Curated OER
Life on Plymouth Plantation
Third graders research life of Plymouth Plantation and write letters about life there home. In this Plymouth life lesson, 3rd graders complete a webquest as they gather information about the journey to America on the Mayflower and the...
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Unit Plan for Mark Twain and American Humor
Students create brochures about the humor of Mark Twain. In this literature-analysis lesson plan, students read "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" and other short stories by Twain. Students write analytical paragraphs and...
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African Americans Seen Through the Eyes of the Newsreel Cameraman
Fifth graders become familiar with the role of African Americans during WWII. In this WWII lesson plan, 5th graders watch a newsreel and discuss its use as a primary source. Students answer questions about the newsreel.
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Aesop's Fables (Grade 3)
Third graders develop a presentation based on Aesop's Fables. In this Aesop Fables and presentation activity, 3rd graders examine the characteristics of fables and how to interpret them. They choose one of Aesop's Fables to research....
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Peace and Perspective through Poetry: The Dream of Peace in the Middle East
Middle schoolers use poetry to understand conflict in the Middle East. In this poetry lesson, students read persona poems and use the poetry and a novel as mentor text to guide their own poem about peace in the Middle East.
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A Visit to Aunt Louisa's
Fourth graders write a diary entry. In this journaling lesson students examine a 1880's primary source document. Students read about a young girl visiting her Aunt in rural Indiana. Students write about what they did in the last day.
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A Picture Speaks A Thousand Words
Students explore the power of images through political cartoons, particularly in light of the Danish caricatures of Muhammad that have incited violence around the world. They create their own original artwork to submit to an appropriate...
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Ethical Dilemmas in Teaching the Holocaust
Students are exposed to a variety of readings about the Nazi Party and concentration camps. Using the readings as a guide, they identify moral issues that we all face studing the Holocaust. They decide to work together to end bigotry...
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Immigration; The New Colossus
Seventh graders explore The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus. In this The New Colossus lesson, 7th graders read the poem and analyze its meaning. Students discuss what the poem means about American culture and why it was engraved on the...
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Introducing the Narrative Account Web Page
Students complete a narrative writing assignment by critiquing a sample webpage. In this narrative writing instructional activity, students view the sample webpage and take notes. Students create a similar webpage that contains a...
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The Immigrant Experience: Down the Rabbit Hole
Students relate the immigrant experience to Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. In this immigration experience lesson plan, students read Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and relate it to the immigrant...
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Take Me Back to the Ball Game!
Students examine the role of sports in American society, analyzing both positive outcomes and its exclusive nature. They reflect on how the lessons that they participate in as students may carry with them into their adult lives.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Anne Frank: Writer
Students explore the writings of Anne Frank. They discuss how Anne did or did not change during her two years in the Secret Annex. Students take a stand on how much Anne has in common with contemporary young people.
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Raising the Titanic
Ninth graders research the history of a person who was aboard the Titanic and write about the part he/she played in the world's greatest maritime disaster.
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Nature in a Flick of the Eye
Students explore the visual information a diorama artist provides by thinking of all the details for the background of a location described by their teacher. They investigate diorama artists and their importance in creating the illusion...
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The Family: Louisiana Family Folklore
Students explore and identify family treasures and research the history to each one. They also organize a variety of artifacts into various categories and research traditional Louisiana artifacts online. Each student draws inferences...
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Travel Through Time with a Family Member
Learners interview a family member. In this interviewing lesson, students choose a family member to interview and write about. Learners create a PowerPoint about the person including a timeline, photographs, and a narrative about their...
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Music To My Ears: The District of Columbia Quarter
Students practice identifying different genres of music by creating posters. In this music appreciation lesson, students research Duke Ellington and complete worksheets based on his style of music, Jazz. Students collaborate...
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Thanks Be To You
Students research U.S. history by completing a worksheet activity in class. In this historical figure lesson, students identify the contributions and risks taken by the former African-American leader Martin Luther King Jr. Students read...
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Drawing on Terror
Young scholars assess the ways in which editorial cartoons offer insight into events that shape our world, specifically focusing on the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.
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To Tell the Tale
Students explore how themes common to the human condition can be found in literary and oral traditions across cultures. They compile traditional folk tales around these themes and write their own tales to reflect their own cultural context.
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African American Poetry: Family and Traditions
Students are introduced to the elements of African-American poetry. As a class, they are read different types of poems to discover there are different styles of poems and practice rhyming words. They share information on their family...
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Exploring Philanthropic Motivations
Students understand the reasons people give to those less fortune. In this philanthropic lesson, students read Passing the Dream by Penny Caldwell. Students respond to the poem by making a list of things they would like to change...
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Tapokadooa: How the Dawes Act Affected Northern Paiute Children's Lives
Students investigate the Dawes Act and understand its effects on the Paiute Indians. In this Paiute lesson, students recognize that many Native Americans lost their land and money after the Dawes Act. Students dissect a worksheet for...