Curated OER
Cyberspace Safari
Middle schoolers go on an information gathering hunt on the Internet to study West African empires. They work in teams; meteorologists, bankers, writers, and archaeologists. They collect data on all sorts of topics related to West...
Curated OER
Oprah Winfrey Opens New School in Africa
Students locate Africa and share their knowledge of the continent, then read a news article about Oprah Winfrey building a school in South Africa. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and...
Curated OER
Human Body Series - Digestive System
With articles entitled, "What's Puke?" and "What is a Fart?" this digestive system lesson is sure to be a gas! Elementary anatomists do a belly dance to illustrate how food moves through the digestive system and then design a board game...
Discovery Education
The Everyday Science of Sports
Physical science juniors will enjoy this sensational enrichment on aerodynamics, especially if they are also sports fans! With a focus on physical features and behaviors, collaborative groups make observations on five different golf...
Center Science Education
Investigating the Climate
What do graphs of atmospheric gases over time show us? Do they indicate that carbon sources and carbon sinks are not in balance? Up-and-coming meteorologists watch video clips, read information, and analyze data from the HIPPO (HIAPER...
The New York Times
Crossing the Line Online: Sexual Harassment and Violence in the Age of Social Media - NYTimes.com
Sexual harassment and sexual violence are by no means new issues. What has changed is the role of social media in these issues. This powerful and troubling lesson uses a specific rape case to launch research into a discussion of the...
Curated OER
Security and Savings for All?
Students act as either Democrats or Republicans to debate plans to alter Social Security. For homework, they consider whether Social Security has become too politicized and propose their own solutions.
Curated OER
And Justice For All
Learners compare three justice systems currently in place in the United States: the civilian criminal justice system, the military criminal justice system (courts-martial) and the secret wartime tribunals that President Bush has proposed...
Curated OER
All Work and No Pay Makes Workers Angry
Students examine and react to a current cost-cutting dilemma faced by store managers. They then study the rights of worker and employers, and draft their findings in chapters of a book examining labor laws in the United States.
Curated OER
Justices for All
Students examine role of Supreme Court justices in the American political process, research the qualities of the current Supreme Court justices, and write opinion papers evaluating the current justices and recommending future nominations.
Curated OER
What's All the Buzz About
Students participate in a game of charades to examine different animal behaviors. After reading an article, they discuss why bees waggle and how that behavior applies to humans. They research the behaviors of an animal of interest to...
Curated OER
Mary Todd Tours the World
Pupils analyze how distinguishing another culture encourages us to respect each other. They research culture and all its avenues, recognizing and comprehending the relationship between people and geography. Ultimately, they can apply...
Curated OER
Welcome to the Blogosphere
Create a blog spot for your classroom and promote online discussions. There are several blogging websites listed here, and you can create one specific to each class or one collective site. Teach your learners how to post on the blog, and...
Curated OER
Nutrition Matters
Investigate nutrition and the food pyramid. Fifth graders will use computer software to write a paragraph about nutrition. They will then diagram the food pyramid and gather and organize a collection of healthy recipes.
Curated OER
Is All Cinema Verité?
Students explore the relationship between movies and culture, looking at movies as both a part of and a reflection of popular culture. They research the specific historical and cultural realities present during the run of a particular...
Curated OER
All Mixed Up
Students explore the emergence of bootlegs, also known as 'mash-ups' (the combination of two songs into one), on the Internet. By researching the musical origins of songs and creating and performing their own bootlegs, students gain a...
Curated OER
All The Way to Timbuktu
Students discuss the concept of historic preservation and relate it to their own families and communities. After reading an article, they discuss the efforts of Mali to preserve their history. Using the internet, they research one...
Curated OER
All Talk, No Action
Young scholars act as senators to negotiate a compromise on judicial filibusters. For homework, they write letters to their senators analyzing the filibuster debate and making recommendations for the future.
Curated OER
Is All Well in Welfare?
Students explore current welfare reform issues and create plans of action to improve welfare reform laws in the United States. They predict what President Bush's "Working Towards Independence" welfare reform program might entail and...
Curated OER
Its All In The Delivery
Students investigate the concept of different words and how they are used in specific texts. They develop scripts based upon readings and then design props and costumes to act out the new text. Students read to one another using the...
Positively Autism
My Family's Thanksgiving
Prepare for the excitement of Thanksgiving with a helpful slideshow presentation. Colorful and engaging, the presentation explores Thanksgiving symbols, details, and traditions, and prompts learners to contrast the given topics with what...
Positively Autism
Pirate Vocabulary
Pirate ships and parrots, cannons and coins. Introduce learners with autism to pirate vocabulary with these pages that include an image and the printed vocabulary word.
Positively Autism
"What to Expect at Christmas" Social Skill Story
Holidays are less stressful if we know what to expect. Here's a social skills story that prepares learners with autism for the change in routines that holidays bring.
Positively Autism
"Visiting Family at Christmas" Social Skill Story
Holidays bring their own special joys and stresses. Prepare learners on the autism spectrum for Christmas family get togethers using this social story that not only lets them know what may happen, but also details how they should behave.