Curated OER
May the Force Be With You
Students read an article, brainstorm ideas and prepare journals investigating why people enjoy 'thrill' rides, what forces affect the body on these rides and how they can become dangerous.
Curated OER
TOXIC TECHNOLOGY
Students examine what they already know about computer recycling and cconsider how computer recycling is contributing to a global toxic waste problem by reading and discussing the article, ""Poor Nations are Littered With Old PC's,...
Curated OER
Intimidation of a Nation
Students discuss their understanding of "intimidation." In groups, they analyze and discuss recent terrorist threats to the scheduled democratic elections in Iraq, and then reflect on whether they believe the elections should continue as...
Curated OER
Conversations With The Past
Students consider what they already know about the Holocaust and reflect on the sixtieth commemoration of the liberation of Auschwitz by reading and responding to testimonials of victims. They create artwork to honor those who...
Curated OER
The Talking Goat Lesson
Students analyze the meanings and patterns of a folk tale. They respond in their reading journals to the following prompts: How do you feel about the way "The Talking Goat" ended? Why? Which did you like better: your group's predicted...
Curated OER
Analysis of the Diary of Narcissa Whitman
Seventh graders explore the West through the eyes of a settler. In this Westward Expansion instructional activity, 7th graders read excerpts from the diary of Narcissa Whitman as she journeyed West from Pennsylvania. Students respond to...
Curated OER
Understanding and Appreciating Poetry: Afro-Americans and Their Poetry
Sixth graders are introduced to poems written by African-American authors. As a class, they read excerpts of poems from different time periods and discuss how and if anything has changed over time with discrimination and equal rights...
Curated OER
I Had a Hero Lesson
Students examine what it takes to make a hero. The respond in their journals to the following prompts: What did I learn about friendship and heroism from reading and thinking about "I Had a Hero"? What did this story teach me about the...
Curated OER
Getting the Story from Libya
Students examine the state of Libya in the face of civil unrest. In this global issues instructional activity, students listen to audio clips, watch video clips, and read media publications to gain an understanding of the uprising in the...
Curated OER
Bless Me, Ultima: Dialogue Journals
Tenth graders read Chapter 1 of the novel "Bless Me, Ultima" and respond to the text. They answer and ask questions and record their impressions of different aspects of the book in a dialogue journal format with a partner. Students...
Curated OER
Recurring Nightmares
Does history really repeat itself? Encourage your middle and high schoolers to answer this age-old question by reading the attached articles on the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 and the Iraq Crisis of 2002. How similar or different are...
Curated OER
Music Theories
Explore the inception and evolution of hip-hop music as a springboard for writing music reviews and researching other genres of music. Learners will read and discuss the Times' article, From Underground Music to Fashion Statement to then...
Curated OER
Laughing Matters
Is laughter really the best medicine? Middle and high schoolers discuss the truth behind this adage by reading and discussing a New York Times article about Dr. Patch Adams. They participate in a round-table debate in response to...
Curated OER
Denial on Trial
What is the "Faurisson Affair”? What is “Holocaust Revisionism”? What does freedom of speech entail? Do revisionists have a right to voice their ideas? Such questions are at the heart of a richly detailed, thought provoking lesson...
Curated OER
Give Me Liberty or Give Me Freedom
Welcome to America, the land of liberty and freedom. Examine the ways in which the terms liberty and freedom have been used in the United States. After researching and analyzing quotations from the past and present, learners create an...
Curated OER
Cause Célèbre
In this exercise, learners identify characters from an "Archie" comic and discuss the relevance of "Archie" to today's youth. They create public service advertisements featuring celebrities to address common concerns among teenagers in...
Curated OER
Pop Tops
Get your class primed for a comparative analysis lesson plan with this activity. They compare and contrast their music preferences to those of their classmates. After reading an article, they identify current trends in popular music,...
Curated OER
Digging Up Artifacts On Line
Why is it important to preserve historical documents and artifacts? Examine the role of primary source documents and the availability of these documents on the Internet. Middle and high schoolers write a journal about the nature of...
Curated OER
Modern Minstrelsy: Exploring Racist Stereotypes in Literature and Life
Satires may be designed to expose a bias to ridicule but if misunderstood can they reinforce that bias? Langston Hughes poem, “Minstrel Man” opens a discussion of racist stereotypes, the minstrel tradition, and the musical, “The...
Curated OER
Twisted Tales
Experience how a story can drastically change when the point of view is altered. Young scholars first read a review of Disney's film Tarzan, focusing on how the point of view in the classic story is important. They then select...
Curated OER
What a Relief!
How are disasters addressed by the Federal Government? This New York Times lesson, based on the article "Disaster Aid: The Mix of Mercy and Politics," prompts middle schoolers to discuss the idea of using a disaster declaration as a...
Curated OER
Oh, I Believe in Yesterday
Who is Aimee Mann? Read the New York Times article "P.S. I Loved You," included here, and have your readers answer a series of reading comprehension questions. Afterward, encourage your class to brainstorm ways in which they...
Curated OER
Anonymous Sources in the Media
When do people ask for anonymity? Why? After reading the New York Times article "For a Reporter and a Source, Echoes of Broken Promise," young readers participate in a roundtable discussion focusing on freedom of the press and the use of...
Curated OER
Unforgettable...
Middle and high schoolers remember their most memorable experiences, and then connect their own narrative with an exposition about the topic associated with their experience. This New York Times lesson would be a great addition to...