Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scenario challenge

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders become familiar with the geography of New Hampshire and the importance of specific sites in history.  In this New Hampshire lesson, 5th graders create a brochure including points of interest and showing distances...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Age of Exploration

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students investigate U.S. history by examining North American timelines. In this American exploration lesson, students research the events that led to Columbus finding America and participate in a jeopardy game regarding his adventure....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Alternative Energy Sources

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students research the amount and kinds of energy that are produced and consumed in the United States, including the limitations of this kind of consumption. They research and create a display to teach classmates about a specific...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Patriotic Music: Three Cheers for the Red, White & Blue

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners examine the patriotic songs of the 1940's and compare them to those of today. They identify elements that classify a song as patriotic, listen to several examples and complete Venn diagrams contrasting different examples.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Athletes Make the Grade

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students read a story called Athletes Need to Make the Grade to Play and answer vocabulary and comprehension questions about it. In this current events college athletes and academics lesson plan, student respond to literature by...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Swahili Alphabet Lesson

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders learn about other cultures.  For this Swahili lesson, 3rd graders discuss if they know any other languages, read the book Jambo Means Hello, discuss why it is important to learn about other cultures, learn a few words...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Young Engineers: Understanding Engineering Through Cooking

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders explore different engineering careers. In this math instructional activity, 2nd graders create a winning cooking recipe. They role play a mock cookie sale during the culminating event.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Industrial Revolution in America: Exploring the Effects of the Heat Engine on the Growth of Cities

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students research the development of the steam engines. In this US history lesson, students analyze the impact of this invention to civilization. They discuss the events leading to the growth and development of different cities.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Poetry of Abraham Lincoln

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders analyze Abraham Lincoln's poems "The Bear Hunt" and "My Childhood's Home" for word choice and deeper inquiry into the vocabulary he uses to convey emotion. They identify rhyming words and patterns in these poems. ...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Literature - The American Dream: Past, Present, and Future

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are introduced to the ideas of the American Dream at the turn of the century. They present their ideas on the American Dream at the turn of the century through a person characterized in Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Dr. Xargle's Book of Earthlets"

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young scholars examine the expressive and descriptive language used in the books "Dr. Xargle's Book of Earthlets" and "Planet of the Robots." In pairs they take notes about each other's physical appearance and conduct interviews,...
Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

The Power of Images in Shaping Ideas

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners examine the role of photography in recording and sharing history. They view online photos that Life magazine has identified as changing the world, then conduct research on one of the photos. Students create and present an oral...
Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

Blunders on All Sides: The Battle of Bunker Hill

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers investigate the concepts surrounding the historical battle of Bunker Hill while conducting online research using a variety of resources. The information is used in order to create a newspaper article telling about the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Burns

For Teachers 1st
First graders classify and sort items into categories of things that can cause burns and not cause burns. In this burns lesson plan, the teacher facilitates a discussion of things that can burn students and not burn them. They then...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Neoclassical Influences

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers analyze neoclassical art. In this art history lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding the details of the art produced during the Enlightenment.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ancient Egyptian History/African Literature Activity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students gain a conversant knowledge of some aspect of ancient African literature of the eighteenth dynasty (1572-1315 B.C.) in Egypt. They choose either to make a crossword puzzle or a word search with at least 20 key words from their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Imag(in)ing History Across Generations

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students find an image depicting events of September 11 or after and write a letter to their future grandchldren explaining the image and why those chose to preserve it for them.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making the Connection With Quilts

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders engage in a instructional activity which integrates the study of the Underground Railroad in Indiana with a Language Arts unit on quilts. They write a book report on one of the quilt books read in class and design a quilt...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Trade Impasse

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the concept of free trade. They watch a video clip about this topic and write an essay comparing the opinions of the guests on the show. They research a country and role-play their decisions in international trade.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Heritage of Puerto Rico and Cuba

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the influences of the Hispanic culture in the United States. In groups, they read about the life of a slave in Cuba and identify the misconceptions are discussed. As a class, they define racism, read an essay and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Marvelous Mysteries

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore mystery stories.  In this reading and writing lesson plan, 5th graders complete a planning guide for an original mystery.  Students use the writing process to create a mystery story. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Martin Luther King Jr. Layered

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Young scholars identify African American and their contributions to American Society. They describe what African Americans did and explain how it positively changed our way of life. In essence, this lesson plan increases children's...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Searching for Meanings Benath the Surface of the Poem

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students read "Soccer Until Dusk". As a class, they discuss the various settings and actions in the poem and discuss the life in Guatemala and compare it with the United States. To end the lesson, they complete a journal reflection...
Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

The Play's the Thing...or Two

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Students explore melodram as a form of theatre. They write about lucid and factual news accounts and about sensationalism. Students gain experience in relating one time period with another and with doing historical research.