Curated OER
Does Rick Warren Represent Diversity?
The topic of this lesson focuses on whether or not Obama was able to convincingly defend his choice of choosing Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration. This is considered a controversial or hot topic because it...
Curated OER
Tangerine: K-W-H-L Strategy
As part of the introduction to Edward Bloor's Tangerine, class members generate a KWHL chart listing what they know, what they want find out, how they plan to find this information, and what they have learned or still want to learn.
Penguin Books
White Fang Teacher's Notes
If you're looking for a way to structure your unit on Jack London's White Fang, use a well-organized guide to bring the intrigue of the novel to your middle school classroom. Covering a biography of the author, main background and...
Writing Educators Symposium
Asking the Right Questions
It can be difficult to find the theme of a book or story if you don't know the questions to ask. Teach your kids to discern the universal theme in works of literature with a set of activities that promote critical thinking and active...
K12 Reader
Reading Comprehension: Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Introduce your high schoolers to one of the most important pieces of American literature with a reading comprehension lesson. As class members read a short passage from Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, they learn about the...
The New York Times
Dark Materials: Reflecting on Dystopian Themes in Young Adult Literature
The Hunger Games. Maximum Ride. Why is so much of young adult literature so dark? What is the appeal of dystopian literature to young readers? The six activities in this resource ask kids to reflect on some of the reasons this genre has...
ProCon
Israeli - Palestinian Conflict
Many people think the best solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a two-state solution. After reviewing the available resources, scholars determine whether they agree with that approach. They analyze graphs and charts about...
Anti-Defamation League
Student Dress Codes: What's Fair?
The controversy over school dress codes continues. The debate involves questions like, why is there a policy? Who sets the policy? Who enforces the policy? What is a fair policy? Tweens and teens have an opportunity to engage in the...
Curated OER
Who Wears a Veil?
Students define and give examples of visual stereotypes. They research how common misconceptions foster visual stereotypes about Muslim women. Students identify famous women and the significance of the veil in different cultures.
Curated OER
Propaganda of War
High schoolers examine examples of war propaganda. In this historical literature lesson, students research the elements of propaganda in relation to various wars of the past. They discuss different types of propaganda, and the...
Curated OER
Morse Code, Telegraph, and West Virginia
Students prepare for a visit to the West Virginia State Museum. In this West Virginia history lesson, students research the Morse Code and telegraph. Students create their own Morse Code and discuss communication history prior to...
Curated OER
High-end/Low-end: Exploring Price and Value in Design
Students analyze elements of design and compare/contrast elements of price and design. In this design lesson, students consider the differences between high-end and low-end design. After completing an analysis of design in small groups,...
Curated OER
Media Literacy Vocabulary Lesson
Pupils participate in an introductory instructional activity that focuses on communication. The two types of extrapersonal and interpersonal are covered. The instructional activity uses questions in order to guide the class discussion...
Curated OER
Role Playing Free Speech
Pupils conduct research into looking at a free-speech issue. They role play the events surrounding a court case. The lesson includes guiding questions to help create context and determine areas of further study. The presentation includes...
Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program
Common Core Reading Standards: Understanding Argument
What does your class know about logical fallacies? They can find out quite a bit and practice identifying logical fallacies if you follow the steps and use the resources provided here! After reviewing ethos, pathos, and logos, ask small...
Curated OER
Kicking It Around
Students analyze the recent boom in women's sports, focusing on the Women's World Cup Soccer tournament to examine various people's views about women athletes. They write a newspaper article summarizing what they learned in their...
Curated OER
Press Perception of Jack Johnson
Students role-play the role of journalists during the 19th and 20th centuries. They create their own sports newspapers. They report on Jack Johnson's life and career.
Curated OER
Enjoying Latino Music
Students view different musical instruments from around Latino world, predict what sounds instruments will make based on their appearance, listen to and evaluate music from different Latino genres orally or in writing, and make...
Curated OER
Once Upon a Time
Young scholars use Inspiration to Identify the defining characteristics of Fairy Tales, They create a literary web, study the basic structure of plot, and recognize that themes reoccur across literary works. They complete Once Upon a...
Curated OER
Hard Times, Soft Sell
Students analyze art to determine themes for the Great Depression Era. In this Great Depression lesson, students identify themes for the era and research evidence for the themes to present to the class. Students interview family members...
Curated OER
Opposing Views on the Vietnam War
Students analyze the feelings of Americans regarding the Vietnam War. In this Vietnam War instructional activity, students collaborate to research Internet and print sources regarding the perspectives on U.S. involvement in the war....
Curated OER
Those Amazing Animals
Middle schoolers understand the roles of animals in entertainment and sports. In this animal welfare lesson, students recognize that some animals are used humanely and others are used cruelly. Middle schoolers classify different animals...
Curated OER
How To KidPix II
Students practice using KidPix to create illustrations. In this visual arts lesson plan, students define key vocabulary words, such as "palette" and "toolbar" to familiarize themselves with the KidPix program. Students create several...