Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Writing a Children's Book -- Young Authors

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students practice their writing skills by creating a children's book. They integrate five elements of short stories into the narrative. They share their stories with their book buddies.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Eighty Yard Run

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read and explore the themes of the book The Eighty Yard Run. For this literature lesson, students discuss their observations and predictions. Students develop their own story which is similar to that of The Eighty Yard Run.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Moroccan Fairy Tale vs. European Folk/Fairy Tale

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders explore world geography by reading two different fairy tales. In this cultural storytelling lesson, 2nd graders read Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and the Moroccan story The Girl Who Lived with the Gazelles. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Order My Steps

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students organize and sequence their writing ideas using different graphic organizers. They use the ideas to write a story that takes place over two days.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Places We Live

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students compare/contrast rural and urban communities, and view and discuss the images on the Illinois quarter. They discuss Abraham Lincoln's life, complete a chart and a Venn diagram comparing urban and rural settings, and create a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding the Effects of Water Pollution

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders examine the effects of water pollution by participating in a story. After reading the story, they determine the best way to get rid of the pollution in a river using different objects. In groups, they complete a worksheet...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Subtraction

For Teachers 1st
First graders write and illustrate a story for a subtraction problem subtracting from the number ten. Students explore subtraction situations by using counters to represent a familiar number- based literature selection. Students role...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reasons for English Colonization

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Pupils explain the reason for English colonization. They review the reasons for the colonization and settlement in Virginia and trace the route from England to Virginia through the Chesapeake Bay to Jamestown on a map.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rosa Parks

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students identify the heroic actions of Rosa Parks. For this African-American lesson, students read the book, Rosa Parks: My Storyand create a timeline of the events from the biography.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Philanthropy and You

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners identify human rights and study the values of historical figures who fought for human rights. In this human rights instructional activity, students define the term human rights and research examples of human mistreatment in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson on Ethnic Discrimination

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students study ethnic discrimination. In this discrimination lesson, students define ethnicity and ethnic discrimination in the global community as well as steps against it. Students examine their own ethnic backgrounds and examine...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creating a Human Rights Community

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students work together to create lists of rights and responsibilities that set a standard of behavior to foster human rights in their community. They participate in class discussions, draft a plan of action to establish these behaviors...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Traveling on the Sea of Gold: An Adventure in Japan Through Literature

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners explore the geography and culture of Japan through the story "Sea of Gold" by Yoshiko Uchida. They draw a travel poster of Japan, label a map of Japan, use chopsticks to eat Cheerios, read and discuss various books about Japan,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where Does Water Come From: The Water Cycle

For Teachers K - 2nd
Learners explore the water cycle. In this water cycle lesson, students read the book The Magic School Bus Wet All Over and summarize the steps of the water cycle. Learners label a picture map of the water cycle.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tuck Everlasting: UDL Team Lesson Plan

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students participate in a differentiated lesson about Tuck Everlasting. In this Tuck Everlasting lesson, students work on comprehension strategies that are leveled for their reading ability. They focus on the ability to tell the main...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Public Policy

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine a Legislative website to view the biography of a member and a map of the district that the member represents. They are then visited by the member who engages students in a discussion about how legislators make...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Decision Making, Take a Seat or Get off the Bus

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore the positive and negative consequences of choosing to fight against discrimination. They read the story of Rosa Parks. Students discuss the movement against segregation. Students read other books about...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Down on the Ocean Floor

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students build a map of the Atlantic Ocean floor and mark the different depths.  In this ocean floor lesson students identify parts of the ocean floor that they created and discuss patterns that they see.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Grandfather's Journey

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore world cultures by reading a children's story in class. In this Japanese heritage lesson, 3rd graders read the book Grandfather's Journey and identify the characters, setting and plot that takes place. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson 22: The Great Chicago Fire Survivors

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Pupils, in groups, create a historical fiction story of a Great Chicago Fire survivor by writing a survival narrative.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Prepare for a Field Trip

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students write a journal exercise that relates to preparing for a trip. They make a visual map to generate ideas about things to see, do and learn during the field trip. They assign roles for different tasks that need to be performed...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Language Arts: Native Americans and Onomatopoeias

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders read the Native American tale, "The Frog and the Crane," focusing on the use of onomatopoeia in it. In groups, they brainstorm list of words that are examples of the device. Finally, 5th graders write their own stories...
Activity
Curated OER

Rodeo Time

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students use literature (the story Rodeo Time) and appropriate manipulatives to learn and understand mathematics. In these creative thinking measurement lessons, students have a focal point on problem solving strategies while using...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

United We Stand: One Day

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore what it means to be part of a community. In this community lesson, students read a story about a man who finds unity in community. They then discuss how the community affected his life. This lesson also contains 5...