Curated OER
Biographical Poems
Students write a biographical poem about themselves. They observe a teacher-led demonstration, write an autobiographical poem and a biographical poem about a famous person using a template form, and display the poems side-by-side.
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
What Was Everyday Life like in Colonial Virginia?
After reflecting on jobs people perform in the present day, scholars discuss what they believe jobs would have been like in Colonial Virginia during the American Revolution. Small groups then perform a jigsaw using informational packets....
Curated OER
Understanding Science Fiction
Fourth graders learn about the genre of science fiction. In this science fiction lesson, 4th graders learn about the characteristics of science fiction as a genre. They write an original piece of science fiction.
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Hermit Crab Races
Students predict the speeds of humans and hermit crabs and investigate their predictions using ratios and formulas. AppleWorks is used for this lesson, which includes a data worksheet.
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Addressing the Nation
Pupils examine the leadership skills of Civil War leaders. In this American Civil War activity, students describe attributes of effective leaders and then debate the effectiveness of leaders during the war.
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What It Means to Be an American Indian
Students analyze primary source documents and evaluate historical evidence to find consequences of the policies that were adopted from the 1830s to today regarding Native American Indians.
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Photojournalism: A Record of War
Students explore who has photographed war and why. They examine Mathew Brady's process for photgraphing the Civil War. Students investigate how photographic equipment has changed and improved through time. They analyze primary source war...
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Pair Editing
Practice thinking critically and editing by finding basic errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Partners read the stories What's Up? and Cold Water Clean. They look for and edit any mistakes they find. Worksheets are available...
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Reflection on Educational Goal Setting and Self-Assessment
Third graders evaluate their performance at school. They examine their most recent spelling test scores to determine whether or not they met their goals for the test.
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Civil War Photojournalism: A Record of War
Students view photographs of the Civil War. For this photojournalism lesson, students look at Mathew Brady's photographs of the Civil War. They discover the evolution of photographic equipment and analyze Civil War photographs.
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Gateway to America
Fifth graders study about immigration, Ellis Island, and tenement life from 1890 to 1924. They create an identity of a fictitious immigrant and describe what they find when they arrive in New York.
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African-Americans and the Military
Students study the key figures in African-American military history. They discover how African-American military history reflect both discrimination and the often heroic struggle to overcome discrimination. They examine the key periods...
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The Six Faces of Garbage
Students use the mathematics of surface area to approach the problem of garbage pollution from the classroom. After watching a video, students construct replicas of cereal boxes and compute their surface area.
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Immigrants: Yester and Today
Seventh graders brainstorm ideas why it is necessary to have a Resident Alien Id card. They complete a KWL chart on what they know about immigrants.
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On the Road Again
Students examine migration patterns in Africa and China. They watch excerpts from a documentary, define key vocabulary words, complete various student organizers, and create a poster.
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Using High Stakes Testing to Make Students and Schools Accountable for Learning
Students conduct an informal survey about their views on high stakes testing and use basic computation skills to evaluate results as a group. They participate in activities related to high stakes testing and "No Child Left Behind"...
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The Demise of the Great American Frontier
Learners are introduced to Frederick Jackson Turner and how early Census data, when combined visually with maps, effectively demonstrated the end of the frontier.
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Freedom, Rights, and Responsibilities
High schoolers look at the primary sources that emerged from the Exodus (the Ten Commandments) and the War of Independence (the Declaration of Independence) and examine how each attempts to construct a free society and a definition of...
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Bad Algae!
Students explore algal blooms. In this ecosystem and health instructional activity, students define and describe harmful algal blooms, then discuss ways in which the impact of these algal blooms could be reduced. Students...
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QUIZ SHOW! What were you thinking? What did you say?
Learners participate in a game show to share the information they have uncovered about the US expansion policy and how it affected Native Americans.
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Deerfield Visit: Reading a House/Place (Ebenezer Hinsdale Williams House)
Eleventh graders study the relationship between economic level and material culture: markers of gentility (architecture, material goods) as demonstrated by a single structure.
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Say Cheese
Young scholars examine the differences in the working and eating conditions between the late 1800s and today. They engage in an Internet Quest for information on cheese which culminate in a hands-on cheese-making experience and tasting...
Curated OER
The Colors of Chemistry
Students investigate the acidity and alkalinity of common household products in an experiment. They use red cabbage juice and litmus paper to show the difference between strong acids and bases as they work with vinegar, dish washing...
Curated OER
History: I'm Watching You 24/7
Students examine the growth of authoritarian societies. Focusing on North Korea, they watch video clips looking for examples of totalitarianism and identify the problems there. They write letters to the editors of local newspapers...