Teaching Tolerance
Inventing a Better World
From play pumps that provide clean water to shoes made from trash, innovators change the world one invention at a time. After researching various inventions, young entrepreneurs develop their own. Extension opportunities include prompts...
Teaching Tolerance
Identity Self-Portraits
What symbols represent you best? Individuals consider how they would draw peers using symbols about their identities with an interview and art activity. After conducting interviews and portraits, the art makes a great centerpiece for...
Teaching Tolerance
Community Bulletin Board
A project-based lesson has pupils create a bulletin board to share artwork, nonfiction articles, and messages based on social justice themes. The finished board is displayed in the community to create a place for discussion.
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Cotton Journey
Students use "Cotton Journey-A Field Trip In A Box" kit to relate the significance of cotton to the Civil War period and to study the cotton industry in general.
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Endangered Animals Books
Middle schoolers research endangered species and create and publish books to present their findings. Designed to use Inspiration software, this resource could be adapted if you don't have access to the program. Contains handy website...
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Why Vote? A Public Awareness Campaign
Students examine the structure of local government and determine why citizens vote. In this civics lesson, students listen to a lecture about the structure of local government and then encourage others to exercise their right to vote.
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Indians of the Pacific Northwest
Learners organize acquired information and make inferences as to the kind of habitat and its probable location. They identify and replicate art forms characteristic of the Pacific Northwest coast involving the use of ovoids and "u forms".
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Where in the United States Are We?
Learners spend the lesson identifying the location of the fifty states and the capitals. Using a software program, they retrace te outline of each state numerous times. To end the lesson, they write a story about a state and city of...
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Japan
First graders investigate the similarities and differences between Japan and the United States. They develop a KWL chart, locate Japan and the U.S. on a globe, conduct Internet research on life in Japan, conduct an interview, and create...
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Beary O'Mometer Learns About Careers In Meteorology
Young scholars explore the field of meteorology. In this meteorology lesson, students explore weather-related careers as they research the field of study as well as various weather concepts. Young scholars interview meteorologists, write...
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Historical Travel Brochure
Fourth graders answer the question, Where in America did history take place? Through investigation as a travel agent, they discover that history is not an isolated event. They use a wide variety of technological resources to create their...
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Sunderland: Discovering Cities
Scholars investigate a local city (Sunderland) by participating in a discussion. They explore the different elements of the UK city by identifying the industrial and economic aspects. They also read an interview of two people speaking...
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People Who Make A Difference: American Heroes
Students think about the characteristics of a hero so they can later evaluate which historical figures on the heroes chart meet the criteria.
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Basic Guide to Writing an Essay
Introducing your class to essay writing? The gentle tone, concise explanations, and clear examples provided by a 17-slide presentation introduces young writers to the expository essay format. All that's missing is a complete essay with...
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Anasazi Basket Weaving
The Anasazi Indians of Mesa Verde are the focus of this art and social studies lesson. Working in pairs or groups of three, students utilize computers and go online to search for websites about the Anasazi. Students will choose two or...
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The Influence of Physical Geography
Students explore the limits and demands of their physical world and how it relates to the survival and well-being of people.
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Why Does the Cocoa Tree Need a Tropical Rainforest to Grow?
Fourth graders explore the requirements a cocoa plant needs to survive. They research where chocolate comes from and how humans can affect the growth of cocoa trees. Students create a 3-D model of a cocoa tree and compare and contrast...
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Essay Prewriting Lesson Plan
Pupils explain the steps to making a sandwich to their teacher while he/she completes the steps. After the demonstration, they identify any part of the process that could use clarification. They are introduced to the practice of...
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Where Life Is Too Short
Students predict how a pandemic would affect aspects of South Africa's society. In this world issues and geography lesson plan, students read a letter outlining the problems affecting South Africa. Students discuss and analyze how...
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Making Cranberry Bread
While the preparation for this lesson is extensive, the results are well worth the effort. Prior to the lesson, Xerox the pictures from Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin, collect the ingredients for Cranberry Bread, and...
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The Rainforests
Students visit various rainforest websites and answer questions about the rainforest in Spanish. They create an oral and visual presentation on the rainforests, urging conservation of the rainforests.
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Nature and Fitness Trail
Students plan stations for a nature and fitness trail and construct an accompanying e-Book for extended descriptions at each station. Data on the human impact on the environment is gathered in this activity.
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What's Integrity?
Students read a letter by Steve Williams to determine why self-discipline and integrity are important attributes for peace corps volunteers. They apply these concepts to their own lives.
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Wildlife
The centerpiece of this lesson plan is a predator-prey simulation in which colored paperclips represent different species of animals camouflaged against a colored background. Relevant follow-up questions are provided. The activity is...