Curated OER
It's Your Life - Safe or Sorry/Safety Issues
Middle schoolers examine and chart data about safety hazards and unsafe situations. In this safety hazard lesson, students examine newspapers and web sites to investigate injuries from safety hazards. They make a spreadsheet using the...
Smithsonian Institution
Mary Henry: Journal/Diary Writing
A great way to connect social studies with language arts, a resource on Mary Henry's historical diary reinforces the concepts of primary and secondary sources. It comes with an easy-to-understand lesson plan, as well as the reference...
Curated OER
Opinion through the Ages: Exploring 40 Years of New York Times Op-Eds
What is the role of a newspaper's Op-Ed page? High schoolers explore the New York Times' "Op-Ed at 40," an interactive feature that lets them browse through 40 years worth of op-ed features, and consider the purpose and value of this...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Earthquake in Haiti
Trying to expand your scholars' perspectives to think globally? Use this critical-analysis handout. A poignant political cartoon points out the devastation required to get U.S. attention focused on helping Haiti. Background information...
Curated OER
Discovering and Covering the Battle of Homestead
Students examine the general events of the Homestead strike through reading comprehension of a one-page synopsis. They locate the events of the Homestead Strike. Comprehend multiple perspectives of the reasons, relationships and results...
Curated OER
Sportsmanship and Spectator Behavior
Sixth graders listen to the story BEING A BAD SPORT as teacher reads to the class. They identify good and bad sportsmanship by reading and writing activities. They then go to the gym and simulate a game situation recording examples of...
Curated OER
Listen and Learn
Second graders play in a listening game and brainstorm ways to communicate health information and ideas.
Curated OER
Medical Research and Your Future
Students are asked to investigate current and sometimes controversial medical research in order to address what medical breakthroughs potentially exist in their futures. They create small posters on sheets detailing their support or...
Curated OER
Symbols from History: Mesopotamia Today
Students identify the various symbols different nations use to represent themselves. As a class, they discuss the recent events in Iraq and identify the needs of its people. They use print resources to research various Mesopotamian...
Curated OER
Trophic Relationships, Cycling of Chemicals, Human Impact on Ecosystems and Conservation
Students explore how the energy flow through a system is related to trophic levels. They investigate how organisms affect the cycling of elements and water through the biosphere. Students participate in lab activities to observe ways...
Curated OER
Nursery Rhyme Mania
Young scholars become familiar with many different nursery rhymes. They use nursery rhymes for a variety of creative activities including writing, singing, poetry and acting.
Curated OER
Beauty Behind Barbed Wire
Learners investigate the issue of racism against the Japanese during the start of World War II. They use the artwork of Estelle Ishigo to create context for the lesson and see how it provides a look into the life she experienced while...
Curated OER
Westward Ho
Students examine primary sources regarding Western migration. In this Manifest Destiny lesson, students determine why the pioneers moved west and what the trip was like as they examine sources and write journals based on their findings.
Curated OER
The Civil War Experience
Students write or design a creative project about the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson, students share memorable quotes from speeches and discuss documents historians could use to analyze the Civil War. Students read excerpts from...
Curated OER
The Airline Ticket Mystery
Students use newspapers and television stories to search for mysterious behavior. Using mysteries in the airline industry, they identify the economic concept and the steps to unravel the mystery. They answer a mystery question to help...
Curated OER
Weapons in school: Protection or danger?
Students write an editorial (staff opinion) or commentary (writer's opinion) if they/he or she believe the school rules are either too strict or too lenient when addressing weapons possession. Students research past situations in their...
Curated OER
Problems with our Food System: Hunger
Students understand that hunger causes many deaths a year and many children are trapped as slaves through watching a video. In this hunger and child slavery lesson, students write letters to call attention to the problems of hunger and...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: The Constitutional Battleground
In this primary source analysis activity, students analyze political cartoons about the Supreme Court and Constitutional issues and respond to 5 talking point questions.
Curated OER
The Glory Field
Students examine the power of inner strength and fimily ties as they read through Walter Dean Myers' story, "The Glory Field." Milestones in African-American history become the focus of this lesson.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Keep Current Through a Cartoonist's Commentary
In this current events worksheet, students analyze political cartoons about the Middle East and American domestic issues. Students respond to 4 talking point questions.
Curated OER
Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1988)
Students explore the concept of student press rights. In this case study instructional activity, students read excerpts of Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier. Students then complete the provided worksheet activities and determine whether they agree...
Curated OER
Running of the Bulls
Students examine what might be in store for Wall Street following the NASDAQ's 547.57 point plunge on Tuesday, April 4, 2000. They evaluate how they might manage a heavily laden high-tech portfolio before deciding how to invest in the...
Curated OER
Self-concept / Esteem
Students evaluate parenting roles and responsibilities. They examine the responsibility of parents to help promote good self-concept in their children and the importance of a child's self-esteem and ways to help a child feel good about...
Curated OER
African American Experiences: Window to the Past
Young scholars examine African life during slavery on the Internet. In this slavery lesson, students use the Internet to research slavery and create a scrapbook. Young scholars review pictures of slavery and label them as primary or...