Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Bill of Rights Is in the News!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students determine currency of the Bill of Rights by locating current newspaper articles or editorials that support or refute each of the 1st Ten Amendments.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Great Chicago Fire: Did Mrs. O'Leary's Cow Really Cause It?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students research the Great Chicago Fire and its myths on how it started. They use their critical thinking skills to determine what really happened. They write an essay supporting their opinion on the fire.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Immigration Graph

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students practice reading and understanding information in a table and converting the information to graph form. They create a graph showing the number of immigrants per country of origin between 1899 and 1924.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where Does Our Breakfast Come From?

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students bring in the cartons and containers of some of their favorite foods. They locate the origin of these foods on a map and visit a farm to view how food is grown and processed by a farmer. Students read books, complete worksheets...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is the Population Distribution of Cartoon Characters Living On the Pages of Your Newspaper?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students read various cartoons in their local newspaper and calculate the population demographics, spatial distribution and grouping of the characters. Using this information, they create a population distribution map and share them with...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring the Declaration of Independence

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders describe the basic ideas of government and arguments supporting the separation of the colonies from Britain in the Declaration of Independence. They actively participate in class discussion and then review, answering all...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fossil Fuels--Discoveries and Uses

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Student examine the close relationship between fossil energy and our daily lives. To demonstrate to the student the close relationship between fossil energy and our daily lives.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Discovering Your Community

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students focus on the origins of the families that make up their community by exploring their family's origins through themselves, parents, and grandparents. Students create a map marked with family origins for the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Subsurface Contamination of Groundwater

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers watch a demonstration with a balloon filled with water being buried in a milk container that has been cut length wise and filled with sand. Students are told that there is an underground storage tank filled with a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Youth Dealing With Homophobia:Stories From Real Life

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Students read testimonials of real gay and lesbian teenagers dealing with homophobia. They discuss how to create an environment that respects all persons regardless of sexual orientation. They discuss a variety of emotions that these...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Indiana Tornado Project

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students become aware of the number of tornadoes that impact Indiana. They explore basic facts about tornadoes. Students use the GIS for research. They explore that natural phenomena in Indiana. Students become familiar with...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dead Sea Investigation: Middle East and African Connections

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Pupils demonstrate comprehension of the physical characteristics of the Dead Sea region and its connection to the Red Sea and the African Great Rift Valley. They are given students the opportunity to understand the role of plate...
Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

School Reform, Again!

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Students discuss their perceptions and experiences with changes in schooling. They work in small groups to prepare a PowerPoint presentation to explain the efforts toward reforming schools since 1983. Students speculate on the next...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Great Explorers

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students examine the importance of culture and economy changes that occurred due to the great explorations. In this explorations lesson, students create a list of major explorers. Students focus on one main exploration and give an oral...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Toolbox for Preventing Genocide

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the implications of genocide. In this genocide lesson plan, students reflect on the response of America to genocide in Armenia, Rwanda, and Darfur. Students consider how to prevent the loss of human life through...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Makiing Sense of the Census

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate trends in agriculture.  For this secondary mathematics lesson, students evaluate agricultural census data from 1982 to 2202 as they compare the properties of the mean and the median.  Students explore what...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Case Study: Manzanar

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders investigate Japanese-American internment. In this World War II instructional activity, 11th graders conduct research from the Manzanar National Historic Sites and then write essays based on their findings.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

McCarthyism: The Political Cartoons of Herb Block

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine McCarthyism. In this Cold War lesson, students analyze 6 political cartoons by Herb Block that capture the essence of the Red Scare. Students discuss the cartoons and the fear of communism that permeated America. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Girls are Drinking Like Boys

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore alcohol use. In this health journalism lesson, students read the USA Today article titled "Girls are Drinking Like Boys", respond to discussion questions regarding the article, and complete an activity based on the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Disease Warriors

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners explore the importance of vaccines in fighting childhood disease.  In this health lesson, students play a game to model how vaccines protect against the spread of infectious disease. Learners play a tag based game in which...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Long Way from Home: A Hands-on Geography Lesson about World War II

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students build World War II directional signs. In this World War II lesson, students explore the geographic locations of the war as they analyze primary sources and conduct research regarding places of significance in the war. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Social Studies: Area and Population Density

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Math scholars of many ages examine the concept of population density and then discuss the significance of the population densities of Minnesota and China. They figure the population density of their school.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pets Around the World

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Pupils communicate via e-mail with other students to learn about pets, animals of interest , and geography from different parts of the world. Vocabulary focuses on rural, urban, and suburban areas.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Pi" Day

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Your class will complete research dealing with Pi and its value in mathematics, leading into a discovery lab to demonstrate Pi, how it is determined, and how it is used. In the end, young scholars eat PIE!