Curated OER
Write On! Step by Step Paragraph and Report Writing
Students plan and write paragraphs while integrating other core subject areas. In this paragraph writing lesson, students complete 5 lessons to practice writing paragraphs. Students incorporate various core subjects into their paragraph...
New York State Education Department
TASC Transition Curriculum: Workshop 4
Why is it important to use precise language? Participants explore this question in the fourth activity in a series of 15 on effective instruction. Perfect for all content areas, the activity promotes appropriate language choice through...
Curated OER
Forced Potawatomi Migration
Fourth graders write about the forced Potawatomi migration. In this primary source lesson plan students are read journal entries from an emigrating party of Potawatomi Indians. Students reflect on the items the Indians might have taken...
Curated OER
The Inauguration and the Constitution
Learners read the sections of the US Constitution that discuss the elements of the inauguration. They study how the inauguration symbolizes the peaceful transition of power in a democratic republic and show the parts of the inauguration...
Curated OER
Relating to Franklin's Age of Reason
Fourth graders read a selection describing 13 virtues from "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin." They keep track of their behavior and whether or not they can keep up with 5 chosen virtues. They write a 5 paragraph essay on their...
Curated OER
A Course in Basic Skills
Tenth graders complete a course in basic skills in order to meet the standards for sophomore year. Using one of their classmates papers, they identify the main idea, topic sentence and theme. They also identify the transitional words...
Curated OER
Studies of the Ancient World
Sixth graders, after taking a pretest, write a paragraph describing the difference between Athens and Sparta and write an article about the ancient Phoenicians, describing their contributions to world history. They compare democracy in...
Curated OER
If I Could Have Been Somebody Else
Students research a specific person from American history who played a significant role and had an impact on future events and situations. They write a multi paragraph essay which includes three reasons explaining why they would have...
Curated OER
Introduction to Age of Absolutism
Who were the absolute monarchs of Europe and what effect did they have on their countries? Young historians begin by naming qualities they believe are important for a monarch to possess. They then take notes on four key factors...
University of Chicago
Using Artifacts for Clues About Identity
Learn about the ancient Near East through a close examination of ancient artifacts. Lead your class into analysis by first observing an artifact as a class. Pupils can then work in pairs to analyze the other artifacts and compile a list...
University of Chicago
Comparing Modern and Ancient Ideas of Ethnicity and Identity
Explore ethnicity and identity with a research and writing assignment. Class members conduct online research, looking in particular at images and carefully noting down their sources on notecards. They read about identity and compose...
Curated OER
Civil War Essay
Upper graders explore equality by writing an essay. They read the story Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco, and discuss the meaning of the story and its relevance to Civil War events. Learners investigate the five writing process steps and...
San Bernardino Co. Supt. of Schools
Was Julius Caesar a Good Leader for Rome?
Learners consider the various perspectives that different groups in Roman society may have had for Julius Caesar, such as Roman soldiers, senators, the working class, and slaves. The primary activity involves a reading of Caesar's...
Curated OER
Geographically Speaking
Students play a matching game to reinforce the retention of vocabulary words. In this geography lesson, students watch a PowerPoint to define vocabulary words associated with geography, play a memory game with the words, and write...
Curated OER
United We Stand
Students recreate and simulate the secession of the South during the Civil War by having their class secede from the school. They write an essay comparing and contrasting the similarities and differences of everyday life before and after...
Curated OER
Front Page News
Students write original earthquake articles typically found on the front page of a newspaper. Each student has the freedom to write in a variety of writing styles (lead story, human interest story, editorials, etc.). They research...
Curated OER
Amazonian Travel Brochure
Learners create a brochure. In this Amazon research lesson, students research a tourist attraction in the Amazon and develop a travel brochure.
Curated OER
U.S. foreign policy in the early Republic
Students research various events during the War of 1812 and then create magazine articles with supporting illustrations, students are in control of their learning.
Curated OER
The Declaration of Independence
Students empathize with the colonists. In this lesson on the Declaration of Independence, students collaborate to problem solve a school dilemma that enables them to understand the issues and difficulties that occurred in the creation of...
Curated OER
Writing Original Directions
Third graders create original design directions. Each student creates a design and composes directions for re-creating it. Then, when students form pairs, they take turns drawing from one another's written directions.
Curated OER
Creating a Travel Brochure
Students use the internet to research a country of interest to them. Using graphics, they create a travel brochure about the country encouraging people to travel there. They present their information to the class while showing their...
Curated OER
Write Your Own Cultural Connections
Students write a cultural narrative. In this multicultural writing instructional activity, students create an expository narrative to teach others about their lives. Students complete the narrative and use a buddy editing strategy to...
Curated OER
Ancient History Cyber-Journalists
Students describe and assess circumstances surrounding a major historical event from the ancient world by using Internet (and other) resources to research its location, people, and repercussions, & write a newsletter that summarizes...
Curated OER
Taxation Without Representation
Eighth graders empathize with how colonists felt when they were taxed without representation. They use a metaphor of students and a school principal to describe the strained relationship that developed between the colonies and Britain.