Academy of American Poets
We Sing America
Pair the famous poems "I Hear America Singing," by Walt Whitman, and "I, Too, Sing America," by Langston Hughes, with a more recent poem by Elizabeth Alexander called "Praise Song for the Day" to demonstrate a theme and introduce your...
University of California
You Are What You Eat: Testing for Organic Compounds in Foods
We have all heard that we are what you eat, but what are we eating? An informative lesson opens with a discussion of the foods pupils have recently eaten. Then, young scientists perform four experiments on seven...
Curated OER
Speed Score
A fast and fun way to practice shooting basketball. Small cooperative groups help each other tally up the most baskets made in a certain period of time. There are a couple ideas included to increase or decrease the difficulty of the...
Kentucky Educational Television
The Road to Proportional Reasoning
Just how big would it really be? Young mathematicians determine if different toys are proportional and if their scale is accurate. They solve problems relating scale along with volume and surface area using manipulatives. The...
Curated OER
From Light to Dark and Back
Experiment with light and dark in a series of interactive activities that lead up to reading and writing poetry. Class members have the opportunity to observe their feelings while sitting in the light and dark and to play with shadow...
Pearson
Unlocking and Exploring Folktales
Designed with many of the Common Core standards in mind, this 10-lesson unit is brimming with ELL strategies, teacher's notes, and the best of core instructional methods for teaching the common elements of folktales, and exploring...
Poets.org
Ghosts and Spirits
Connect poetry to a naturally kid-friendly topic: ghosts! Draw on your class's prior knowledge of the paranormal to help them access the classic poem "Haunted House" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. After a fun warm-up activity describing...
Curated OER
Pressing and Seam Finishes
This instructional activity addresses proper seam allowances, how those seams should be finished, and the importance of pressing them. Class members learn by listening as well as by practicing and creating their own samples. There are...
Curated OER
Scream Run
Get ready to have some fun and make some noise! Your youngsters will love getting to scream as loud as they want, but they have to run at the same time that they are screaming. There are a couple of other ideas that you could use to...
Curated OER
Skirmish Ball
Build character while playing a fun game. The class practices throwing and catching in this game, which is based on honesty and team work. Take a look at this lesson and see if your class is up to the task.
Curated OER
Pin Grab
Pin Grab is a basic tag game. Each player has a clothes pin attached to the back of their shirt. Other players try to grab them off. If a player has their pin grabbed off they must do a physical activity, such as jumping jacks to get...
Curated OER
2 Ball Bop
Use this creative activity to get your young athletes moving! Many baseball and softball coaches use this type of skill drill at practice. It improves hand-eye coordination and timing. If you are planning to use it in your PE class, use...
Curated OER
Fielder's Choice
In this circle game with balls of varying sizes the class will need to review some of the fielding skills before playing the game. I would recommend focusing on one type of fielding at a time corresponding with the specific ball being...
New York City Department of Education
Learning about Lunar New Year
Rich in images and information, a teacher's guide to the traditions of Lunar New Year's celebrations in various cultures addresses celebrations of Buddhism and Daoism. It includes background information about the origins of the...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Differences Among Colonial Regions
Classes look at and analyze primary source images to explore the differences between the colonial regions during the Revolutionary era. They break into groups to tackle each region and then present their findings to the class. A final...
Curated OER
Encouraging Introverts in an Extroverted World
Our classrooms can be crucial to pupils’ lifelong understanding and appreciation of both extroverts and introverts.
Curated OER
Un Séjour à Paris
Everyone dreams of going to Paris! Challenge your advanced French speakers to really get to know the city of lights. They use the plethora of worksheets provided to really explore the monuments, museums, and shops of Paris. They use a...
Conneticut Department of Education
Instructional Strategies That Facilitate Learning Across Content Areas
Imagine 28 instructional strategies, appropriate for all subject areas and all grade levels. Directed Reading-Thinking Activities (DRTA), Question-Answer Relationship (QAR) activities, KWL charts, comparison matrixes, classification...
Curated OER
Debating Ethics with Literature
Use group discussions, analysis, and ethical dilemmas to build critical thinking and an empathetic perspective.
Curated OER
Asia Country: Tic Tac Toe
Enhance your geography class's knowledge of the countries on the Asian continent with this research lesson. Individuals or groups use books, the library, and the Internet to research one Asian country of their choice. Handouts and...
Open Oregon Educational Resources
How to Learn Like a Pro!
What's the best way to ace an exam or pass a difficult class? Scholars find out using an information-packed eBook. Pupils read about learning styles, study skills, test-taking strategies, and other topics associated with maximizing...
Curated OER
Building a Cohesive Learning Community
A classroom where each person feels important, respected, and accountable provides the foundation for successful learning.
Curated OER
Children's Health on the Decline
Demonstrate the importance of children's health with this cross-curricular lesson plan, which includes elements from health and science as well as expository writing. Middle schoolers develop realistic and obtainable one week health and...
Maryland Department of Education
The Concept of Identity Lesson 1: Close Reading/Socratic Seminar
John Knowles' A Separate Peace provides readers with an opportunity to develop their close reading and analytical skills as they look for what Knowles feels are the factors that shape our identity.