Curated OER
The Homefront: America and WWII
Students are introduced to the experiences of various groups of Americans at home during WWII, highlighting race, gender, and ethnicity. They improve their ability to analyze and interpret historical documents and images.
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Pick a Pet
Learners design informational materials to educate people on the importance of matching a new pet to the family's lifestyle and living arrangements. Students use critical thinking skills to make a decision on the appropriate choice for a...
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Using Details From The Text
Begin this expository writing activity by reading a non-fiction book of your choice and modeling expository writing. The plan suggests The Trip of a Drip by Vicki Cobb but notes that other texts will work. Learners then choose a...
Curated OER
Revisiting Roe v. Wade
Young scholars explore the American anti-abortion movement's "incremental" approach to legislation; they then evaluate key decisions, regulations, and legislation from the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, to the present.
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Connecting Immigrants In Black And White
Learners explore the many ways that ethnic newspapers help immigrants in the United States stay connected to their cultures and countries of origin. They write articles for ethnic newspapers.
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Data Scavenger Hunt
Eighth graders discuss how data is collected and participate in data collection through a survey. They complete a scavenger hunt on the Internet to gain understanding of the data measures mean, median, mode, and range.
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Magnet Muscles
Students experiment with magnetism. In this science lesson, students are divided into cooperative learning groups and use the scientific method to test their hypothesis. Each group performs a different experiment.
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Impact of Westward Expansion on Indigenous Populations
Students study the impact of westward expansion on Native American populations. They create a diorama of a Native American scene, write imaginary letters as a pioneer child reflecting on his/her experiences, and create story sticks that...
National First Ladies' Library
Safety or Civil Liberty? The Trial of Sacco and Vanzet
Students investigate the Sacco-Vanzetti trial and develop a basic understanding of the issues involved. Then they write an essay taking a stance on the Sacco-Vanzetti trial: was the trial fair? were the two men falsely accused? Finally,...
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Students brainstorm and share opinions about products that can be reused or recycled after reading the article, "Seattle's Recycling Success Is Being Measured in Scraps." They then investigate, analyze and evaluate articles on recycling...
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The Grandparent/Elder Project
Students interview a grandparent/elder to as part of a history and writing project. For this grandparent/elder project lesson, students record an interview of an older person who is willing to share their past. They look at pictures and...
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Taking to the Airwaves
Students consider the purpose of talk radio and examine its importance in the new democratic Iraq. They enact mock talk shows based on current events and reflect on the value of free speech and the role audience members play in radio...
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Unraveling the Web
Students consider how a message might be traced along a complex network, then explore backbone maps as a basis for understanding the purpose and structure of the Internet.
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Who is George Washington Carver, Anyway?
Students read about George Washington Carver, then work in small groups to design, write and illustrate a booklet about his accomplishments.
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Information Extra
Students create a paragraph about a subject of their chosing that is informative. In this paragraph writing lesson, students use graphic organizers and work together in groups to create a full, organized...
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Environmental Rhyme and Reason
Students employ poetry as a medium to relay information and express views about significant environmental issues that exist today and to assess their effects on The State of the Planet as we enter the next millennium.
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Political Puzzles
Students investigate how different liberal democracies around the world organize their governments and decide major policies. They compare their findings to the American political system, using examples of current political issues.
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The Story of an Old Piano
Students read excerpts from The Story of an Old Piano. They choose a personal object and write paragraphs from the object's point of view. Their stories can be bound for the class library.
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My Brother Sam is Dead: A study of the Revolutionary War
Fifth graders complete an analysis of the Revolutionary War through literature. After "My Brother Sam Is Dead," students create a time capsule containing items that would be relevant during the Revolutionary War. They identify key...
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Whitewashing History
Students revisit issues of civil rights in the U.S. They use the recent national discussion of retiring Senator Strom Thurmond's 1948 Dixiecrat Presidential campaign as a starting point.
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Sand Painting Mural
Third graders design and create classroom sand painting mural which is comprised of individually designed pieces.
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Colonial Migration
Students, in groups, create a student book for an assigned group of immigrants to the Colonial United States (Huguenots, Scots, Irish, Africans.) They create drawings for the book and rhyming text that depicts three struggles that...
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Money and health
Students write a proposal with an appropriate budget to establish a health day at school. They design this day to educate and promote good health. They educate other students about health care, inform students of health concerns, and...