal Program

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students communicate with students at another school through e-mail to help them become better acquainted with using a PC and e-mail. In the second lesson plan, the same type of method is used to explore diversity among communities.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Poetry Interpretation and Figurative Language

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders discover how figurative language is used in poetry. They read selected poems and identify the figurative language with handouts and worksheets included in the lesson. They write poems of their own using figurative language.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heart (and Arm) of Darkness

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students read and translate a 19th-century American ghost tale into a Japanese hanging scroll in this exciting instructional activity for middle-level Language Art classes. The instructional activity can be completed in four or five days.
Lesson Plan
University of Southern California

Discovering Plants

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students construct a small greenhouse and plant lima beans. They read books about plants, tend the lima bean seedlings, observe and record plant growth, taste a variety of plants and maintain plant journals.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Chinese Puzzle Story

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students study the Chinese form of tangrams. They read the story, "Grandfather Tang's Story," by Ann Tompert and discuss how tangrams are used to tell the story. Using paper and scissors, they create animal tangrams and write stories...
Unit Plan
Curated OER

The "Write" Stuff: Strategies and Conventions for Expository Writing

For Teachers 6th
Students develop their expository writing skills while integrating various other subjects. In this writing skills lesson, students complete 4 multiple activity lessons to improve their expository writing skills.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tree Cycles

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders investigate the life cycle of a tree by researching the Internet.  In this plant life lesson, 4th graders observe The Life of a Tree website and discuss the life of a tree from sprout to death.  Students create a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How To: Friendly Letter Writing

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders investigate the proper mechanics of a letter by writing to fictional characters. In this friendly letter activity, 2nd graders read the book Stars in the Darkness, analyzing the story and characters with classmates....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Outline and Shine

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders read and discuss a short story. They complete an outline of the story. They pair and share to evaluate each other's outlines.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Colonial America

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore Internet sites about Colonial America, and create multimedia presentations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mark Twain Award Nominees 2004-05

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students examine books nominated for the Mark Twain Award. They visit various authors' Web sites and read stories, explore the authors, and perform related activities.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

First Steps Toward Source Citation: Author Research

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students, in pairs, research a prominent author and design a presentation poster for the rest of the class. They complete a Works Cited page for their presentation, as well.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Ballad of the Sad Café

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Students view the film "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe" and analyze it for stereotypes of mountain and hillbilly communities. They identify and discuss Appalachian values represented in the film and write a report on their observations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

South Carolina Crazy Paper Quilt of Facts

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders listen as the teacher reads a book about quilts, before they discuss the craftsmanship used in making quilts. They study the regions and symbols associated with their state. They make a quilt square using one of the facts...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Magnetic Discovery Bottle

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Pupils examine how to conduct simple investigations and use simple equipment to gather data.  In this magnet lesson plan students decide what types of objects are attracted to magnets.