Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dancing with Dionysus

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders research Ancient Greek culture by acting in a play for the festival of Dionysus. In this Greek culture lesson, 6th graders study an ancient Greek map and the Sarcophagus Dionysus from the Walters Art Museum website....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson III: Crisis, Pearl Harbor, Internment

For Teachers 9th - 11th
The third in a series of lessons introduced by “A Fence Away From Freedom,” uses the Smithsonian website, “A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution” and focuses on the section of the presentation devoted to the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who Are the Aliens in Our Inland Seas?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers work in teams to research specific landforms in Great Lakes Watershed, compile information into data table, and write legend explaining landform for children's book. Students then research area surrounding landform,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Martin Luther King Jr.: From Civil Rights to Human Rights

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners read essays and participate in a discussion that examines Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s stance on both civil rights and the broader issue of human rights. They conduct research about King's life and work, analyze quotes from his...
Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

Safety or Civil Liberty? The Trial of Sacco and Vanzet

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the Sacco-Vanzetti trial and develop a basic understanding of the issues involved. Then they write an essay taking a stance on the Sacco-Vanzetti trial: was the trial fair? were the two men falsely accused? Finally,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Evidence of Climate Change

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders examine climate change in the state of Colorado. In this climate lesson, 6th graders watch 2 video clips regarding the topic and research the subtopics- snow pack, precipitation, temperature, forest fires, river flow,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

George Washington - A Graphic Novel

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Young scholars write and illustrate their own graphic novels. In this George Washington instructional activity, students collaborate to research Washington's life as surveyor, his involvement in the French and Indian War as well as the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tobacco and Organisms

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students work in teams to design and carry out experiments which show the effects of tobacco / nicotine on organisms. They write reports which are submitted to "The Company" and prepare oral reports which are presented to the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Coral Bleaching: Making Our Oceans Whiter

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students study coral reefs and the controversy over coral bleaching. They role-play a debate over the issue and come up with a compromise to protect the reefs and the economies that depend on them.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Physiological and Psychological Development of the Adolescent

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the life of a teenager from their own perspective and an adult's. In groups, they focus on the biological changes and how they are different in a girl and a boy. Individually, they write a paper about these changes and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Value of a Nation's Currency Goes Beyond its Price

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders understand the meaning of pictures and words on currency. In this currency instructional activity, 6th graders examine currency to find cultural relationships with a country. Students locate symbols of the country on the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Physics "24"

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students construct a model house or school. In this physics lesson, students research about who wind up clocks work and write an essay about it. They determine the center of gravity of different objects.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What on Earth is a Biome?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore organisms and their environments. They examine change over time demonstrate an understanding of physical positions on Earth. They survey earth's diversity, write a report, fill in a data table created on the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pieces of Peace

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students study the artwork of Keith Haring and create an original artwork in his style. In this symbiotics lesson, watch a video about the artwork of Keith Haring and  create an artwork to deliver a message.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Global Water Crisis

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Young scholars research a given nation and complete an activity chart for that country.   In this water crisis lesson students work in groups to organize and present the information for their given country. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Lesson: Immigration

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Many of your class members will have heard of Executive Order 9066 and the Japanese internment camps of World War II. Some may even recognize the terms “Issei” and “Nisei,” but few will have heard of Enemy Alien Hearing Boards, of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rivers

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine how rivers are used in our modern world. They create and analyze a large class mural of a river illustrating the ways rivers are used by people and wildlife, and write an essay on how rivers should be used and why.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Woman Who Slept for Thirty Years

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students are given a bit of information, but must share their information with other students in order to learn enough to solve the puzzle. When students have all the clues, they construct a theory to explain the facts. The teacher adds...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Which Amusement Park Would You Choose?

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Students analyze data related to amusement parks and create a spreadsheet to display the data. They read the data and predict which amusement park they think is safer, create a spreadsheet and graph, and write a proposal based on their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Getting Inside The Outsiders Through Music

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students listen to popular music of the 50's and 60's to make literature connections to The Outsiders. In this popular culture lesson plan, students evaluate and analyze various songs and connect them with the themes in the literature...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Career Exploration

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students investigate possible career paths in forestry they may pursue.  In this vocational lesson, students discover the many careers possible in the world of science by researching teacher approved career websites on the Internet....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Algebra/Geometry Institute Summer 2007 - Perimeter of Polygons

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders find the perimeters of polygons and use perimeters to form polygons. In this perimeter lesson, 6th graders study vocabulary associated with finding perimeter such as polygon, line segment, variable, and formula. They make...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How to Change the World

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Biology or health classmates read a case study about a family who is dealing with fetal alcohol syndrome. The PowerPoint that is supposed to be shown is not included, but there are a plethora of web resources that can be used to help you...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Vocabulary - Unfolding Meaning

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students write the "word for the day" onto a note card. They add a definition, discuss in class and file the card in their own metal box. At the end of the week students play a game with the words from that week.