Curated OER
Reflections About Diversity
Students discuss conflicts that arise from problems with diversity issues, and hypothesize what is needed to bring about successful resolutions to these problems. They write a newspaper editorial about how conflicts can be successfully...
Curated OER
Houses or Walaloos
Investigate the legal history and application of the Fifth Amendment. Write an essay in favor of a person keeping land that has been in his/her family for decades.
Curated OER
We Need Cash
Middle schoolers describe charitable, religious, and civic services in their community, and argue for the value of these services. They write a one-page explanation as to why this service is important to the community and why it deserves...
Curated OER
Environmentalism: Then and Now
Tenth graders examine the history of the conservation movement and how it relates to contemporary issues. In this Environmental Science lesson, 10th graders research the roots of the environmental and conservation movement and...
Curated OER
The Welcome Wagon
Students demonstrate an understanding of the immigrant experience in their state. In this immigrant lesson, students listen to immigrant speakers to their state and what their lives were like. Students write brief reports or complete...
Curated OER
Scrambled Paragraphs
Learners examine the structure of paragraphs. In this writing skills lesson, students examine a scrambled paragraph with no formatting or punctuation. Learners rearrange the text to create a well-developed paragraph.
Curated OER
It's About Supply and Demand
Watch an Instructional Television (ITV) video and participate in a simulation to explore supply and demand and how those two forces affect price.
Curated OER
Fighting The Horse Race: Creating Ads Which Explore 2008 Presidential Candidates & Issues
What is advertising? What role does it plan in an election? Middle and high schoolers discuss advertising and its purpose by sifting through different magazines and discussing the products they find. Then they relate advertisements to...
Curated OER
Does it Measure Up?
Use this fun activity with youngsters learning how to use rules for measurement. Each is provided with six steps that direct them to draw specific things with specific heights or lengths. For example, they start by drawing a tree that is...
Curated OER
Truth in Advertising: When to Ask Questions
Young scholars view different commercials and ad campaigns that present opposing notions of "truth." Students use these commercials to evaluate what makes an effective public service announcement (PSA) or advertisement, then choose a...
Curated OER
In The Words of Abraham Lincoln...
Students explore the words of Abraham Lincoln. In this Abraham Lincoln instructional activity, students analyze segments of "The Gettysburg Address," his annual address to Congress in 1862, and his letter to Mrs. Bixby. Students conduct...
Curated OER
Town Along the Chesapeake Bay
Fourth graders make a drawing of a town along a river off of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. Upon completion, they give an oral description of their town, including its houses, stores, businesses, farm area, government, etc., and will...
Curated OER
AIDS Child Activist Dies
Students read an article on AIDS child activist Nkosi Johnson, and examine the extraordinary difficulties faced by students who have AIDS. They write reflection papers on Nkosi Johnson and how his example can help people in their own lives.
Curated OER
Character Development Through Song
Learners use songs to analyze their sense of identity and self-worth. In groups, they discuss and explore their own character development and discover how far they have come in recent years. They also identify the positive and negative...
Curated OER
Recreating Marriage: The Same-Sex Union Debate
A debate continues regarding same-sex marriage as a constitutional right. This lesson requires learners to define marriage then formulate an argument that reconstructs the national debate perspectives. Many standards are addressed but a...
Curated OER
Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez
Learners identify productive resources that are important to migrant workers. In this instructional activity on resources, students give examples of natural resources, human resources and capital resources that apply to migrant workers....
Curated OER
Water in Africa
Young scholars discover the horrible situation of water shortages that many people face by completing Peace Corps activities. In this global health lesson, students analyze and discuss photographs of people in Africa struggling to...
Curated OER
Basic Visual Language
Students gain knowledge of the basics of visual communication. They are introduced to the three fundamental elements of visual language. Those are: camera angle, lighting, and compositions. Students video each other from different angles...
Curated OER
James Brown: Life and Times
Students trace James Brown's rise from "Little Junior" in Depression-era Augusta, Georgia, to the "Minister of the New Super Heavy Funk" and create a collage that captures his impact on American music.
Curated OER
Build the Tallest Building
Students examine the design and construction of skyscrapers. They use the internet to research information about different types of skyscrapers. They create their own building and defend it to the class.
Curated OER
Find Yourself with Global Positioning
Students examine different types of new mapping technologies. They use the internet to gather information about mapping and navigation. They create their own global positioning tool and defend it to the class.
Curated OER
Through the Lens of Robert Capa
Students use Guided Reading techniques to learn about Capa's style and to discover the techniques that made him a great photographer. Students examine the basics of telling compelling stories through photos and each student creates a...
Curated OER
Environmental Harmony
Learners use information from a variety of media to evaluate different artists' views on the human relationship to nature. From these sources, class discussion, and personal experience, students will synthesize a thoughtful,...
Curated OER
Zen and the Work of Frank Lloyd Wright
High schoolers experience Zen philosophies reflected in artwork, poetry, and architecture. Students will explore these connections and expand the discussion to include a professional author of their choice.