Whitewater Valley Railroad
Teaching and Learning with The Polar Express
Use a series of extension activities to enhance your class reading of Chris Van Allsburg's holiday classic, The Polar Express. From a biography of the author to filmed book reviews and research about the railroad, kids can take...
The New York Times
A Guide to Political Donations
Voters determine the outcome of elections, but campaign donors can influence the attitudes of those voters. Explore nine examples of donors and the amounts of money they want to contribute, and the legal ways the groups can or cannot...
Curated OER
The Language of Human Rights
Did you know that there are 15.2 million refugees in the world? High schoolers will read "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights" and learn how they can get involved to lower this surprising number. To really encourage involvement,...
Curated OER
Debt: Who Does it Affect?
Debt is a topic that affects everybody: the community, the nation, and the entire globe. Kids take charge of debt by designing a project that informs those in their community about good financial choices, keeps personal debt low, and...
Practical Money Skills
Protecting Your Money
How can you tell if a commercial or salesperson is being misleading? Encourage your learners to protect themselves and their money with a lesson about consumer rights. They review laws that keep consumers safe from faulty claims and...
Curated OER
Light in the Darkness
Include Hanukkah into classroom workstations during the holiday season with energetic activities and games. Children learn about the Jewish culture, play games, make crafts, and learn how to cook delicious potato latkes.
Curated OER
2001 AP® United States History Free-Response Questions
Rigorous and challenging, the AP Test for AP United States History contains a document-based question (with nine documents), as well as two additional free-response questions. Students who are preparing for the test will appreciate the...
Curated OER
Promote Nonviolence
Take a look at the topic of violence as seen in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. Discuss together the values that Atticus holds and brainstorm ways to combat violence in a similar manner to what he portrays in the novel. Get your...
Great Books Foundation
Discussion Guide for Handmaid's Tale
Great literature discussions are a consequence of carefully crafted questions, interpretative questions that permit more than one response, and responses supported by specific evidence from the text. The discussion questions in a guide...
Great Books Foundation
Discussion Guide for 1984
George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, published in 1949, can seem strangely prophetic when compared to modern news events and politics. Readers of Orwell's dystopian classic sharpen their critical thinking skills by engaging in...
Curated OER
Let's Make Lemonade
Students generate a list of needs for a community project. In this social studies and philanthropy instructional activity, students listen to the story The Little Red Hen and discuss teamwork. Students plan for a lemonade stand,...
Curated OER
Philanthropy is Everywhere Lesson 4: Careers in Philanthropy
Students discover career opportunities in the non-profit sector. They look at local business to determine compare and contrast for profit and non-profit businesses. They participate in a non-profit job fair.
Curated OER
Identify the Three Economic Sectors
Students identify the three economic sectors found in the United States. They organize different foundations into these three categories. They examine why each sector is necessary in our society.
Curated OER
Making Good Money Choices
Students play a game called Philanthropy EconAround Bingo and learn how to make smart money choices. In this money choices lesson plan, students play the game and discuss what choices would be better than others to maximize their money.
Curated OER
Who Will Benefit if We Give Bulbs What They Need to Grow?
Young scholars identify the elements needed for bulbs to grow. They raise tulips and give them to various members of the community. They identify local philanthropic communities and look for ways they can constructively donate time and...
Curated OER
Community Heritage
Students discuss cultural issues in their community. In this cultural lesson plan, students meet a local Hispanic activist and discuss current issues in the community.
Curated OER
Lesson One: Characterizing Philanthropic People
Familiarize your class with philanthropy and involve individuals in philanthropic activities. First, determine the traits of philanthropic people. Class members attach sticky notes with character traits written on them to each side of at...
Curated OER
Our Land
Students recognize the difference between public and private property. In this public and private lands instructional activity, students discuss the places mentioned in the song "This Land is Your Land." Students create a T-chart showing...
Curated OER
We Are the Government
Students read primary documents to find the motivations of the founding fathers of the United States. In this primary documents lesson, students discuss the meaning of the Preamble to the Constitution, read parts of the Constitution...
Curated OER
A Read-In
Young scholars explore philosophy by participating in a philanthropic activity. In this book read-in lesson plan, students collect a group of used books and illustrate an image to go along with the story. Young scholars donate these...
Curated OER
Stitching Truth Lesson One: What is Civil Society?
Ninth graders create a working definition of civil society. In this US History lesson, 9th graders create a list of terms that help make up the term civil society. Students examine the case study of life in Pinochet's Chile.
Curated OER
Maya Lin
Students are able to explain the important contribution Maya Lin made to society, write about their definition of a hero, and recognize, appreciate and describe the significance of memorials.
Curated OER
Using Art to Study the Past: Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation - 1863
Fifth graders analyze artwork as historical artifact and recognize that the Emancipation Proclamation was a major turning point in the Civil War.
Curated OER
Social Entrepreneurship
Students define the term "social entrepreneurs" and research several examples of this concept in action. They, in groups, research and discuss several questions.