Film English
Fear of Flying
A bird that's afraid of flying? See what happens to this character when it's time to fly south. Over the course of the instructional activity, pupils discuss fears in general, share their fears, make predictions about the film, and view...
Shakespeare Uncovered
“Speak, I Charge You”: Macbeth On Your Feet, Not In Your Seat
“Is this a dagger which I see before me . . .” As part of a study of Macbeth, class members engage in a series of activities that get them up and moving. Individuals practice, then deliver, a line from the Scottish play. The entire class...
Overcoming Obstacles
Resolving Conflict
Win-lose, lose-lose, or win-win? The final lesson in the "Resolving Conflict Module" brings together all that participants have learned in the module. They first list and prioritize the steps in conflict resolution, then develop a plan...
Curated OER
Sometimes I Feel Book
Young scholars examine the feelings of happiness, sadness, anger, fear and examine instances when these feelings are present as well as positive ways to react to these feelings.
Overcoming Obstacles
Communicating Constructively
Some types of verbal communication are just more difficult that others. High schoolers engage in a series of activities that are designed to help teens make difficult conversations easier and more effective.
PBS
Baseball: The Tenth Inning - Bases Divided
Baseball is a relatively high-interest topic through which social studies classes can explore racial prejudice in the US. Video clips provide much of the background information that groups record on their handout and then share with the...
Curated OER
I Got a Lava Livin' to Do in Pompeii
Scholars imagine themselves as citizens of Pompeii in 79 AD. First they are assigned a job (or place in society like a child or slave). Then they record their daily activities for the weeks leading up to the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in...
Curated OER
Biopoem
Reinforce the actions, emotions, and characteristics that determine what a character is like by having your middle schoolers create a biopoem using the model presented here. You could engage them first by having them write a poem about...
Curated OER
A Visit to Manassas Battlefield Park and Museum
Fifth graders gain an appreciation of the battle. They see the perspectives of soldiers from both the North and the South. They choose a side and portray a soldier fighting in a battle or any other time, retelling his thoughts, his...
Curated OER
Defining Success
The class defines what it means to be successful by examining the achievements of Rich Wilson. They create headlines for a mock paper, discuss achieving personal goals, and create a scrapbook of his journey. Tip: Use this resource when...
Curated OER
Building Character: Remaining Resilient, Resourceful, and Responsible in the Face of Adversity
Young scholars examine the different types of adversity African-Americans face. As a class, they role-play different roles in scenerios in which they discover the importance of facing their fears and taking responsibility for their...
Curated OER
Smoky Night
Second graders compare the neighborhoods they know to those of a different place and time. In this historical perspectives lesson, 2nd graders read Eve Bunting's Smoky Night and discuss the outcome of the story. Students also discuss...
Curated OER
It's Mine Lesson Plan
Students read a book called It's Mine! For this lesson about three frogs and sharing, students explore how what they do affects everything around them. Through a series of seven different activities, students interpret the frogs and...
Curated OER
Lesson III: Crisis, Pearl Harbor, Internment
The third in a series of lessons introduced by “A Fence Away From Freedom,” uses the Smithsonian website, “A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution” and focuses on the section of the presentation devoted to the...
Common Sense Media
The Masque of the Red Death
Poe goes high tech with a lesson that asks high schoolers to use the internet and various apps as they read and analyze "The Masque of the Red Death." In addition to responding to comprehension questions in Quizlet, they use Minecraft to...
Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character
Charlotte's Web: A Story About Friendship
Strengthen the bonds of friendship within your class with a reading of E.B. White's award-winning novel, Charlotte's Web. Focusing on the unique characters in the story and the relationships they develop, young readers draw from their...
Curated OER
Slave Revolts: Armed Resistance to Slavery
Young scholars discuss the fear of slave rebellions in the South. They discuss the reasons behind this fear. Students draw a timeline showing slave resistance between the 1712-1831. They answer questions regarding slave revolts. Young...
Curated OER
Feudalism
Students have tournaments in teams after learning information about The Middle Ages. In this Middle Ages lesson plan, students learn that tournaments are mock battles, but that they will have these battles by answering questions in teams...
Curated OER
Words in the News Hopes and Fears for Shuttle Discovery
Young scholars participate in vocabulary building activities including worksheets before reading an online article. They write a space travel diary of their first visit to outer space in a journal entry.
Curated OER
Journal Writing Ideas
Students choose a topic from a list to write a journal entry about. For this journal writing lesson, students use one of the ideas included in the comprehensive list of ideas when they cannot think of a topic to write about. They write...
Curated OER
Watercolor Ways
Students investigate the concept of being part of a global community. In this global community lesson, students learning the definition of stewardship as it relates to taking care of the Earth. They listen to the lyrics of the song,...
Curated OER
Becoming Cultural Allies
Learners develop ways of becoming cultural allies. In this respect lesson, students watch the video Nick News with Linda Ellerbee and discuss ways to respect different cultures.
Curated OER
The Cold War at Home
Eleventh graders discover the perspective of Cold War on the American homefront. In this Cold War lesson, 11th graders watch Duck and Cover video segments that instruct citizens what to do in case of nuclear attack. Students discuss the...
Curated OER
Caring
Students experience and discuss the concept of caring for others. They cover the term exclusion as it is related to caring for others and the many factors that are involved when you care for someone else. Looking for the good in others...