Curated OER
The Power of a Project
How does PBL differ from a basic thematic unit? Discover the answer to this important question. A bulleted comparison is made between each type of teaching method, example projects are included, and a full "how to" is laid out in an easy...
Curated OER
Shakespearean Comedy on Film
This lesson will focus on the aspects of Shakespeare's comedy that become more evident in performance. By viewing clips of the same Shakespeare scene in different film versions, high schoolers have the opportunity to engage in a close...
Curated OER
The Lion and the Mouse
Students write a story. In this critical thinking and writing lesson, students read a fable, answer the provided thinking skills questions, and write their own fable.
Curated OER
Pulling It All Together
Students review data about a health problem and prepare an investigative report. Teams trade reports and utilize skills developed from previous lessons to evaluate the critical thinking evident in the reports.
Roald Dahl
Matilda - The Platinum-Blond Man
Before reading Chapter Six, "The Platinum-Blond Man" in Matilda, readers preview the illustration of Mrs. Wormwood dropping her plate of food, and think about what may have happened to cause the scene. After reading the chapter, class...
Curated OER
Parrot in the Oven: Think Aloud
A think aloud activity is a great way for readers to develop critical thinking skills. This resource models for readers how to use this strategy to think critically about a passage from Victor Martinez's Parrot in the Oven.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Sarcasm, Irony, and Satire
Satire, sarcasm, or irony? Editorial cartoons have long been the tool artists use to express their opinions about politics and politicians. Kevin "Kai" Kallaugher's four-panel cartoon offers readers an opportunity to examine how he uses...
Curated OER
Interpreting & Verifying the News in an Era of Info Overload
Students practice their critical thinking skills. In this media awareness lesson, students read articles about media overload and interpretation of media. Students respond to discussion questions and discuss how they verify news....
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A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust: Headlines
Young scholars examine newspapers to research public opinion about the Holocaust. In this critical thinking instructional activity, students research the information Americans received in U.S. newspapers about events like Kristallnacht,...
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Reaction Time 2: Zap!
Students explore critical thinking by conducting a reaction time experiment. For this human brain lesson, students utilize a timed Internet worksheet activity to research how fast their brain works when answering questions. Students...
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Making History....Literary
Connect the Common Core ELA standards with history by employing a balanced literacy approach to reading.
Curated OER
Lesson: Unmonumental: Yesterday's News
Upper graders are tasked with developing a social consciousness as they analyze the impact of the news media. They view a presentation depicting various media events in order to understand threshold moments in history. There are three...
Curated OER
Earth Moon Scaling
A wonderful lesson incorporating math and physics skills along with specific details about the planetary bodies. The cross-curricular approach makes for a valid activity to challenge multiple ages and abilities. Your class could work in...
Curated OER
The Summer of the Swans
The Summer of the Swans, by Betsy Byars, is a 160-page chapter book about a family going through a difficult time. Complement your reading of Byars' book with this detailed outline of each chapter. Every section includes comprehension...
Curated OER
Film Festival: Documentaries for Hispanic Heritage Month
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the New York Times provides links to five short documentary films depicting Hispanic themes and culture. Learners can click on each embedded link to view the films, then answer each set of related...
Curated OER
How Often Do You Interact with People of Another Race or Ethnicity?
Is interacting with people from different backgrounds part of a well-rounded education? A big question awaits young readers as they explore two New York Times articles that discuss modern-day segregation, population statistics, and...
Curated OER
Lesson: Urban China: Contemporary China
The urbanization and consumerism of modern China is the hot topic up for critical analysis. Kids view a series of photographs that specifically describe Chinese modernization, urbanization, consumerism, and waste. They discuss each...
Education Bureau of Hong Kong
Fundamentals
"Fundamentals," the first lesson in a series of eight, introduces the basic concepts and strategies covered in a series of resources designed to teach high schoolers critical thinking skills. The worksheets and activities in this first...
Media Education Lab
Propaganda Techniques
In an age of fake news, alternative facts, and biased reporting, it is more important than ever that 21st century learners develop the critical-thinking skills necessary to recognize, analyze and resist the propaganda techniques used in...
Hampton-Brown
Esperanza Rising
Accompany a reading of the novel, Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan, with a series of lessons that dive deep into the literary world of a young girl and the journey she takes to start a new life. Lessons and their...
Curated OER
Section 1: Analogies
Introduce your freshmen to analogies with this packet of prompts that also includes strategies for solving these critical thinking puzzles.
Curated OER
Virtual Field Trip: The Dust Bowl
Take the class on a first-person field trip through the Dust Bowl. They pretend they are living in the 1930s as they respond to images and critical thinking questions to help them best understand the issues that faced people during that...
Curated OER
Sentence Completion 13: Low-Advanced SAT Level
It's an erroneous assumption that vocabulary practice must be tedious. Rather than a draconian approach, tantalize your learners with a sentence completion exercise that will enthrall them. A detailed answer key makes the seemingly...
Curated OER
Word Pair Analogies: High-Advanced Level
Analogy worksheets are a great way to encourage critical thinking and develop vocabulary. Consider using this resource as enrichment or as a group work assignment. Learners craft a bridge sentence that expresses the relationship between...