Curated OER
Following Plans
Students learn to follow a specific plan in order to do something or get somewhere. In this following directions activity, students explore key vocabulary related to following plans, complete fun activities that require attention to...
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Analyzing an Issue From Three Perspectives-Smoking in Public Places
Middle schoolers examine multiple perspectives on a social issue. In this social issues lesson, students discuss New York's recent ban on smoking from the perspectives of different groups. Middle schoolers takes notes on a video about...
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The Buzz about Fact and Opinion
Learners distinguish facts from opinions. In this biological science lesson plan, students research information on bees to decipher what things are proven true versus assumed. They view a video and discuss what makes the information...
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Character Development-Nanavi, A Girl from Benin, West Africa
Students examine the ways a character changes throughout the course of a story. In this literary analysis activity, students discuss a story that spans three years in a young girl's life. Students analyze the changes the girl...
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Comparing and Contrasting-Explorers of Yesterday and Today
Students compare and contrast two explorations of Yellowstone National Park. In this essay writing lesson plan, students compose essays using information from a variety of sources. Students view a video about one explorer's experience...
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Comparing and Contrasting-Grassland, Desert, and Forest Elephants
Students compare and contrast different types of elephants. In this environmental science activity, students examine the characteristics of three species of elephants. Students view a video of each type of elephant to note their...
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Determining Main Idea and Supporting Details-Wild in the City
Students discuss the main idea of a story. In this writing process lesson plan, students use a video about parakeets as a tool to find the main idea of a story. After viewing the video, they engage in a discussion about determining...
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Evaluating the Validity of Information-Did the Chinese Discover America in 1421?
Students examine the discovery of the Americas. In this US History lesson plan, students investigate the theory that Chinese explorers initially discovered America. They collect research from a variety of sources, and distinguish...
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Form an Opinion-Cats
Young scholars discuss which animal makes a better pet. In this statistics instructional activity, students examine the factors that cause people to choose one animal over the other (cat or dog). Young scholars discuss their own...
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Identifying Cultural and Ethnic Values-Dance Theatre of Harlem
Students examine culture and ethnicity. In this cultural arts lesson, students discuss the cultural and social elements of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. They discuss other historical locations that have cultural influence, and discuss...
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Identifying the Social and Cultural Contexts of a Time Period-The Journey of the Jewish Americans
Students discuss the experience of 19th century Jewish American immigrants. In this US history lesson, students research the cultural, social, and economic experience of Jews who immigrated to the United States. Students view a video...
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Main Idea and Details-Cloud
Students distinguish between main idea and details. In this writing process lesson, students use a video on horses to learn about note-taking. They write details from the video on sticky notes, and then determine which ones are most...
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Using Prior Knowledge from Personal Experiences-Understanding Duke Ellington
Students research the life of Duke Ellington. In this music history lesson, students draw comparisons between the early life experiences of Duke Ellington and themselves. Students work in small groups to compare Ellington's resistance...
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Using Supporting Evidence to Interpret Meaning-A Native American Folktale
Pupils read Native American folktales. In this multicultural literature instructional activity, students research the style of writing used in Native American folktales. They view a video of a folktale, and discuss the meanings of the...
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Connections Between Texts-Maya Lin and Jane Jacobs
Learners discuss New York City architectural developments. In this architectural history lesson, students create Reader's Theater scripts based on imaginary conversations between two women who contributed to New York City's...
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Designing a Poster to Communicate Information: Yellowstone National Park
It's not hard to convince someone to visit the beauty of Yellowstone National Park. But there's more than meets the eye in this region! Learners watch a short historical video and conduct research before creating an advertisement for...
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Identifying Information-The Dogon of Africa
Middle schoolers practice categorizing information. In this sociology lesson, students categorize information based on a video about the Dogon people of Mali. Middle schoolers work to separate information into the following categories:...
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Perspectives of the Gullah Geechee People-Sapelo Island
Students study the Gullah Geechee people of Georgia. In this world geography lesson, students conduct research about the Gullah Geechee people and their unique culture. They view videos of three local people, and take note of important...
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Painting Presidential Portraits
Eleventh graders examine the duties and powers of the president. In this American Government lesson, 11th graders research to find information on the role of the president. Students practice reading and listening skills.
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Pieces of Mind: Remembering What Matters
Students watch the program "Pieces of Mind" from PBS and participate in a class discussion about PET scans and their advantages. Students then brainstorm activities a PET scan could be used for.
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The Thrill of Big-Wave Surfing
Learners view a PBS Nature program about big-wave surfing and participate in a class discussion about their experiences with surfing, body boarding, or body surfing. Students create a drawing based on a reading and post their art around...
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Jazz Music and the Crisis Over School Desegregation
High schoolers will learn to appreciate the civil rights movement with a focus on Little Rock, Arkansas. They will also acknowledge Louis Armstrong's unparalleled contributions to American music.
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Writing With Punch
Students watch the series "Unforgiveable Blackness". They examine the media's response to Jack Johnson in the film. They role-play the role of reporters to compose poems of headlines.
PBS
Democracy in Action: Freedom Riders
This is a must-have resource for every social studies teacher covering the civil rights movement. Through an engaging video and detailed viewing guide, young historians learn about the Freedom Riders, and discover how everyday...