Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Archaeologists Reveal King Tut's Mummy

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students look at pictures of a sarcophagus, then read a news article about King Tut's mummy. For this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion, pictures, and a vocabulary activity, then students read...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Presidential Election One Year Away

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students identify political parties, then read a news article about the 2008 election. In this current events lesson (written prior to the 2008 election), the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and vocabulary activity, then...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Strange Winter Weather Affects Nature, People

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students react to a series of statements about the weather, then read a news article about the affect of unusual winter weather on people and animals. In this meteorology and current events instructional activity, the teacher introduces...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pets are Popular with U.S. Presidents

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students discuss their pets and read about pets that have lived in the White House. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a vocabulary activity and pet survey, then the students read the news article and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

National Turkey Off to Disneyland

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Learners share their holiday traditions, then read about an American Thanksgiving custom. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the news article with a discussion and vocabulary activity, the students participate in a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Companies Racing to Build Electric Car

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students examine how they use batteries, then read a news article about how cars are being designed to use batteries. For this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and vocabulary activity, then...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Football a Big Success in Small Alaska City

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students read about the creation of a football program at a small-town school in Alaska. For this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a map and vocabulary activity, then students read the news report and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kids Build Pumpkin-Tossing Catapult

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students read a news article about the creation of a catapult that will throw pumpkins. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion of catapults and a vocabulary activity, then students read the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

U.S. Penny to Get Four New Designs

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Students look at U.S. currency and read about plans to change the back of U.S. pennies. For this current events lesson, the teacher introduces a news article with a discussion of money and a vocabulary activity, then students read the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Family Sells House to Help the Hungry

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students compare their wants and needs, then read a news article about a family that downsized their home to help African villagers. In this current events and poverty in Africa lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bike-Sharing Catches On

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students discuss how people are reducing their fuel consumption, then read a news article about a new bike-sharing program in Washington, D.C. In this current events and alternative transportation lesson, the teacher introduces the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Parents Hand Out Unusual Punishments

For Teachers 2nd - 7th
Young scholars discuss how they are disciplined at home, then read a news article about some unusual punishments given to children. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and vocabulary...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Recycled Vegetable Oil Powers Vans, Cars

For Teachers 2nd - 7th
Learners share their knowledge about fuel sources, then read a news article about vegetable oil as a cleaner alternative to gasoline. In this current events and environmental science lesson plan, the teacher introduces the article with a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scientists Discover Giant Frog Fossil

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students examine a world map and read a news article about the discovery of a giant frog fossil. In this earth science and current event activity, the teacher introduces an article with a discussion about continental drift and a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Will Smog be a Problem at the Olympic Games?

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Learners locate China on a world map, then read a news article about pollution in Beijing. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion about smog and a vocabulary activity, then students read the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Students Slide to School on Air-Powered Sled

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students locate the Great Lakes on a US map, then read a news article about a sled being used as a wintertime school bus in Wisconsin. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a map and vocabulary activity,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scientists Study Dinosaur "Mummy"

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students share ideas about how scientists know about dinosaurs, then read a news article about the recently found remains of a hadrosaur. In this dinosaur lesson plan, the teacher introduces the article with a class discussion and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jet Delivers Books to Kids Overseas

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students identify the function of organizations, then read a news article about an organization called Room to Read that is sending books to poor countries. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

New Food Saves Lives, Could End Hunger

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Learners locate the country of Niger, then read a news article about a new type of food that is being used to fight childhood hunger in Africa. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with map and vocabulary...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scientists Breed See-Through Frogs

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Young scholars participate in a pre-reading activity, then read a news article about the breeding of transparent frogs. In this biology and current events instructional activity, the teacher introduces the article with a question and a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Baby Animals Debut at Zoos

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students determine the names of animal babies, then read a news article about zoo's experiencing animal births. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with vocabulary activities, then students read the news...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hot Weather, Rain Mean Fewer Pumpkins

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Learners share their knowledge of pumpkins, then read a news article about how hot weather and rain are affecting the pumpkin crop. In this agriculture and current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spiders Build Giant Web in Texas Park

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students make predictions about a photograph of a humongous spider web, then read a news article about thousands of spiders that worked together to build it. In this biology and current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Teacher-Astronaut Offers New Lessons

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students read about teacher-in-space Barbara Morgan and life in space. In this space science and current event lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a vocabulary activity, then students read the news piece and participate in a...