Curated OER
Crisis Management
Students research the issues facing President Bush and write short political commentaries predicting what course the president take. For homework, they write editorials stating what they think the president should do to best serve the...
Curated OER
Argumentation and Logic
Students recognize inductive and deductive reasoning and analyze common fallacies in critical thinking. In this argumentation and logic lesson, students use role playing activities and specific instances of inductive and deductive...
Curated OER
Making School a Better Place.
Students study the problems in their school and work on solutions for those problems. In this writing process lesson, students analyze a problem and work as a team to find a solution. Students present written and oral work to...
Curated OER
Crash Test Physics
High schoolers design and test balsa cars. In this crash tet lesson plan, students design and build their own cars to specifications. They explore the physics of motion and vehicle crash safety.
Curated OER
Cooperative Classroom Text Features Activities
Fifth graders examine text features and create a PowerPoint presentation. In this text features lesson, 5th graders go over Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures and text features before they choose one to include in a book and...
Curated OER
The Powers That Be
Students investigate past energy legislation, then write letters to Congress from the perspective of citizens trying to influence the original passage of these bills. Each small group does their research using a website imbedded in this...
Curated OER
Judicial Void
Students explore the impact of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court. They research potential nominees to replace her, in light of her resignation, and write letters to President George W. Bush to share opinions of the...
Curated OER
Won't You Be My (E-)Neighbor?
Students explore the concepts of community, belonging and human relationships through an Internet application designed to foster neighborly relations and write a persuasive statement to recruit others to join their community.
Curated OER
Self-Assessment: Habits of Effective Readers, Writers, Speakers, Listeners, and Viewers
Fifth graders study how to read fluently. In this reading lesson, 5th graders practice reading and recording any miscues. Students time each other and graph their progress each day.
Curated OER
Book Cover Design
Students design book covers. In this graphic design lesson, students are introduced to designing book covers. Students develop skills on how to promote their designs to clients. Students then create their own book covers.
Curated OER
Heaven or Ground Hog Day?
Students discover the ideas of enlightenment by reading historical poetry. In this philosophical lesson, students read poems by Sir Walter Scott and Sergeant Joyce Kilmer while discussing the themes of the writing with classmates....
Curated OER
When Life Serves You Lemons!
Learners build their own lemonade stand. In this problem solving lesson plan, students measure the materials needed to build a stand and make lemonade. They find the cost of producing the lemonade and the profit they will make.
Curated OER
Solving Science Mysteries
Learners choose a science-related mystery to investigate such as the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot. They, in groups, research theories and give a persuasive talk presenting the theory they feel to be most likely.
Curated OER
The Game of Persuasion
Learners study vocabulary words and explore persuasive speaking. In groups, they support a given argument and generate ideas for a a persuasive speech. They discuss powerful words and strategies for persuasion. Students write a...
Curated OER
George Orwell's Essay on his Life in Burma: "Shooting an Elephant"
Pupils read George Orwell's essay "Shooting an Elephant" as an analysis for the historical context. In this historical analysis lesson, students analyze the main points in the essay to identify its cultural and historical context. Pupils...
Curated OER
Nature Walk Poem
Third graders read poetry inspired by nature. They talk a walk in nature or in their neighborhood with paper and pen and write down feelings and perceptions. They write a poem about their walk and share it with the class.
Curated OER
Stocking Up For The Next Millennium
Look back on the inventions, concepts, cultural items, and literary contributions of the past one hundred years. Young historians will compose a presentation based on the research they do in favor of one thing that should withstand the...
Curated OER
Check Out Lights and Shields with Beads
Learners explore Ultraviolet detecting beads and conduct several investigations with them. In this investigative lesson students participate in an experiment to see the harmful effects of UV light and discuss their findings.
Curated OER
Shakespeare's Othello and the Power of Language
Learners explore the basis of Iago's persuasive power by analyzing Shakespeare's use of rhetoric and figurative language. In this Othello lesson, students analyze Iago's rhetoric in monologues and dialogues with other characters....
Curated OER
Build Your Own Adventure
Sixth graders write a narrative. They choose options for plot and climax within the context of an outdoor survival story.
Curated OER
Exploring Satire - Jonathan Swift
Students study about satire and find examples Part One of GULLIVER'S TRAVELS. They then write an essay about the examples they found and how the writer used satire in his literary work.
Curated OER
What a Difference a Year Makes: Billy's Letter
Seventh graders read, "Where the Red Fern Grows" and write a RAFT letter from the point of view of the character Billy to his grandpa reflecting on the death of his dog and his adjustment to life in town.
Curated OER
Exploring Color Vocabulary
Students explore color terms and related meanings and metaphors in cultural and literary contexts. They use the main colors to explore synonymous color terms and related metaphorical meanings of color words. Students recognize the...
Curated OER
Critical Literacy in the 21st Century
Young scholars discover world geography by writing persuasive letters. In this literacy lesson, students discuss what percentage of children are illiterate in our country compared to other geographic locations. Young scholars...