Curated OER
Hey, Teacher, Leave My Kids Alone
What are the differences between homeschooling, traditional schooling, and unschooling? Middle and high schoolers examine the opinions of their peers on these varied types of education. After reading a New York Times article, they...
Curated OER
Home Smart Home
How smart is your home? Middle and high schoolers write a journal entry describing the types of technology found in their homes. After reading an article, they are introduced to "smart" home technology. In groups, they identify and...
Curated OER
Recurring Nightmares
Does history really repeat itself? Encourage your middle and high schoolers to answer this age-old question by reading the attached articles on the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 and the Iraq Crisis of 2002. How similar or different are...
Curated OER
Pig Products
How do you feel about cloning? This issue is highly debated, so educate your class before they participate in a similar debate! Read a New York Times article related to the use of cloned pig organs for human transplants. Groups develop...
Curated OER
Good for Goodness Sake?
After discussing their opinions of performing community service, young learners read an article about different benefits of serving the community. They participate in a debate about whether their school should require pupils to perform...
Curated OER
Air Pollution: The Issue of Global Warming
Here is an outstanding 10-page lesson plan on global warming. Learners discover that there is a lot of controversy surrounding this topic in that the science behind global warming is difficult to prove. The best thing about this plan is...
Curated OER
Genetic Engineering
Students identify relationships between scientific concepts and their historical roots. They discuss and debate issues of ethics in science, specifically on the concept of genetic engineering and describe the processes of cloning and...
Curated OER
The First (and Last) Words
What does "freedom of speech" mean to your class, especially in the context of Internet communications? In round-table discussion format, middle and high schoolers address the issues discussed in "State Legislatures Across U.S. Plan to...
Curated OER
A Matter of Interpretation
Was the fatal crash of EgyptAir Flight 990 cause by mechanical failure or was it an act of sabotage? The crux of the debate and the subsequent controversy centers on translation of an Arabic phrase uttered by the pilot. The New York...
Curated OER
Who Could Have Been Who
Can word choice affect a candidate's likeability? Use a New York Times lesson to explore how a presidential candidate's likeability factor can fluctuate in public opinion polls. Young readers choose a presidential election from...
Curated OER
Medicare Reform
High schoolers calculate how much of each paycheck is deducted into the Medicare system, explain the need for health insurance and Medicare, and work in small groups to develop their own plan to reform Medicare.
Curated OER
What Makes a Good Law?
Why were laws created? Spark a group discussion on why we need laws to co-exist. Should the sale of some things be outlawed on Sundays? Read a case summary between Target and the state of Minnesota that debated this issue. Ask your...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Make a Difference!
We are very dependent upon other life forms around us to survive. Here, scholars explore relationships in the ecosystem with the help of Auntie Litter and the pollution patrol. They imagine a world without grass, making connections to...
Curated OER
Setting Up Camp
Draw on what learners know about conflict resolution and the situation in the Middle East to build understanding of the Camp David summit meeting beginning on July 11, 2000. They develop an understanding of the functions of summit...
Curated OER
The War of the Words
“Who’s This Guy Dylan Who’s Borrowing Lines From Henry Timrod?” The basic question in this lesson from the New York Time’s Learning Network is whether artists and authors who use the words of others are stealing from that artist or...
Curated OER
Three Essential Soft Skills That Span Every Content Area
Reading, writing, and arithmetic are just the start of what young people need to know to be successful.
PHET
Planet Designer: Martian Makeover
Mars used to have liquid water, can you make it come back? Use the lesson plan and simulation to understand why Mars lost its magnetic field, why atmosphere is important, and what gravity has to do with it. This is the third...
Curated OER
The Race to Learn
Students explore the history of education and race in the United States. By researching Supreme Court cases dealing with race and education, students examine the ways in which these cases have reflected changing social and cultural norms.
Curated OER
Stimulus Response
Pupils explore the five steps in the stimulus-response pathway. They analyze the senses and the difference between animals' primary and secondary senses. Students collect information about animal behavior to debate the ethics of...
State Bar of Texas
Worcester v. Georgia
Can the president of the United States defy the rulings of the Supreme Court? Students investigate the case of Worcester v. Georgia and the impact it had on society and, most importantly, Native Americans. Using a short video clip as...
Curated OER
Lincoln is in the House! ("Name-Dropping" Poems and the Power of Connotation)
“What’s in a name?” Just about everything. Barack Obama, Vincent van Gogh, Justin Bieber. Famous names evoke a multitude of reactions and poets often use the names of famous people in their works precisely because names carry...
Curated OER
Parrot in the Oven: Pre-Reading Strategy: 4 Corners
A four corners pre-reading activity introduces class members to the major themes in Victor Martinez's award winning novel, Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida.
Curated OER
Empowering Young People to Repair the World
Students analyze the role of study vs. good deeds in contributing to improving the world. They discuss how study and action are important and consider their obligation to make the world a better place. After discussing the concept of...
Curated OER
Math & Science
Young scholars are introduced to techniques to help with with math and science. In groups, they use a worksheet to discover how to count money. As a class, they watch a PowerPoint to define terms associated with science. To end the...