Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Columbus Day / Computer

For Teachers 1st
Help your class explore holidays and important people. They will use a computer to find out important information on Christopher Columbus. The will research his voyages, ships, and history of that time period. They will then incorporate...
Lesson Plan
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Laura Bush

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students read an article about First Lady, Laura Bush's visit to the Midway Atoll, in which she was hoping to focus attention on preserving wild places. They discuss what role they think First Ladies should play while their husbands are...
Lesson Plan
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A New Deal for African Americans

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Students consider how New Deal programs impacted African Americans. In this New Deal lesson, students collaborate to research Internet and print sources regarding selected New Deal programs and African Americans....
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Gallery Walk

For Teachers 3rd
After reading Mowgli's Brothers, each third grader will choose an animal and write a poetry, in couplet form, for that animal. Then, they complete a black-line drawing of their animal. Consider having learners post both of their finished...
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Classroom Potlatch

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Elementary schoolers study the history and purpose of potlatches. The listen to two stories about potlatches, then design a potlatch that they will host for their family members. They must come up with the gifts they would give, the...
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Rockin? Chalk (Integrating science - make own chalk)

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students use plaster of Paris, talc, and cornstarch to create their own chalk. They hypothesize what mixture of ingredients produce the "best" chalk. Students discuss what they think are the characteristics of the "best" chalk.
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Navajo Weaving

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the Navajo culture. In this Navajo Indians lesson, students gain information about their weaving and dancing. Students note the patterns in the weaving. Students create a dance that corresponds with the patterns they see...
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Forward, Into the Past!

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students, during a (virtual) visit to a burial ground, think about the past by viewing tombstones as primary sources. They explain how the attitudes of Deerfield residents toward death and burial evolved from 1780-1880.
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Latino Contributions To American Culture

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students create their own working definition of what it means to be an American. They examine the achievements of Latinos and discuss how the contribution of these Americans have enriched and helped shape American culture.
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Niches and Adaptations

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students present information about a species, its niche, and adaptations. In this instructional activity on animal environments, students explore how surroundings can affect a given population resulting in adaptation.
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The Desert is Theirs: Adapting to Our Environment

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students determine how animals and people adapt to the desert environment. In this desert lesson, students review vocabulary about the desert and how humans have to make changes to accommodate their environments. They listen to and...
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The Westward Movement

For Teachers Pre-K - 8th
Students study the westward movement through examining stamps. In this westward movement lesson plan, students draw conclusions, determine cause and effect relationships and examine the westward movement of the United States by...
Lesson Plan
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Documenting an Historic Journey

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students read and analyze journals written by Lewis and Clark. They watch and discuss a video segment, complete a graphic organizer, and write a journal entry written from the point of view of someone involved with the Lewis and Clark...
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Create a City: An Urban Planning Exercise

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the effects of population growth in Arizona.  In this history lesson, students work in small groups to create a "perfect" city. Activities include examining the Arizona census results then discussing the importance...
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Working for Water

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students examine the ways that government works to help improve aquatic habitats. In this water habitats lesson students view a video and plan a school restoration project. 
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ESL Network: Exploring Racial Identity

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders drill for the Regents Comprehensive Exam in English by answering questions about selected readings as preparation for writing essays. After answering the questions, they compose essays adhering to formal written Spanish...
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Gotta Be Me

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Pupils create model societies. In this social identity activity, students conduct research so that they can plan and present model societies to their classmates. The societies must include information regarding how their society will...
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Latin American Colonial Diary

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the class systems of New Spain. In small groups, they create a five-day diary about the family life, food, occupation, and government involvement of an assigned personality from the time of Colonial Latin America.
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Aztec Dance

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders study Aztec dance to learn about their culture and civilization. In this Aztec study lesson, 7th graders watch a video of Aztec dancers and describe the dance on an index card. Students visit a website to learn the...
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Becoming a "Gringo" Immigrants, Language Learning and Acculturation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars examine the experience by immigrants coming to America who are Spanish-speaking. As a class, they define "Gringo" and read poems whose authors first language is Spanish. In groups, they participate in different sections...
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Comic Strip Creations

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students identify nouns, adjectives, and verbs from the newspaper. They create a math story problem, then create a comic strip using dialogue from words found in the newspaper.
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Immigration

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine the American immigration experience. In this immigration lesson, 8th graders watch a video about Ellis Island and discuss the processing that took place there. Students write letters in the voice of American...
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?Que ser de nosotros? (What Will Become of Us?)

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students discuss uses of a pumpkin. They fill out graphic organizers. Students listen as the teacher reads a story, and participate by repeating sounds the objects make as the story progresses. One student narrates the story while others...
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Little House in the Census: Almanzo and Laura Ingalls Wilder

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students view copies of the 1880 and 1900 censuses and then create and conduct their own census of their homes, comparing all three.