Curated OER
Enduring Legacies of the New Deal
Young scholars investigate U.S. history by listening to an economics lecture. In this U.S. government lesson, students research the "New Deal" which happened after the Great Depression. Young scholars identify movies, books and music...
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AIDS, HIV and other Microbe Matters
This series of lessons contains sensitive material. Please review to ensure that the content is suitable for your class. It begins by discussing what microbes are. Scholars are then asked to review a few online resources and answer...
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Penguin Writing
After discussing the main events in Mr. Popper’s Penguins, young writers describe in sequence what they would do if they had 12 penguins living in their house. The narratives are then glued onto a penguin cut-out, mounted on construction...
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Literary Response and Analysis Theme Literature
Analyze the central idea or literary theme found in a series of quotes from the Shakespearean play, Hamlet. For literary analysis, learners paraphrase excerpts from the play and then identify the characters' motivations for their speech.
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Art Careers: Interior Decorator
Learners redesign specific areas of their school using interior design techniques, magazine ideas, and cooperative learning groups in this middle and high school level lesson. Emphasis is on examining the career opportunities in interior...
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Ready, Set, Go for Good Health: My Future--Setting Goals
Students recall significant personal life events and identify future goals
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Leaf People
Kids create leaf people out of sticks, glue, and leaves. They use their imagination to construct leaf people and then glue them onto construction paper. Tip: Extend this craft by incorporating writing. Have learners write a short story...
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Flat Stanley Visits....Your Imagination in Claymation!
For this literature lesson, learners read the Jeff Brown book Flat Stanley and collaborate to create claymation characters from the story. Students create a claymation video and discuss using word cards during hte movie.
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Puzzle Trees
Elementary artists use a collage and multi-media technique to create textured trees. They study the fall trees, discussing texture and what bare trees look like. They then use a variety of materials to create a textural piece.
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Dragonfly Sculptures
Art projects are great when they apply to other subjects. First study insects, their parts, and their habitats. Then have little ones create a dragonfly. They use clothes pins, raffia, pipe-cleaners, and paint to construct their...
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Clay Gargoyles and Grotesques
Grotesques or gargoyles are wonderful subjects for stories or art projects. Here is a simple "how to" for creating a lesson plan about sculpting clay gargoyles. Tip: Have learners research gargoyles throughout history.
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Toothpick Sculpture
You'll be surprized at how much engineering, design, and creativity can go into a toothpick and a marshmallow. Learners make toothpick sculptures where they construct three-dimentional models by sticking marshmallows and toothpicks...
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Paper Plate Sunflowers
A great way to recall the parts of a flower is to make one. Little learners create sunflowers out of paint and paper plates. They also discuss and label the various parts of their flowers.
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Watercolor Rainbows
Who doesn't love a rainbow? Little ones adore them, so why not make rainbows the subject of your next art project. Your class can use watercolor to paint rainbows. As they do, have them identify the colors in the rainbow, talk about how...
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Exploring Maps: Lesson 2 Guide: Navigation
Students explore and examine how maps have been used in navigation. They research how travelers collected observations to keep track of their positions and plotted information on maps. Each student then makes a Mercator projection...
World Globes & Maps
United States Map- Intermediate Directions
Students identify the four intermediate directions. For this map skills lesson, students use post-it notes to label the four intermediate directions on a map. Students locate various states using intermediate directions.
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Fire Fighting
Students consider the effects of a wildfire on prairie life. They explore the ways that plants regenerate after a fire and create fictional plants that have adapted specifically to the prairie environment. They share models of their plants.
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Face Study: Draw the Other Half
Build fine motor, spatial, and drawing skills by having the class complete the other half of a portrait. They choose an image of a face from a magazine, then attempt to draw the other half of the face as accurately as they can. Two book...
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Sending E-mail
Middle schoolers learn about writing and sending e-mail. They discuss the differences between the ways messages may travel. Then, they learn and compare the writing process between e-mail and regular mail.
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Paper Ring Art
A few bits of paper can really go a long way when it comes to art. Learners build motor skills and a creative voice as they shape and glue thin strips of paper, creating an original scene.
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Florida Blue Crab
Explore the extraordinary creatures of the ocean! Learners create Florida Blue Crabs (imitation of course) using blue paint and their hand prints. This is a cute supplementary project perfect for an ocean-themed unit or preschool...
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Mixing Colors with Corn Syrup and Food Coloring
Anyone who has worked with small children know that color identification and color mixing can be fun! This simple idea has a lot of potential. It suggests to mix food coloring with corn syrup to provide an opportunity for color mixing...
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Processing Satellite Images
Students comprehend the meaning of "pixel." They recognize patterns using pixels. Students observe how land use can be determined from a pixel. They measure off a 30 x 30-meter area to show the size of the surface area of one pixel....
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Going Buggy
Students identify the parts of a dragonfly that they drew. They write a very short non-fiction story (mainly with pictures) about the adventure of a dragonfly. They interview a person dressed as a dragonfly to find out some things about...