Curated OER
Manifest Destiny and the Power of Perspective
Pupils examine the concept of Manifest Destiny and the United States. They analyze the Mexican War from the perspective of the Mexicans and the Indians. They write an essay about these different perspectives.
Curated OER
Studying Species By Examining the Evolution of the Canidae Family
Students read an article on the characteristics of wolves and dogs then complete a phylogenetic tree of the canid family. They then write an essay justifying why or why not wolves and dogs should be classified as different species.
Pulitzer Center
China's Rising Labor Movement
Young historians will explore the complex causes and effects of industrialization in China by perusing the numerous articles included in this webpage. Throughout the resource, there are many writing and discussion prompts to help direct...
Global Oneness Project
At-Risk Communities
"Waiting to Move," a photo essay by Ciril Jazbec, brings into sharp focus the threats posed by climate change. Class members examine images of Shishmaref Island and the Native Alaskan Inupiate coastal villages that are impacted by rising...
Curated OER
Calibrated Peer Review: Introduction-Why Study Geology?
Students read an article written by Sarah Andrews, a geologist who has written mystery novels featuring a geologist who solves crimes. After reading the article, students write an essay based on a Writing Prompt and begin peer review...
Curated OER
Summin' It All Up
Students, through teacher modeling and guided practice, explore the five steps/rules of summarizing. Independently, they read a short article and apply the summarization rules and skills (picking out key words, main points, etc.) to...
Curated OER
Face to Face Summary!
Students, while in the computer lab visiting the National Geographic Kids website, fill out a checklist of unimportant/redundant information, look for important events and ideas and search for the author's main idea and supporting...
Curated OER
From America, With Love
Students research the experiences of specific immigrant groups in the United States. Letters are written from imaginary immigrants to relatives in their countries of origin, including historically accurate details.
Curated OER
Autobiography Lesson Plans That Start The Year Off Right
Teaching autobiography or journal writing lessons the first week of school is a wonderful way to get to know your new students.
Curated OER
Get the Skinny! Summarize a Story!
Learners examine the steps of summarizing text. They silently read an article, then read and discuss the steps to summarizing a passage. Students then write a summary of the article they read, and as a class discuss the main idea,...
Curated OER
Synonymous Sharks
Students locate and read an Internet article on sharks. They write a summary of the article, and complete a Concept of Definition Map using information from the article.
Curated OER
Summarization Station
Learners observe and demonstrate a variety of strategies for summarizing text. They read and discuss the five steps of summarization, silently read an article, then observe the teacher write a summary paragraph for the article. ...
Curated OER
Paraphrasing
Sixth graders practice paraphrasing. In this paraphrasing lesson, 6th graders read a paragraph and highlight the important words. They write a summary sentence of the paragraph making sure not to copy any sentences.
Curated OER
A Splendid Summarization
Students review three steps to follow to correctly summarize a written passage. Through modeling, guided and independent practice, they distinguish between unimportant and important information and summarize an article using these steps.
Curated OER
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Fourth graders research and write an author report on Roald Dahl, including books written by him, birthplace, family life, and other information on his writing. Students read aloud chapters in the book. Students create a newspaper...
Curated OER
Meaning of Philanthropy
Learners explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning lesson, students discover what philanthropy is and identify people who benefit from philanthropy. Learners read selected newspaper articles regarding philanthropy and...
Curated OER
Kalsu, Tillman Define Heroism
In this article analysis worksheet, students read an article titled "Kalsu, Tillman Define Heroism," take notes on the article, define 2 words from the article, and write summaries of the article.
Curated OER
The Land and the Water
Third graders read "The Land and the Water," a fictional short story and an article about John F. Kennedy, Jr. and compare and contrast fictional tragedy to a non-fiction tragedy. They fill out a Venn diagram and write an essay using...
Curated OER
Thoreau's Ideas on Imprisonement and Individuality
Students criticize Thoreau's philosophy about imprisonment and individuality. In this Thoreau analysis lesson, students read about Thoreau's philosophy and write an answer to the given questions. Students use a digital instant message...
Curated OER
How Atoms Work
Students explore the concept of atoms and how they combine to form molecules and compounds. In pairs, they read an article on how atoms work and discuss the main points. They draw atoms and write a paragraph about their elements.
Curated OER
A Couple of Kooks and Other Stories About Love
Students read an article about teenage pregnancy and the story, "A Couple of Kooks and Other Stories About Love," making notes about how the pregnant teens are characterized. They then compare and contrast the views of pregnant teens in...
Curated OER
Voyage to the New World
Students examine the exploration of the New World. They write a descriptive account of the first encounter between Europeans and Native Americans, analyze and label maps, plot Columbus's journey on a map, and write a chapter summary.
Curated OER
Scoring a Financial Education
Students explore the concept of money management. In this money management lesson, students read an article about students taking a finance course in high school and college. Students discuss the importance of money management. Students...
Curated OER
The Original's Sins
Are history textbooks plagiarized? The New York Times article, “Schoolbooks Are Given F’s in Originality,” looks at this question and forms the basis for a lesson on textbooks and plagiarism. The very detailed plan includes resource...