Curated OER
Critical Consumerism
Develop critical thinkers and awareness of the media's techniques. Impressionable minds analyze advertisements they see all around them in this potentially 3-week long unit of five complete lesson plans. Extended discussions, outside...
Hyperion
Crispin: The Cross of Lead
Avi's Crispin: The Cross of Lead is the focus of a teacher's guide that provides background information on 14th Century England, a plot summary, discussion questions, activities, and resource links. A must-have for those who use this...
Curated OER
The blues highway: An integration of music with geography
Learners analyze the movement of the blues from rural Mississippi to urban Chicago and how place and the environment affected the development of the blues. They define the blues, where it originated and how and why it moved to Chicago....
Curated OER
The Progressive Era
Eighth graders utilize the SOAP method to analyze a work of art and relate it to what they know about the Progressive Era and the reasons why cities changed and the ways in which cities changed during the end of the 19th century. They...
Curated OER
Celebrating Modernism at the A Century of Progress World's Fair
Students examine aesthetic movement known as modernism, discover why organizers chose modernism as World Fair's design pattern, interpret photographs of modernist fair buildings and identify artifacts that reflect modernist ideas, and...
Curated OER
Conservation in Small Places - Composting
A fabulous lesson introduces the art of composting to your gardeners. In it, youngsters learn about the composting process and how it actually works. They discuss the environmental benefits of composting, and use the "lasagna" method...
Curated OER
Reading Multicultural Literature
Students read several fictional pieces which examine issues of urbanization and rural cultures. They discuss how the place a person lives affects the kind of person they become.
Curated OER
Rise of the Modern City
Students analyze art that depicts the modern city and the effects the modern world had on artists. In this art analysis lesson, students view examples of modern city art and answer questions for each example. Students research Derain's...
Curated OER
A New Way of Looking
Students compare and contrast works of art. In this art analysis lesson, students complete art analysis discussion activities and then journal activities.
Curated OER
Is That a Fact? A Comment on Modern Fables
Students complete literary analysis for modern fables or urban legends. In this modern fables lesson, students listen to an urban legend and discuss it. Students then research urban legends online and write their own urban legend.
Curated OER
One World
Students explore the urban socioeconomic and political problems in the US that caused hip hop to emerge in the 70's and 80's. Hip Hop culture is explored and related to the genre of art form.
Curated OER
Making Magic
Students assess the elements of J.K. Rowling's 'Harry Potter' series that have made it such a success. They incorporate these elements into a short film, incorporating such concepts as pop culture mythology, urban legend and archetypes.
Curated OER
Legacies of El Dorado
Students explore the development of urban California as it was driven by the Gold Rush boom. They study historical documents and participate in a variety of hands-on activities designed to reinforce the concept of the lesson.
Curated OER
Concept: Superstition
Students identify the role of superstition in their own lives, in society, and in Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. In this superstition lesson, students discuss urban legends and listen to a related song to introduce the topic....
Curated OER
It's Not Always What It Seems to Be!
Students write metaphors. In this literary devices lesson, students discuss metaphors and how they are used in literature. Students read the poem "Song of a Dandelion Pushing up Through an Urban Sidewalk Crack" and determine any...
Curated OER
New Endings
Second graders listen to the story of The Three Little Pigs in an urban setting. They then divide into small groups and using one story per group, read the story in 15 minutes and come up with a new ending and practice for an additional...
Curated OER
The Power of the Press
Students identify an editorial and propaganda, discuss differences between weekly and daily newspapers, analyze needs of rural and urban newspaper audiences, and evaluate possible power of the press and importance of multiple views...
Curated OER
City Crossword Puzzle
In this city crossword puzzle worksheet, students use the 36 clues to identify the correct urban-related words that will solve the crossword puzzle.
Curated OER
City Crossword Puzzle 2
In this city crossword puzzle worksheet, students use the 22 clues to identify the correct urban-related words that will solve the crossword puzzle.
Curated OER
Divination Bag: Yoruba, Nigeria
Young scholars create divination bags. In this visual arts lesson plan, students study the beliefs of the Yoruba people of Africa. Young scholars design and create divination bags in the style of the Yoruba people.
Curated OER
How Do I Learn Best?
Students discover their learning styles. In this language arts lesson, students read about the various learning styles. Students determine their learning style and discuss how they can use this knowledge.
Curated OER
Literature: Porgy and Bess
Students examine the various portrayals of African-Americans in literature, focusing on the opera, Porgy and Bess. They conduct Internet research on African-American culture between the two World Wars. Students write fictional or...
Curated OER
Create a City: An Urban Planning Exercise
Students explore the effects of population growth in Arizona. In this history lesson, students work in small groups to create a "perfect" city. Activities include examining the Arizona census results then discussing the importance of...
Curated OER
The Call to Greatness: A Search for Moral Integrity in the Urban Classroom
Eleventh graders read a variety of novels surrounding the theme of "greatness." In groups, they discuss various aspects of each novel and create a group bulletin board to identify and display the most important information from the...