Curated OER
Foreign War and Domestic Freedom: A Delicate Balancing Act
Students investigate civil liberties in the U.S. They watch and discuss a PowerPoint presentation, conduct research on an event from a timeline, complete a worksheet, take an ideology quiz, and conduct a debate.
Curated OER
Respect and Democracy
Middle schoolers explore the concept of respect. In this respect and democracy instructional activity, students define respect and brainstorm examples of showing respect and disrespect. Middle schoolers read Core Values of American...
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Benjamin and the Way to A Good Life
Young scholars explore American history by reading biographical text in class. In this Benjamin Franklin lesson, students research the famous inventor by reading assigned text and answering reading comprehension questions afterwards....
Curated OER
Maurice Sendak's Books: More Relevant and Rigorous than Ever
Nearly 50 years after publication, Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are holds up to the Common Core.
Curated OER
Heroes Portrait
Eighth graders investigate art appreciation and Renaissance portraits through time. They create a portrait.
Curated OER
Good Judgement and Honesty
Seventh graders write about the importance of honesty. In this character education lesson, 7th graders reflect about the value of honesty and following the rules. This lesson is part of a larger unit on honesty.
Curated OER
3-D Ribbon Letters - Pencil Shading
Students examine the art of Edward Ruscha and make a three-dimensional model of a single word. They explore shading and value, and create a drawing of the model. They render ribbon strip letters in varied values to show 3-D quality.
Center for History Education
To What Extent Were Women's Contributions to World War II Industries Valued?
Women rose to the challenge when the nation's war effort called them—but were sent home when the GIs came back from World War II. Young historians consider whether the United States valued women's contributions during the war using a...
Advocates for Human Rights
All about Me!
Celebrate the uniqueness of your students with this character building lesson series. In order to learn about and appreciate diversity and individuality, children create All About Me books by cutting out and drawing pictures...
Curated OER
Understanding Stage Design: Using Visual Elements to Provide Information to an Audience
Students study about theatrical design by developing environments for improvised and scripted scenes. They develop focused ideas for an environment using visual elements.
Curated OER
Helping Others
Students explore community service. In this character development and community instructional activity, students sing a song based on the fable The Lion and the Mouse. Students participate in a discussion about kindness, and...
Curated OER
Setting Goals with Benjamin Franklin
Students discuss historical accounts and accomplishments of "Benjamin Franklin" which exemplify good character traits. They create a display of paper keys which describe these traits. They relate these traits to their future goals and...
Curated OER
Act of Honesty
Learners analyze examples of honesty. In this character education lesson, students role play various situations and decide if they should engage in honest or dishonest behaviors.
Curated OER
Bullying
Seventh graders investigate bullying. In this character education lesson, 7th graders participate in a class discussion on how to make the school a more respectful place. Students brainstorm ideas and develop a plan to create a...
Curated OER
Southern Puritanism and Tennessee Williams
Students write an essay comparing Arthur Mille's The Crucible and one of Tennessee Williams' plays. In this Tennessee Williams instructional activity, students discuss the influence of Puritanism on modern American drama....
Curated OER
Acting With Honesty
Students analyze stories to study the value of honesty. Songs and role playing are included in this lesson of character education. Activities include: brainstorming situations that would be easy to be dishonest, drawing pictures to...
Curated OER
Valuing the World Around You
Learners explore the concept of environmental stewardship. In this character education lesson, students examine a quote from John Muir regarding the value of nature.
Curated OER
The Value of Respect
Students participate in discussions and listen to audio programs about giving and receiving respect. They identify disrespectful behavior and role play ways to promote respect in their own lives. They also examine the relationship...
Curated OER
Cinderella Stories
Students listen to the Scottish tale, The Princess and the Golden Shoes, creating a character chart. They develop a newspaper containing news stories, personality profiles, and editorials regarding The Princess and the Golden Shoes.
Curated OER
Connecting Past and Present...Virtues of Military Veterans
Middle schoolers explore personalities of those who served as medical personnel in American Civil War, compare qualities those troops possessed to qualities shown by troops currently serving in Armed Forces, and express appreciation to...
Curated OER
Peace Doves
Students explore ways to obtain world peace. In this character education lesson, students read the book Peace Begins With Me and brainstorm a list of ways students can create a more peaceful world. Students use included dove patterns to...
Curated OER
What is Honesty?
Students explore the concept of honesty. In this character lesson, students work in groups to brainstorm and discuss what it means to be honest. Each group shares their ideas with the class and they keep a list of keywords and descriptions.
Curated OER
Persistent Drop of Water
Seventh graders investigate the meaning of personal persistence. In this personal persistence instructional activity, 7th graders fill in a Frayer Method graphic organizer after participating in a discussion of the formation of the Grand...
Curated OER
Characterization in Literature
Students discover characterization techniques and methods. In this characterization lesson plan, students choose favorite fiction characters and discuss what makes a character come alive. Students then describe a family member or a...