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Curated OER

Native Americans

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students, in groups, research various Native American tribes. They wirte a report about the tribe which includes information about their food and ceremonies, among other things. They create a diorama and a poster that shows how they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

All Things Chinese

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders bring in items or pictures related to Chinese culture. The items are displayed in the room as a museum exhibit.
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U.S. Possessions

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders research the United States acquisition of the Philippines and their fight for independence. They locate the Philippines on a map and brainstorm how its geography has benefits. They access the Internet and complete a student...
Lesson Plan
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Great Explorers

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students research an explorer and present a multimedia presentation on the explorer. In this United States explorers lesson, students watch a video about Lewis and Clark. Students use Google Earth to study their journey and keep a KWL...
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Family and Household Structure

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students examine what the word "family" means today. They identify cultural traditions that are still popular in the United States. They read primary source documents and discover how advice is passed on from generation to generation.
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Santa Claus Around the World

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Learn about the legend of Santa Claus around the world in ESL holiday plan. In it, learners explore the many ways that Santa Claus is depicted in cultures around the world. There are some excellent masters included in the plan that help...
Lesson Plan
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This Land is Your Land - Travel Posters

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders compile a list of places in the United States where they have either traveled or where their relatives or friends live. They collect travel posters, brochures, postcards, and maps from their region of the United States.
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Curated OER

Carl Sandburg's "Chicago": Bringing a Great City Alive

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the historical and cultural context in Sandburg's poem. The poetic devices of personification and apostrophe are utilized in the poem and identified by Students.
Lesson Plan
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Carl Sandburg's "Chicago": Bringing a Great City Alive

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Carl Sandburg composed poetry that conveyed a time and place in American Literature and history. Learners identify the literary techniques he uses to describe the historical and cultural context of living in Chicago. They define the...
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The New York Times

Kiev in Chaos: Teaching About the Crisis in Ukraine

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Provide a historical context for the political unrest between Russia and Ukraine that began in late 2013. Learners review their prior knowledge and chronicle new understandings with a KWL chart, watch a video explaining the Ukrainian...
Lesson Plan
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Building Bridges for Young Learners - Self

For Teachers K - 5th
Students explore self analysis by investigating other cultures. In this personal characteristics lesson, students utilize the Internet to read about a child from Niger, and many other students around the globe. Students compare their own...
Lesson Plan
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Edible Resource Maps

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders work in groups to create an edible resource map showing locations of at least five resources in the United States. Students research on the internet different regions and the resources that are found in those areas. They...
Lesson Plan
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Children in the United States and Japan

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Young scholars locate Japan on a map or globe and describe the relative location of Japan. They use the Internet to investigate cultural characteristics of children in the United States and in Japan. They use a Venn Diagram as an...
Lesson Plan
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My Diary From Here To There: Understanding Mexican Culture Through Research and Diary Entries

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore the adventures of an immigrant as she comes to the United States. They discuss the difficulties the immigrants had and they research the Mexican culture and society. Students create a diary of their own.
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Understanding Stereotypes

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Pupils confront age-related stereotypes, explore how stereotyping impacts their lives, and discuss how they can make changes to reduce over-generalizations, unfair assumptions, and critical judgments about people groups. They use a...
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Echoes & Reflections

The Ghettos

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Young historians examine primary sources, including diaries, poems, and photographs, to consider the conditions in the ghettos and how they fit into the escalation of the Third Reich's plot against the Jewish people. 
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Echoes & Reflections

Rescuers and Non-Jewish Resistance

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
What does it mean to be a rescuer during the time of the Holocaust? Learners consider the role of those who resisted the Nazi invasions, including hiding Jewish people, throughout Europe. Activities include listening to the testimony of...
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Echoes & Reflections

Jewish Resistance

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Resistance to the Holocaust took on many forms. Learners explore the passive and active resistance of Jewish people who continued their practices and observances, as well as organized resistance against the evils of the Nazis. An...
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Echoes & Reflections

Nazi Germany

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The Holocaust was an evolution of anti-Semitism, scapegoating, and targeted violence against Jews with Nazi policies. A resource unpacks the escalation in violence, along with the erosion of democratic institutions, during the 1930s....
Lesson Plan
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Describing Drum Beats in Native American Music

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students analyze the drum patterns and changing styles of the music and dance for the Native American song and dance "Owl Dance." They listen to a recording of "Owl Dance," discuss the cultural context of the song, and perform the song.
Unit Plan
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From Sea to Shining Sea

For Teachers 5th
Students study the geography of the United States of America. Students write letters, create travel brochures, make maps, graph population numbers, read fiction and nonfiction selections, complete KWL charts, and watch films.
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Contemporary Afghanistan

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research the situational dynamics that have resulted in a civil war. In small groups, they research the geography and culture of Afghanistan. Groups analyze the political and cultural impact on people living in Afghanistan....
Lesson Plan
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Hush! A Thai Lullaby

For Teachers K
Students listen as the teacher reads a story from their textbooks about a tradition in Thailand. They locate Thailand on a map and discuss that it is a tropical country. They discuss various cultural aspects included in the story and...
Lesson Plan
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Beyond Louisiana

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders examine the challenges that faced United States as a new nation.  In this American History lesson, 11th graders study the chronology of events leading up to the expedition of Lewis and Clark.  Students organize...