Curated OER
Modern Visions
Students explore the many art movements considered to exist in the realm of 'modernism.' students explore, in pairs, key elements of different modern art movements and design posters presenting their movements.
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Through the Eyes of a Child
Students explore how documentaries can present realistic and sometimes difficult perspectives on events in our world. They choose current issues that interest them and create their own documentaries.
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Where the Sidewalk Transcends
Young scholars use titles of Shel Silverstein poems to generate their own poetry for Students. Each student then compares his or her poem to the Shel Silverstein poem of the same title.
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Know Your Rites
Students examine ceremonies in cultures around the world that celebrate young peoples' entry into adulthood.
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Sequencing Time
Learners place events in sequence and assign relative times to each event. They gain an understanding of relative and numerical time and become familiar with the methods used by scientists to develop the Geologic Time Scale.
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A Sea-nic Perspective
Students brainstorm topics related to the health of our world's oceans. They create presentations about specific issues affecting oceans for display in a classroom exhibit. They write letters of invitation to guests to view the exhibit.
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This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land
Students explore the difficulties, and some absurd situations, caused by repeated land subdivisions in the rural areas of poor and overpopulated regions.
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Rhythm Nation
Students read a New York Times article to help them develop an understanding of the history, development, and social influence of various types of world music through the creation of music museum exhibits.
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Inter-State Matters
Young scholars explore the six phase transitions between gases, liquids and solids for a variety of elements. Each group of students focuses on a different element, investigating its physical properties during each of the six phase...
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Heart to Heart
Young scholars examine how social class affects health factors and outcomes by analyzing three case studies of heart attack patients. They reflect on the effects of commodifying health.
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Members Only
Students discuss the advantages and disadvantages of private communities and the lives led by their residents. They design ideal planned communities for people featured in other Class Matters articles.
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Immigration and Migration Today and During the Great Depression
High schoolers conduct oral history interviews and research primary resources to explain changes in immigration and migration over time.
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Learning through The Duke
Students study Duke Ellington's contributions to the field of jazz. They write poetry using language that was popular in the 1920's. They listen to a piece of Duke Ellington jazz and respond with at painting.
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Get Your Motor Runnin'
Students examine the technology of hybrid vehicles and the claims made on their behalf. Upon further exploration, they research and decide which cars, hybrid or non-hybrid, might perform best under various circumstances.
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The Art of Violence
Violence and human suffering, as represented in art and film, are the focus of an investigation of the power of visual images and the moral implications of such representations. Class members examine “Guernica,” Pablo Picasso’s massive...
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Pop Secret Information
Learners design procedures for increasing the popping rate of a set amount of popcorn kernels. They propose and test a "secret" addition to the corn popping procedure which they expect would increase the popping rate and then write lab...
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Autobiographical Art
Learners explore how one artist portrays her own experiences and interests through her art. Students then choose themes in their own lives and create works of art inspired by those themes.
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Plate Patterns
Students read about a volcano and use the latitude and longitude information to plot and describe the volcano on the map. They discuss patterns seen on the map. In addition, they color code a map according to zones, plates, etc.
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American Indians and Their Environment
Learners create a storyboard of the three American Indian language groups showing the geography of where they lived and how they adapted to the environment. They compare European and American Indian views of nature and explain how these...
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Rock Art Caves
Fourth graders research the rock art caves that are found in Texas. In this rock art lesson plan, 4th graders use assigned web sites to find information about the rock art that is found in caves in Texas. They work in small groups to...
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Sports Science
Students explore athletes and how they perform. In this physics lesson, students investigate how physics is involved in sports. Students go online to interactive sites that explain physics and biomechanics. Students also research...
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Trying Teens
Students explore the court cases and legal organizations that were instrumental in creating a system of juvenile justice in the United States, then present their findings in a composite timeline.
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The Gift That Keeps on Giving
Students reflect on the role of DNA in society since its discovery in 1953 by creating works of art and poetry that metaphorically illustrate the importance, influence and concerns of DNA research.
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Where the Spirit Moves You
Students explore the spiritual significance of locations throughout the world. After studying the historical and mystical importance of these places, students write about a spiritual place that is special to them.