Curated OER
Through India and Back
Learners play a game based on "The Amazing Race" to practice using rates and fractions. In this fractions and rates lesson plan, students work in small groups competing to complete the tasks in the quickest time. At each stage of the...
PBS
Baseball: The Tenth Inning
The intent of this resource is to explore Latin American accomplishments in baseball, recognizing the changes in demographics of players over the last century. Social studies classes begin with a discussion and brainstorm surrounding...
Curated OER
Build Fluency /m/
Once kindergartners have learned the letter m they are ready for this sound correspondence activity. Start with a stack of letter cards including mostly m and a few other letters they haven't learned yet....
Curated OER
Cleveland May Gamble on Gambling
Students read articles, both pro and con, about a city proposing to approve gambling. They discuss the biases of the articles then interview parents and community members about the issue. They work in small groups to develop either a pro...
Curated OER
Poetry Cubes
Reading aloud can be scary, but it's an important way to build oral fluency. Break the class into groups of four or five learners. Each learner will roll a cube to determine which poem they read aloud to their small group. Feel free to...
Curated OER
Flipped: After Reading Strategy
Everyone can be an expert! After finishing Wendelin Van Draanen's book Flipped, divide your class into small groups. Then, assign each group a topic to become experts on. The resource suggests topics such as characters, themes, setting,...
Curated OER
CSI on the Deep Reef
After some instruction, small groups prepare a written report on chemotrophic organisms. Though not clearly mentioned, this resource would work best if groups have the Internet available to research the vocabulary and different organisms...
Curated OER
Hungary: The Landscape
Students work in small groups to create a topographic map of Hungary. The map will include labeled line drawing of the bordering countries. Hungary should be three dimensional, made of salt and flour clay. The mountains, plains and...
Curated OER
A Sailing We Will Go!
Fifth graders investigate the journey that Magellan took around the world. Small groups conduct research on a ship that went on Magellan's voyage, write the story of their ship, and create a class dance that demonstrates the route taken...
Curated OER
Picturing the Successful Student
Sixth graders work in small groups to identify the characteristics of a successful learner. They identify characteristics that think are most helpful for them. Students answer the question: What does a successful student look like?
Curated OER
How Diverse is That?
After reviewing biodiversity, learners work in small groups to analyze actual species distribution data. They learn to calculate the Shannon-Weaver diversity index for different communities. Though not particularly engaging, the content...
Curated OER
Colonial American Trade, Currency, and Economy: The instability of a colonial economy
Students view an image of Nathanial Hurd's "Table of Conversions." They will work in small groups to complete a worksheet. Students participate in a discussion about colonial Boston's economy. This lesson is a precursor to a visit to the...
Curated OER
Express Yourself
How do you make a story exciting? Teach young readers how to change your pitch, tone, and mood as you read. After modeling the various ways you can change your expression, have small pairs or groups work together to give it a shot!
Curated OER
Give It All You’ve Got Heroes and Visual Art
Sure, your young artists probably know Van Gogh and Picasso, but are they equally as familiar with Frida Kahlo and Andy Warhol? Small groups examine the work of famous artists. Then, they create their own hero portraits in Cubist style...
Curated OER
Build Accuracy /a/, /m/
Make letter sounds a game for pre-readers using these letter cards. After you demonstrate, learners take turns drawing letters out of a bag. Weight them for the letters they have been practicing most recently. Once they've chosen a...
APlusPhysics
Generate an Argument: Indian Point Nuclear Plant
Small groups in your physics class collaborate on researching and forming an opinion on whether or not to continue operating the Indian Point nuclear power plant in New York. Once the information is gathered and an argument developed,...
Curated OER
Exploring and Oregon Commodity
A fun (and delicious!) lesson teaches measurement to your third graders. They work in small groups to first predict, then to measure the weight, circumference, and number of seeds found in a watermelon. Everyone gets to eat watermelon...
Curated OER
HEROs Project
What does it take to be a hero? In small groups, middle schoolers design a hero by identifying heroic characteristics and recording responses on an online blog. Use this lesson plan as an extension in a literature unit about a heroic...
Curated OER
Try Tessellation
Most middle schoolers probably feel that quilting is at best an activity left to their grandmothers. This lesson uses the Zome modeling system to get them to realize how shapes in quilting are really tessellations and repeating patterns....
Curated OER
Strange Bugs
As individuals or in small groups, marine biologists research and discuss archaea and their unusual behavior as compared to bacteria. Teach them about the chemical makeup of the cell membrane of these strange organisms. This complex...
Curated OER
You Bleed, You Learn?
Jump back into the 90s with Alannis Morissette's song "You Learn." After hearing the song, small groups analyze the lyrics and write an essay about a mistake they've learned from. Use the example sentences to identify the denotative and...
Curated OER
Compare and Chart the Stories
Elementary schoolers engage in a literature study. They make comparisons of two different versions of a story using a graphic organizer. Using the text and pictures elementary schoolers investigate three elements from the story. Then,...
Curated OER
Travel to Europe
Students work in small groups to plan an imaginary trip to Europe, including Germany. They research travel routes, prices and popular sights of each destination. Students assemble a booklet describing their itinerary, budget, packing...
Curated OER
Ask a Librarian
Discuss how asking questions is a vital part of not only the research process, but the lifelong process of information literacy. Middle schoolers work in small groups and practice the skill of asking questions. Afterward, they complete...