Curated OER
Matthew Henson
Discuss the work of Matthew Henson, an African American who traveled to the North Pole with Robert Peary. After reading the story "Matthew Henson" by Maryann N. Weidt, learners answer questions by drawing inferences and conclusions,...
Curated OER
Identifying and Generating Rhyming Words, Memory
Engage your class in a game where they look for matching rhymes. They will flip over cards and look for rhyming words. If the words match they keep the cards. If they words do not match they turn the cards over. Additionally, they will...
Autism Speaks
Tips for working with participants with Autism
Everyday life can be overwhelming for a student with autism spectrum disorder. An informative presentation guides teachers through definitions of common attributes associated with autism, as well as ways to meet sensory needs to...
Teachnology
Paragraph Review
Writers are asked to examine four sentences that contain details and craft a topic sentence for a paragraph that encapsulates the main idea.
K5 Learning
The Moon
Second graders read a short informational text passage about the moon and answer a series of questions based on what they read.
Hyperion Publishing
Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution
The language of the Constitution can feel quite ominous to young learners, but there are a variety of strategies you can utilize to help your class grasp the important concepts and ideals in our nation's founding document. This lesson...
Code.org
Cleaning Data
"Clean the data!" "I did not know it was dirty." Introduce your class to the process of cleaning data so that it can analyze it. Groups work through a guide that demonstrates the common ways to filter and sort data. Pairs then...
Curated OER
Civil War Literature Circle
Historical fiction can be a valuable asset when learning about the past. Integrate several novels written about the Civil War into your social studies unit, with groups of four working collaboratively to comprehend the novel from...
Curated OER
Union vs. Confederate (Drama)
Fourth graders experience a creative lesson in history. They investigate the events of the Civil War. Then students use the information to reenact different scenes that portray historical events. They conduct the simulation and have a...
Curated OER
The Hundred Years' War (1347-1453)
Detailing the causes, strategies, and effects of the Hundred Years' War, this presentation will interest even the most reluctant historians in your class. Bright pictures and maps help to put the war into context and allow teachers to...
Curated OER
Primary Source Activity: Jose Marti
Analyze a primary source document "Our America" which depicts a Spanish-American point of view. The class answers 3 critical-thinking questions based on the reading and create a time line of Cuba's struggle for independence.
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: A Day at the Apple Orchard (Faulkner and Krawsky)
If your class is reading A Day at the Apple Orchard by Megan Faulkner, be sure to use this guide for vocabulary in context. Go over the orchard-related terms (cycle, harvest, orchard, pollen, and ripen) before reading the story aloud....
US National Archives
Documented Rights Educational Lesson Plan
How have groups struggled to have their unalienable rights recognized in the United States? Acting as a research team for the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, your young historians will break into groups to research how people...
PBS
Primary Source Set: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
What did Jo write her stories with? How did the March sisters dress? A primary source set designed for Louisa May Alcott's Little Women prompts learners to look over images of household items and clothes from the 1860s before engaging in...
NPR
Same-Sex Marriage
The battle over same-sex marriage is a prevalent issue in the United States, and a valuable topic to be discussed in your social studies classroom. Here is a basic outline of introductory questions, focus questions, vocabulary, and media...
City University of New York
The 15th and 19th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution
Who gets to vote? Learn more about struggles for suffrage throughout United States history with a instructional activity based on primary source documents. Middle schoolers debate the importance of women's suffrage and African American...
Wordpress
Darwin’s Natural Selection Case Studies
This editable worksheet is set up so that biology pupils read four case studies and identify points that are present in each, such as overproduction, heritable variation, struggle to survive, and differential reproduction. They also...
Curated OER
Counting Circles
Here is another learning game that will engage your kindergartners and support them with their counting fluency. Forming a circle where everyone faces inward, choose a counting sequence (counting frontward or backward) with no more than...
Curated OER
Debate: Should the U.S. Annex the Philippines?
Building an argument with supporting evidence is a vital skill. Learners engage in a debate over the annexation of the Philippines after the Spanish-American War. They take on the perspective of an individual from that time period,...
Shmoop
ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.2
Identifying the theme or central idea of a text is a skill many young readers struggle with. It is also the second standard for reading literature in the Common Core. This resource, one from a series of Common Core lessons, can provide...
Oklahoma State Department of Education
Narrative Prompt
Reading about history is nothing like experiencing it firsthand. Encourage your eighth graders to do the next best thing with a historical narrative prompt, in which they describe the experience of a first-time traveler on the...
Multnomah County Library
The Barn: Discussion Questions
After reading The Barn by Avi, learners look over a list of discussion questions about the plot of the story. The discussion guide is a great way to engage readers in the book as well as to open up a thoughtful discussion about what they...
Curated OER
Improving Students' Writing Skills
Are your writers making the same mistakes over and over again? Instead of editing their papers, consider encouraging learners to use this sheet to classify their errors. This helps them identify and address common problem areas they...
Curated OER
Skill Building for Educational and Vocational Advancement
Over ten weeks, 8th graders refine their visions of future careers, develop skills needed to write resumes and business letters, and learn to make a strong impression at interviews. Three specific activities are included, but mostly the...