Mr. Roughton
The Travels of Marco Polo
Were the stories of Marco Polo's travels and interactions with the Mongols actually true? Using an excerpt from the book The Travels of Marco Polo, your young historians will answer guiding questions to discuss the accuracy and...
Newseum
Slanted Facts and Slippery Numbers
The Internet is known as the information superhighway, but sometimes it's hard to know when to hit the brakes on unreliable sources. Using a well-rounded lesson plan, pupils read and summarize articles about the gender pay gap and...
Curated OER
Research Paper
Ninth graders continue to work on their research papers including to credit and cite all resources used, incorporate a style manual, electronic databases, online resources as well as a Works Cited page. In addition, they orally present...
Curated OER
Activity 10: Primary and Secondary Sources
Students sort documents into primary and secondary sources and analyze their reliability. In this history research lesson, the teacher gathers a selection of document images, then discusses primary and secondary sources and their benefits.
Curated OER
Is Social Media a Trustworthy News Outlet?
Examine the role of social media in social and political uprisings. Pupils listen to NPR audio clips about social media and the Arab Spring and read an article that proposes the idea that revolution will not happen through social media....
Alabama Department of Archives and History
How Two Alabamians Remembered Slavery Years Later
Designed to help readers recognize the point of view of the author of a primary source documents and analyze how that point of view influences the reliability of a text, young historians examine two personal letters, one written by...
Computer Science Field Guide
Computer Science Field Guide
Imagine computer science all summed up in one book. This resource provides 16 chapters that cover many aspects of computer science, ranging from algorithms to software engineering. The e-book contains links to applets to help explain...
Odell Education
Building Evidence-Based Arguments: “Doping can be that last 2 percent.”
Even the most thrilling sports career can end in an asterisk if the player uses performance-enhancing drugs. Focused on the topic of doping in sports, a seventh grade unit breaks down the arguments for and against steroids in five...
Brown University
The Candidates and Their Values: Election 2016
Voting for the next president of the United States is about finding the candidate who most closely aligns with your own values and sense of democracy. High schoolers become acquainted with the candidates from the 2016 election with a...
Curated OER
I Heard It 'Round the Internet: Sexual Health Education and Authenticating Online Information
Students evaluate websites regarding sexual health information. In this media awareness lesson, students discuss facts and myths regarding sex as they determine how to find reputable online and print resources.
Curated OER
George Winter
Who is George Winter? Learners review knowledge of George Winter, an artist who captured images of the Trail of Tears. They distinguish the difference between primary and secondary sources and determine the reliability of a document....
Mesa Public Schools
Country Project
Give your young learners the chance to discover more about countries in their world community with a research project. Class members write reports on an assigned country and include such major features as geography, important historical...
K20 LEARN
Preparing for Othello - Frontloading Meaning (Part 1): Pre-reading Strategies
The success of any activity based on a complex text relies heavily on what instructors do before beginning the reading. Before reading Othello, scholars engage in a series of pre-reading activities, including completing an anticipation...
Curated OER
Internet Scavenger Hunt: Lesson 1
Students participate in an Internet scavenger hunt in order to find information in Internet documents. Students work in groups to try to locate answers to specific questions, and must determine how reliable the answers might by rating...
Curated OER
Ice Core Clues
Young scholars create a PowerPoint presentation on the information they research about the ice cores and what they tell us about Earth's past. In this ice core lesson plan, students research radioactivity, air pollution, sodium, snowfall...
Curated OER
Death and Taxes
Students explore the "death tax" and analyze statistical information about how the government taxes dead people. They research sources to determine the validity of a anti-tax group campaign and John McCain's claims about taxes. ...
Curated OER
To Go Solar or Not to Go Solar!
Middle schoolers imagine that they are on a panel to consider if a solar energy system would be advantageous to a new school as it is being built. They read the included handout and then each play a role as a participant in a community...
Curated OER
I Am Not a Crook
Students use video, Internet research and discussion to consider the presidency of Richard Nixon. They obtain information from multiple perspectives and form an opinion of how Richard Nixon should be remembered.
Curated OER
Earth Moon Scaling
A wonderful lesson incorporating math and physics skills along with specific details about the planetary bodies. The cross-curricular approach makes for a valid activity to challenge multiple ages and abilities. Your class could work in...
Curated OER
Abercrombie & Fitch Catalogue: Is it Pornographic?
Students research the legal definition of pornography from a law textbook, reference books available in class or online. Students view the Abercrombie and Fitch home page. A selection of resources related to this topic is linked....
Curated OER
Encouraging Answers
What is the celebration of Columbus Day really about? Older learners use inquiry-based methods to find out who Columbus really was and what motivated his journeys. They take on the roles of town officials who must consider whether or not...
Curated OER
The Top Ten Reasons for Going Into Space
Students read and evaluate ten reasons for exploring space and prove or disprove the validity of their online information.
Shmoop
ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.2
One way to get your class to evaluate and synthesize multiple multimedia sources is through a research project. The idea here is that class members will watch videos and listen to scientific debates in order to create a casebook about...
Curated OER
Information Overload: Looking at News
How do events reported in mainstream newspapers, on television news, blog posts, and social network sites differ? Ask your class to investigate the way the same news item is presented in the many information sources available. Groups...