Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Formation and Value of Temperate Grasslands

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students study the Temperate Grasslands biome of North America. They explain that it is an endangered ecosystem because the rich soils have been converted to farming in most areas. They view videos imbedded in this plan, then complete...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

History of the Michigan Supreme Court from the Territorial Court and the founding of the Michigan Supreme Court in 1836 to Justice Mary S. Coleman and her interpretation of "One Court of Justice"

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students trace the history of the Michigan Supreme Court from when the state was still a territory. They define procedures as they relate to the Court. They compare and contrast the territorial court to the new Court.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Michigan Court System (Part 1) (Middle School)

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students identify the courts that make up the Michigan judicial system. They explore the responsibility of each court and diagram how cases move to the Supreme Court. They compare and contrast the different types of courts.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Michigan Law Affects You

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine how the laws in Michigan affect their lives. They use primary source documents to analyze the state's history. They discuss laws pertaining to women as well.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Building Blocks of the Nation

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students research, document, use the Internet, and employ varied computer skills, along with oral communication skills to discover people who have "made history" in Michigan, women in the United States, people who contributed to our...
Worksheet
Curated OER

United States Prepositions

For Students 3rd - 4th
In this prepositions worksheet, learners use the clues to help them locate the positions of the state according to the prepositions given in each sentence.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding the Importance of the Declaration of Independence

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine the importance of the Declaration of Independence by using a variety of research sources and computer technology to obtain information. They internalize the thoughts, actions, and motives of the signers of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Roles of Individuals and Groups in Politics

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students review the Federalist Paper by James Madison. They discuss the influence of interest groups in contemporary politics.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Procedures of the Court

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners examine the role of the Michigan Supreme Court. They diagram the procedure one must follow to bring a case before the Court. They discuss the order of business for oral arguments as well.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Faces of the Bench

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use primary source documents to gather information on justices in the Michigan Supreme Court. They write about the thoughts and experiences of the author. They identify and describe each justice briefly.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The "Big Four" of the Michigan Supreme Court

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars identify the justices on the Michigan Supreme Court known as the "Big Four". They relate to them by researching their lives. They participate in an activity in which they practice their investigation and presentation skills.
Worksheet
Curated OER

State Similes

For Students 4th - 5th
In this simile learning exercise, students think about their state and then write similes to describe it. Students then pick their favorite simile and illustrate it.
Unit Plan
Michigan State University

4-H Teen Leadership

For Students 7th - 12th Standards
Take your 4-H teens to the next level! Help them learn how to be an active part of their communities with a teen leadership development unit. Individuals, together with school and community partners, create and execute a service-driven...
Lesson Plan
Agriculture in the Classroom

Farmland: GMOs and Organic Agriculture

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Learn more about genetic modification, organic farming, and the role of biotechnology in agriculture by watching a documentary that shows how newly gained knowledge can be applied to specific situations involving farmers and the choices...
Lesson Plan
Agriculture in the Classroom

Design 'Y'er Genes

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How do changes in DNA affect an organism? Scholars explore chromosomes, genes, DNA, and mutations by modeling the DNA of a strawberry. They build a DNA model, then manipulate it to show how changing the genes transforms the strawberry...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Legislative Branch

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners analyze Article 1 of the Constitution. They respond to the Public Criticism E-Learning module.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Is Government Necessary?

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students investigate the purpose of Congress and determine how it affects them. They explain what life would be like without government.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Was it like to Live During the Depression?

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders research a variety of sources to discover information about how the depression effect people in Michigan. They follow a research outline while working in small groups. They design a presentation that describes live during...
Worksheet
Curated OER

The Buckeye State

For Students 3rd
In this reading comprehension learning exercise, 3rd graders read a short passage and answer questions about what they have read.  Students respond to 5 multiple choice questions assessing understanding of what has been read.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

National expansion of the United States (1815 to 1850), and its connection to local Illinois history.

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students discuss the importance of establishing the I & M Canal water route. They watch a video about the canal's history. They collect and write a personal migration story by interviewing a family member. They analyze trends and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson Three: Poem Pieces

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students read and analyze stanzas of Civil War poem, The Flags of Michigan, to get perspective on what life was like and how Americans viewed Civil War, rewrite stanzas in modern language, and share new versions of poem with classmates.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Northwest Ordinance

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the area where the Northwest Territory was located. They discover the steps territories need to follow to become states. They create a map of the Northwest Territory and label the states that came out of that region.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The U.S. Constitution

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Learners explain the differences between the three branches of government. Using the structure of a democracy, they listen to text about the United States Constitution. They discover how their government affects their lives in negative...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Discovering Our Legacy of Giving

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders examine the characteristics of philanthropists.  In this cross- curricular lesson, 7th graders evaluate the character traits of people from a film. Students write a metaphor about responsibility to community.