Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The U.S. in Afghanistan: Analyzing Political Cartoons

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students take a closer look at the U.S. presence in Afghanistan. In this global issues lesson, students analyze political cartoons related to the War on Terror. Students discuss their impressions of the war and then create their own...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Gulf Oil Disaster

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students take a closer look at the Gulf oil spill of 2010. In this global issues lesson, students analyze political cartoons related to the crisis. Students discuss their impressions of the crisis and U.S. energy policies.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Government

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders run for various offices. They dress up like a politician, pretend to be running for an office, and tell the students why they should vote for him/her. They explain why it is necessary for a community to have a government
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Talking Trash - Online Message Boards

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students consider their own experiences with online message boards and chat rooms, discover how teens are using the Web to talk about people in their lives, discuss the issues surrounding online conversations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Getting Well

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Scholars share ideas about health topics relevant to teens. They read posts on Well, the Times health blog, and produce their own health blog featuring teen health issues. In addition, they read and discuss the article "Well: A Times...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding the Bush Tax Cut Plan

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The class examines the new tax cut plan proposed by President Bush. They practice calculating income tax rates and interpreting the data. Then they research topics that are of interest to them related to taxes.
Lesson Plan
Incredible Art

Historical Narrative Using Silhouettes

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Connect art and history with a series of activities inspired by the work of contemporary artist, Kara Walker. After watching an Art 21 video about Walker and examining the images in a PowerPoint presentation, class members use...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Noteworthy?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Why do we have CliffsNotes? SparkNotes? Middle and high schoolers examine arguments for and against the recent influx of book notes, or study guides. They stage a debate in which they represent Advocates For or Critics Against the use of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Debating the Issues: Ralph Bunche and Civil Rights

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Synthesizing information from a PBS documentary Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey, its companion website, and several other resources (links to which are provided), high schoolers evaluate whether Bunche did all he could to advance the...
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Classroom Guide for the Redwall Series

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students participate in cross-curricular activities and readings to become familiar with the works of Brian Jacques. In this heroes lesson, students discuss the character traits of legends and how their characters develop through events...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Examining Secondary Sources: The American Revolution

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Learners who have a grasp on the events of the Revolutionary war view clips from five different films as secondary sources. They take notes on each clip thinking about historic inaccuracies. They then view parts of the film The Patriot...
Lesson Plan
Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program

Reading Literature - My Last Dutchess

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Draw back the curtain, add a spot of joy to your class, and let learners be lessoned by a close reading exercise that models how to develop an interpretation based on evidence drawn from a text. Robert Browning’s dramatic monologue “My...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Credible Sources on the Internet: What to Trust, What to Dismiss and When to Cite a Source

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Wait, you mean researchers don't all use Wikipedia? Teach your class about intelligent research with a lesson about evaluating digital sources. The lesson starts with a quickwrite and includes vocabulary exercises and several...
Lesson Plan
Novelinks

The House on Mango Street: Anticipation Guide

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Prior to an in-class reading of "What Sally Said" and"Red Clowns," two vignettes from Sandra Cisneros' The House on Mango Street, class members complete an anticipation guide that asks them to agree or disagree with a series of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tangerine: Anticipation Guide

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Encourage your readers to make predictions about Edward Bloor's young adult novel, Tangerine, with an anticipation guide that presents statements that introduce key issues in the novel.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Two Truths and a Lie: Internet Research Skills

For Teachers 9th - 12th
It's tough for high schoolers to assess what is a credible resource and what is not. A helpful resource prompts class members to research a particular topic and record two facts—and create one lie—while documenting the sources. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Advertisers Persuade

For Teachers 7th - 8th
This plan centers around the article "How Advertisers Persuade," although it is not included in the lesson itself. Get your class thinking about advertising, appeals, and techniques that companies use to get their products from the shelf...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Aboriginal Education - A Canadian Failure?

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Young scholars discover that the education of the Aboriginal was a government and church "mission." They develop respect for the Aboriginal people and their continuing concerns about their treatment at the hands of the missionaries and...
Lesson Plan
Media Smarts

Thinking About Television and Movies

For Teachers 1st - 6th Standards
As part of their study of the influence of TV and films, class members consider how music, lighting, costumes, camera angles, etc. are used to influence the response of viewers.
Lesson Plan
NPR

Can You Beat Cognitive Bias?

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
In a time of fake news, media manipulation, and Internet trolls, a resource equips learners with the tools they need to recognize and combat resources that are designed to appeal to our cognitive biases. Introduce learners to five...
Lesson Plan
Learning to Give

It's Never Too Late: Air Quality

For Teachers 7th - 12th
What are the causes and effects of pollutants on the quality of the air we breathe? Groups research emission standards, emission controls, career opportunities in the area of air quality control, and things government and individuals can...
Lesson Plan
Novelinks

Words By Heart: Anticipation Guide

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
The anticipation guide for Words by Heart is the first of a series of six, contains lesson plans for the activity as well as a handout to be completed individually, in pairs, or as a class. It sparks interest for the text...
Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

Women's Suffrage, Racism, and Intersectionality

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Nineteenth Amendment granted women the right to vote—as long as they were white. High schoolers read articles and essays about racism in the suffrage movement and consider how intersectionality played a role in the movement. Scholars...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

INVITING CANDIDATES TO CLASS

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the election process by researching politcal platforms, inviting candidates to speak, surveying registered voters, and running a mock election.