Middle Tennessee State University
A House Divided: The Civil War Home Front in Tennessee
To broaden their understanding of both the short term and long terms effects of the Civil War, class groups examine primary source materials and then assume the role of a family member and draft a letter to a soldier describing life at...
State Bar of Texas
Hernandez v. Texas
What if the jury is not made up of people from your ethnicity or background—are they still considered your peers? Scholars analyze the impact the Supreme Court case Hernandez v. Texas had on jury selection across the nation. Paired...
State Bar of Texas
White v. Regester
One vote doesn't really matter, right? Class members investigate the concept of voter rights and restrictions using the 1973 Supreme Court case White v. Regester. They view a short video and work in pairs to analyze how people create...
State Bar of Texas
Texas v. Johnson
If you saw a person burning an American flag, how would you feel? Scholars analyze the concept of freedom of expression and speech with the Supreme Court case Texas v. Johnson. A short video clip creates open discussion in pairs on the...
Curated OER
Inference Lesson Plan
Young scholars practice assessing graphics to infer and identify an author's implicit and explicit meaning in a piece of text. They evaluate the effectiveness of information found in maps, charts, tables, graphs, diagrams, cutaways and...
Curated OER
Independent - To Be or Not Top Be - Day 2, Lesson 3: In the Course of Human Events
Fifth graders practice scanning skills to answer questions on the French and Indian War.
Curated OER
This Land is Your Land? This Land is My Land!
Students research the various territory acquisitions in United States history and create an annotated map that tells the history of U.S. expansion. Working in small groups, students outline the land acquisitions and purchases made by...
Curated OER
Persuasive Writing
Eighth graders study persuasive writing. They analzye an editorial for introductory,body, and concluding sentences. They develop arguments for and against various topics in small groups.
Curated OER
Problem Solution Writing
Students, after brainstorming possible problem solving activities, choose from one of the many and write what the problem is and a solution to solve it.
Curated OER
Around the World At 30o North Latitude
Reinforce the use of an atlas and reference materials with writers. They discover how geographic location can make living easier or harder. They draw an assigned journey on a map, categorize survival needs, and prioritize options during...
Curated OER
Who is on that Bill? Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist Papers
Students, who are adult learners, participate in an Internet scavenger hunt in order to assimilate information about the biography of Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist Papers. They look at the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers...
Curated OER
What Happens to Our Bodies When We Get Sick?
Seventh graders explore ways in which they become sick. They find out ways that there bodies fight off bacteria. Students watch a video from the Magic School Bus series:"Inside Raphie." After reviewing video students can openly discuss...
Curated OER
Persuasion in Print
Advertisers target teenagers. Groups select three magazine advertisements for similar products, analyze the appeals used in each, create a poster that features the persuasive techniques used, and present their findings to the class. The...
Curated OER
A Long Way Home
Students examine the difference between hard news and editorial writing by considering several pieces written about the Elian Gonzalez custody battle. They then craft their own hard news and editorials on the case.
Curated OER
Geographic Luck
Students examine why some countries are rich while others remain poor. They view a video on the website, Guns, Germs and Steel, analyze primary sources to conduct research about plants and animals, and create a game based on their research.
Curated OER
How To KidPix II
Students practice using KidPix to create illustrations. In this visual arts lesson, students define key vocabulary words, such as "palette" and "toolbar" to familiarize themselves with the KidPix program. Students create...
Curated OER
Good For You?
Students discuss nutrition and compare nutritional values of a snack product claiming health benefits with a candy product.
Curated OER
A Delicate Balance
Students reflect on racial balance in their own schools, debate merits of policies that seek to create and maintain school racial diversity, and write essays on whether their school should promote racial balance.
Curated OER
Let's Sleep on It
Students research sleep following a class discussion on an article in The New York Times. Students use their research information to create a health and wellness exhibit that addresses topics related to sleep.
Curated OER
Star Politics
Students discuss the advantages of a celebrity running for a public office. After reading an article, they examine the results of the California governor recall vote. In groups, they research the aspirations and career of a celebrity...
Curated OER
Heat Pollution and Communities
Students examine thermal pollution by collecting temperature data on the school's photovoltaic panel. Students collect data for four consecutive days and retrieve information from other classes that meet at different times of the day. ...
Curated OER
The Driveway Case
Students discover how courts determine property possession using evidence. In this critical analysis lesson, students use provided case studies and evidence to determine legal possession. This lesson would be suitable for group work and...
Curated OER
Independent - To Be or Not Top Be - Day 2, Lesson D: Intestinal Fortitude
Fifth graders explore intestinal fortitude in terms of their oral presentation.
Curated OER
Media Literacy Skills
Third graders watch a news story from three different networks in order to determine how the same story can be presented in three different ways. Next, working in small groups they create a newscast of a current event to share with the...