Library of Congress
Industrial Revolution
Could you live without your phone? What about cars, steel, or clothing? Class groups collaborate to produce presentations that argue that either the telephone, the gramophone, the automobile, the textile industry, or the steel industry...
Curated OER
Slave Narratives: Constructing U.S. History Through Analyzing Primary Sources
Learners access oral histories that contain slave narratives from the Library of Congress. They describe the lives of former slaves, sample varied individual experiences and make generalizations about their research in journal entries.
Teaching Tolerance
Community Arts Showcase
An art showcase encourages class members to explore the themes of social justice and tolerance. They create an original artwork, engage in group discussions, and journal writing. The art gallery also provides a chance for families and...
US House of Representatives
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Groups select a photograph from one of the four eras of African Americans in Congress and develop a five-minute presentation that provides background information about the image as well as its historical significance. The class compares...
Library of Congress
The Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment
How did the Emancipation Proclamation lead to the Thirteenth Amendment? Middle schoolers analyze primary source documents including the text of the Emancipation Proclamation, political cartoons, photographs, and prints to understand the...
Global Oneness Project
A Vanishing Island
The effects of rising sea levels on Isle de Jean Charles, located off the coast of Louisiana, are documented in Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee's poignant short video. Viewers are asked to consider not only the plight of residents but also what...
Free Library of Philadelphia
Resources for Ghost Boys
Jewell Parker Rhodes, the author of Ghost Boys, wanted to bring the historical legacy of Emmett Till and the current topic of racial prejudice into today's young readers' mindsets. Use a reading guide and set of discussion questions to...
Curated OER
Understanding Cause and Effect
High schoolers experience and study cause and effect as they assess the consequences man faces when time travel is attempted. They determine, in their imaginations, what time period they would like to visit. Each student then listens to,...
American Institute of Architects
Architecture: It's Elementary!—First Grade
Build an interest and appreciation for architecture in your young learners with this fun 10-lesson art unit. Engaging children in using their five senses, the class first observes the environment around them, paying special attention to...
Sargent Art
Protect Our Marine Life
Encourage water conservation and boost art skills with a hands-on activity that challenges young painters to create a scene highlighting marine life. Using oil pastels, scholars draw an underwater scene and write a tip for viewers to...
Curated OER
Homework Contract
Establish strong study habits from the beginning of the year with a contract that details good practices for completing homework. Parents and kids decide how many minutes a night should be devoted to study, and for how many weeks the...
Curated OER
Inference
Making inferences about what you read is an important skill for both elementary, middle, and high school learners. Focusing on events which occurred during World War II, they answer a series of questions related to what we can infer as...
Curated OER
Study of Animals
Third graders use the internet to research about an animal. After watching a demonstration, they follow the same steps to gain access to the internet as their teacher and find a picture of their animal to print. They complete a worksheet...
Curated OER
Appalachia: Physical Fitness
Students plan a family fitness outing. In this physical education lesson plan, students will research possible physical activities which might be completed by a family during a daily-long outing in the Appalachian area. Students will...
Curated OER
Online Public Access Catalog
Fourth graders learn how to find books in the library. In this library lesson plan, 4th graders observe how to use an online system to search for a book by title, author and subject. Students practice searching for books.
Curated OER
Sorting
Learners practice sorting books. For this sorting lesson, students play the Flood Game on the PBS web site. With knowledge of the sorting system used by libraries, learners sort small numbers of books using categories devised by their...
Curated OER
What is a Dictionary?
Second graders explore the purpose of a dictionary. In this library media activity, 2nd graders explore My First Dictionary and identify guidewords, entry words, and captions. Students list ways they can use the dictionary.
Curated OER
Literacy: Each One Teach One
Students read the book, Amber on the Mountain and discuss its philanthropic implications. They determine the literacy needs of their own communities. They ask family members to complete reading recollection forms about when and how they...
Curated OER
Balanced Literacy: Presidents
Pupils participate in a unit (all lessons on the same page) to explore the Presidents of the United States. They choose one President to write a mini-book about, create a puppet and an original puppet show to perform about their chosen...
Curated OER
How To Start Your Own Book Club: Artichoke's Heart
Students read the book Artichoke's Heart and complete discussion questions about it. In this Artichoke's Heart lesson plan, students discuss the book with the class in a book club format.
Curated OER
Common Good in Aztec Culture Lesson 2: Aztec Religion
Students examine human sacrifice and read about Aztec gods and religious practices. They study Aztec sacrifice while looking at opportunity costs of doing things for the common good.
Curated OER
Independent - To Be or Not Top Be - Day 2, Lesson 3: In the Course of Human Events
Fifth graders practice scanning skills to answer questions on the French and Indian War.
Curated OER
Geo Jammin' By DeSign - Day 1, Lesson 1: Math in Motion
Second graders, through large screen monitor, study geometric design. They participate in a diagnostic assessment in which they use pnecils, scissors and paste.
Curated OER
African American Inventors Study
Students learn about African American inventors. In this inventing lesson, students are assigned an African American inventor to research. Students work in pairs to complete their research. Students write a compare and contrast paragraph...