Curated OER
Propaganda
How does word choice affect the reading of a text? Compare two headlines that were written about the same event. Is one biased? Discuss how word choice often reveals the author's feelings about a topic. Then look at different techniques...
Curated OER
Four Corners Debate
Should the student population wear uniforms to school? Pupils express whether they strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with a controversial statement, moving to a designated corner of the room to indicate their stance....
Museum of Tolerance
Creating an Ideal World
To conclude a study of social justice and tolerance designed to prepare classes for a visit to the Museum of Tolerance, class members brainstorm a safe and peaceful world. They then write about their own vision of this world.
Nemours KidsHealth
Food Labels: Grades 9-12
Check the label! That's the big idea in a instructional activity about using the nutrition facts on food labels rather than advertising hype to make healthy choices about what to eat. After reading background articles and learning how to...
New Jersey Historical Commission and New Jersey Council for the Humanities
Thomas Edison: The Wizard of Menlo Park
What would change in your daily life due to a power outage? Here, learners explore the inventions brought to us by the one and only, Thomas Edison, and imagine a day without them. Scholars take part in a grand conversation and write a...
Crabtree Publishing
Why Does Media Literacy Matter?
Criticism of news and entertainment journalism is at an all-time high. Help 21st-century learners develop the media literacy skills they need to become critical consumers with a three-lesson guide the looks at persuasive techniques used...
Bantam Books
The Tempest: Four Corners
Forgiveness can be a difficult step to take in any circumstance, but is it more difficult if the offense is more egregious? High schoolers consider the concept of forgiveness before reading William Shakespeare's The Tempest. As...
American Battlefield Trust
Preserving Battlefields
Save that site! Budding historians go on a rescue mission to save important Civil War battle sites using a project-based lesson. After carefully researching the importance of critical engagements and evaluating current threats, learners...
Curated OER
Main Idea
What could you pack for a trip if you don't know the destination? After writing a list of items they would want to bring, fourth graders learn that the "trip" is to the South Pole - revealing the need to understand all available...
Curated OER
Emotion or Reason?
Students use persuasive devices to construct oral or written arguments. In this arguments lesson, students discuss the types of persuasive devices used in arguments and form groups to select a topic to research. Students create a...
Curated OER
Let's Walk That Talk
Students present speeches. In this philanthropy lesson, students invite another class to come visit. They talk about philanthropy and present persuasive speeches written in a previous lesson. The visiting students answer the question...
Curated OER
Buckets of Bucks for World Hunger
Learners participate in a nonprofit organization activity for hunger outreach problems. In this service project lesson, students practice counting coins, complete a service project for a hunger outreach, discuss nutrition and healthy...
Curated OER
Writing a Weather Report or Weather Forecast
Students examine their geography skills. In this weather forecasting lesson plan, students select a location and research it. Students write a weather report or forecast for the chosen location based on their research.
Curated OER
Dealing with DNA Controversy
Pupils research controversial statements about biological applications and write a persuasive essay. In this biology lesson plan, young scholars are assigned a controversial statement as a research topic, then they use this topic to...
Curated OER
Critical Literacy in the 21st Century
Listen to Sitti's Secrets and have your class discuss their opinions about Arab families. They will become familiar with the Palestinian /Arabic Culture through a critical literacy focus. Young scholars will write a...
Curated OER
The 'Capital' of the World
Students are introduced to the purpose of the World Bank and its president Paul Wolfowitz. After reading an article, they work together to complete a writing exercise in which they use primary source documents to state their viewpoint. ...
Curated OER
Public vs. Private
Young scholars watch two commericals from previous presidential elections on the topic of healthcare. After reading an article, they identify the position of the various candidates for the 2008 election. In groups, they brainstorm their...
Curated OER
Abolish the Office of Governor
Students explore the history of the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776. In this historical analysis instructional activity, students analyze the constitution of the state and determine how citizens benefited (or didn't benefit) from the...
Curated OER
Once Upon a Genre
Students examine fractured fairy tales before responding by writing in many different genres including a persuasive essay, a personal narrative, a letter, an advertisement, and a resume'. They create a pop-up book with their written...
Curated OER
Children's Accountability for Their Crimes
Students participate in a round-table discussion about the juvenile justice system and investigate the 'age of accountability' debate. They write a persuasive essay supporting or refuting the punishment received by the children discussed...
Curated OER
Answering the Call of the Wild
Students explore wildlife conservation by investigating the reintroduction of species into their natural habitats and species near extinction. They create a poster and a position paper that explains the importance of preserving this...
Curated OER
Liberty, Equality, Uniformity?
Learners examine the French draft law to ban religious symbols from public schools. They research "secularist" and "pluralist" positions regarding this ban, debate the topic in class, and draft a position paper on the ban.
Curated OER
What Makes a Cat a Cat?
Students investigate the lives of pets by videotaping them. In this animal life lesson, students videotape a cat and other pets using school cameras in a computer lab. Students review the footage from the cat and other...
Curated OER
Persuasive Speech
Tenth graders participate in a lesson that is focused on the concept of writing persuasive speechs. They conduct research from a variety of sources in order to gather information to write well informed speeches.