University of Arkansas
Our Responsibilities
The fourth in a five-lesson unit examining human rights and personal responsibility asks class groups to investigate a current rights issue, and using the provided graphic organizer, summarize the issue, consider which rights are being...
Curated OER
Interrupting Chicken
Young scholars read the book Interrupting Chicken about someone who keeps interrupting. In this reading lesson plan, students discuss how they should not interrupt in class.
University of Arkansas
Assessment and Discussion
"Without concerned citizen action to uphold them (human rights) close to home; we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world. . ." Eleanor Roosevelt's comment is used to set the stage for the conclusion of a five-instructional...
US Institute of Peace
Responding to Conflict: Active Listening
Did I hear you right? You need a great lesson on active listening? Through large- and small-group activities, learners differentiate between poor and excellent listening skills. The resource, 7th in a series of 15, focuses on active...
California Academy of Science
Which Way is North?
Who needs a compass to find cardinal directions? Just place a stick in the ground and record the movement of its shadow over the course of a day. Then, measure the shadow lengths in order to determine a north-south line. A simple...
Bright Hub Education
How to Use Commas Correctly
Commas can be quite confusing. Young writers target troublesome grammar skills by focusing on the four most troubling uses: joining two independent clauses, separating introductory materials in a sentence, separating unnecessary...
Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist
Play Ball! – Or Not…Making a Decision Using Weather Data
Should the game go on or not? An engaging instructional activity asks small groups to make a decision using weather data. After analyzing a map, an updated forecast, and radar information, groups have to decide whether to cancel a...
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
A Case Study Involving Influenza and the Influenza Vaccine
Using a hypothetical discussion between two coworkers broken up into four parts, budding biologists examine the flu shot and some of the typical arguments for and against it. The conversational nature of the reading makes it engaging and...
Pace University
Publishing Writing
Scholars become familiar with tagline literature with the help of the story, Alexander and the Horrible, No Good, Very Bad, Terrible Day by Judith Viort. After a read-aloud and whole-class discussion, leveled groups complete...
Indiana University
British Literature Restoration Unit: The Pillow Book – Sei Shonagon
First drafted in the year 996, The Pillow Book contains reflections of those met by a lady-in-waiting in the Japanese court. A brief summary, historical context, and discussion questions are provided on the first two pages. Then, two...
Curated OER
To Kill a Mockingbird Debate
Eighth graders debate issues in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. In this debate lesson plan, 8th graders break into three groups and given a view to research and debate. Students must find text to support their ideas and others' ideas.
Nemours KidsHealth
Empathy: Grades K-2
Second graders read articles about being afraid, dealing with anger and apologizing. In this feelings lesson plan, 2nd graders read articles and discuss the feelings they have. Students describe their feelings and how to be supportive of...
Endowment of United States Institute of Peace
Active Listening
Ensure that your pupils listen to one another in constructive ways by introducing them to active listening skills through discussion, role playing, and partner work.
Rainforest Alliance
My Forest or the Rainforest?
The differences between tropical and temperate rainforests range from animals and flowers to climate and landscapes. Kindergarteners compare and contrast characteristics of their local forest to a tropical rainforest.
New South Wales of Education and Communities
Setting the Scene
How to establish a safe classroom environment for discussion is the focus of this introduction to a series of six resources devoted to personal safety.
Curated OER
Playing By The Rules
Young scholars investigate the meaning of honesty. In this character education activity, students brainstorm school experiences where they have the choice of being honest. Young scholars illustrate and describe actions related to honesty...
Curated OER
Christmas in the Trenches, 1914
Learners investigate the role of Trench Warfare in World War I. In this World War I lesson, students read Christmas in the Trenches, 1914 and then discuss the conditions of war in trenches and how Christmas 1914 interrupted the war....
Curated OER
What Can I Do For You?
Young scholars explore philanthropic acts within the school. In this philanthropy instructional activity, students list acts of philanthropy they can do at school and sing songs about philanthropic acts.
National Endowment for the Humanities
John Steinbeck’s "The Grapes of Wrath": The Inner Chapters
Here’s a must-have resource for anyone using The Grapes of Wrath. Everything from guiding questions to background information, from photographs to documentary films, from activities to assessments is included in a richly detailed packet...
Curated OER
Meter in Poetry
A good poem has form and structure built into it. Middle schoolers see that the structure of a poem consists of stanza, form, rhyme, and meter. The structure also contributes to a poem's meaning. After listening to, and discussing, a few...
Curated OER
Phil Up on the Arts
Sstudents examine the concept of community in their classroom and school. They list philanthropic acts they could perform without teacher permission. They also memorize and sing two songs with philanthropic themes.
University of Arkansas
Promises Denied
"Promises Denied," the second instructional activity in a unit that asks learners to consider the responsibilities individuals have to uphold human rights, looks at documents that illustrate the difficulty the US has had trying to live...
Museum of Tolerance
Improving My Community Through Social Action
Action is the heart of change. Encourage class members to not only identify critical social justice issues in their school or community but to take action as well. As individuals or as groups, they research a situation, develop a...
Nuffield Foundation
Monitoring the Body's Reaction to Stress
When stressed, do you prefer the fight or flight response? Scholars observe, measure, and identify the body's response to stress using a well-researched methodology. They learn about the autonomic nervous system, hormones, and more.