Curated OER
I Wish I Were a Butterfly
Young scholars inquire about biology by reading a children's book in class. In this insect instructional activity, students read the story "I Wish I Were a Butterfly" and identify the unique characteristics of butterflies and other...
Curated OER
Hanukkah
Celebrate the traditions of Hanukkah with a festive party. After reading a short background passage about Hanukkah, learners design a Hanukkah party and dance to Hanukkah songs, taste latkes, create menorahs with marshmallows and...
Curated OER
Accepting Responsibility
Second graders identify the responsibilities involved in owning a pet at home. They listen to the story and watch the movie "Arthur's Pet Business," discuss what they are responsible for at home with their pets, and in small groups...
Curated OER
Speaking Kindness in Democratic Classrooms
Students write rules for their classroom. In this community building activity, students discuss reasons for rules and write their own guidelines for appropriate classroom behavior.
Curated OER
Breaking the Barrier
Middle schoolers participate in a game based on bullying. In this social justice lesson, students read Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and discuss the mistreatment of African-Americans in the book. Middle schoolers then relate the...
Curated OER
It Can't Happen Here or Can It?: Peer Pressure, Prejudice and Intolerance
Students examine the pressures of group-pressured behavior. For this teaching tolerance lesson, students read literature and view videos regarding negative group behavior. Students answer comprehension questions and participate in a survey.
Reed Novel Studies
A Wrinkle In Time: Novel Study
Fathers and daughters often create a bond of great strength. Is Meg's bond strong enough to save her father? A Wrinkle In Time follows Meg and her friends as they find themselves in a supernatural world; Meg just hopes she finds her...
Federal Reserve Bank
Worth!
Before loaning a friend money, what factors would you consider and why would you lend it? Your young economists will face questions like these in a lesson on banking, profit, risk, and reward, which includes the reading of the book...
Teaching Tolerance
Community Mural / Poster Campaign
Every piece matters. A creative lesson provides an opportunity for scholars to create murals or posters that represent their views on social justice. Academics work on smaller posters or pieces of a mural that will ultimately be...
Curated OER
Commonly Misused Words
Affect or effect? Ensure, insure or assure? Here’s a presentation that focuses on commonly misused words that sound similar yet have different spelling and meanings. The homonyms are defined and then examples are presented. Consider...
Common Sense Media
Cyberbullying: Crossing the Line
Teach pupils to identify different forms of cyberbullying, including harassment, deception, “flaming,” and threats to safety, as well as how to handle a situation in which cyberbullying might be involved.
Smithsonian Institution
General George Washington, Military Leader
Teach pupils the characteristics that make George Washington such an effective leader, especially in context of his time period. Scholars view artifacts, participate in group work, create lists, compare and contrast, and discuss as a...
Curated OER
Bad Case of Stripes Lesson Plan
Learners think about why we worry about what others think, bullying, and learning to respect and accept differences in others.In this Bad Case of Stripes lesson plan, students examine cause-and-effect relationships in a story as they...
Curated OER
Ellipses
In this ellipses activity, students calculate the eccentricity of 5 given ellipses and show their calculations. Students then determine the percent deviation for their calculations using the accepted values of eccentricity.
Curated OER
Dishonesty
Learners explore religion and ethics. In this character education lesson, students compare dishonesty and honesty as they consider the ethics of lying. Learners consider whether certain lies are more acceptable than others and compare...
Curated OER
Early forms of Money
Students become familiar with the importance of money now and the forms of money used in the past. In this money lesson, students investigate the cour characteristics of money: portable, divisible, durable and acceptable. Students...
Curated OER
Jinga All the Way
Students study African history and the life of one of its most successful warriors, Queen Jinga. They write a diary as if they were Queen Jinga and examine other important women in history from around the world.
Curated OER
Our Changing View of the Earth
Students explore the theory of Plate Tectonics. They participate in a simulation in which they re-enact the debate over Plate Tectonics vs. traditional beliefs of stationary continents that were widely accepted during the 1800's and...
Curated OER
Allosaur Survival Game
Students uses this game to see how difficult survival is even for a fierce predator, especially when it is young. It stresses: How much energy it takes to keep a large animal alive or a small one growing, The differences in the fauna...
Curated OER
Nation Building
Ninth graders examine the role of the United States in nation building. For this World History activity, 9th graders evaluate the role of the United States in building nations in other parts of the world.
Curated OER
Power to the People
Students explore the pros and cons of government structures, then decide whether or not African countries accept the new African Union based on a variety of categories.
Curated OER
Ancient Farmers of the Amazon
High schoolers read a sample research proposal and create their own. They discover the type of information needed for others to reject or accept the proposal. They practice applying the scientific process to different situations.
Curated OER
Encountering Very Different Ways of Life
Students explore the concept of crossing cultures. They examine how Americans may be viewed by people in another culture and discover that that Peace Corps Volunteers are trained to cross cultures respectfully so that they are accepted...
Curated OER
Restorative Justice
Sixth graders study restorative justice. In this government lesson, 6th graders discuss restorative justice, examine the ways restitution can be made when a crime occurs, and write about a conflict at home or school and describe how it...