Curated OER
Teaching and Learning Through Objects
Students identify and interpret the function, usefulness or utitlity, form, beauty or aesthetics, and meaning, context or story, of objects and how they learn new skills and make things that they learn traditionally, by observation and...
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Rising Temperatures Threaten Penguins
Students examine the continent of Antarctica, then read a news article about the decline in the Antarctic penguin population. In this current events instructional activity, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and...
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Scientists Use Web Site to Report Volcano Activity
Students react to statements about volcanoes, then read a news article about scientists monitoring eruptions at Augustine volcano in Alaska. In this earth science and current events lesson, the teacher introduces the lesson with a...
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The Kennedy Years
Eighth graders read text and view films about the Kennedy administration. In this preseidential administration instructional activity, 8th graders interview someone who lived during Sputnik, write summaries of lectures, and create...
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Picture Books, Retelling, and Writing
Students create stories using only pictures. In this visual storytelling lesson, students read Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie de Paola and analyze the wordless story. Students create new text for the book by writing on sticky notes.
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The Postbellum Period and Freemen
Students become familiar with the ways slaves reacted to educating themselves. For this postbellum and freeman lesson, students complete readings from chapters in the book Up From Slavery. Students write about the readings and organize...
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This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land
Students explore the difficulties, and some absurd situations, caused by repeated land subdivisions in the rural areas of poor and overpopulated regions.
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Food Wars
Students investigate the debate whether schools should regulate the amount or type of food and drink students consume. They write and present position papers after reading an online NY Times article.
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Protecting Holy Cows
Students study the interrelationships of organisms and their environments. They study ecological communities and determine what is necessary for survival. Students discuss and answer questions concerning a group's biome, habitat, food...
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Natural Features of Our Community
Second graders read about and discuss natural features of communities. They listen to a guest speaker, such as a park ranger to expand their knowledge of natural features. They go on a field trip, if possible, to a local zoo or...
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Understanding Tibet
Students work in cooperative groups to read one current situation of Tibet. They respond to a set of discussion questions. Pupils write a newspaper article expressing the current information explored. Students write an editorial or...
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Robin Hood
Fourth graders read and analyze the novel, Robin Hood. They create a vocabulary word map, complete a Venn diagram comparing Robin Hood and Little John, act out a chapter, create a wedding announcement, and write a new epitaph for Robin...
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Heroes, Legends and Folktales
Fourth graders read classic stories including "The Magic Brocade" and "St. George and the Dragon". They complete a series of lessons in which they compare stories and produce original narrative legends.
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Robinson Crusoe: The Original "Survivor"!
Fourth graders read and analyze Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, and participate in problem solving activity similar to television show, Survivor. Eight lessons on one page.
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Harlem Renaissance
Students investigate the African American culture in the 1920's and the Harlem Renaissance. They read and analyze poems written by poets of the Harlem Renaissance, listen to jazz music and identify the characteristics of the music, and...
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The Human Heart: An Introduction
Fifth graders view a transparency of the human heart and answer questions based on their observations. They read pages from their textbook and discuss the information presented. They visit a website to view the human heart and create a...
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Comprehension of Word Problems
Third graders explore math functions by completing a worksheet in class. For this word problem solving lesson, 3rd graders read a book titled Counting on Frank by Rod Clement and utilize the information in the story to answer study...
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Stories That Really Add Up
Young scholars, in groups, develop math lessons for younger students that each stems from a popular student story. Group members individually develop lessons for other subject areas based on their group's story, creating...
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Helping Hands
Young scholars discuss what they can do to help their community, then create posters for the school that list and provide details for 'Ten Things You Can Do To Help' in different social service areas.
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Fight For Your Rights
Learners explore issues related to tenants' rights in New York City, or in the area in which they live. They then create informational pamphlets designed to inform tenants of their rights.
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Our Town
Students read and discuss an online article as they consider what makes a center of activity in a city or town. They produce a documentary film of the hub of activity in their school.
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Exhibiting Hope
Students watch a video clip about the effect of Hurricane Katrina. They examine the challenges that New Orleans still faces a year after the hurricane. They work together in small groups to create a museum exhibit on a topic of interest...
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Interview With A Psychoanalyst
Students discuss health topics they would like to know more about. They read an article interviewing a psychoanalyst. They resarch any questions they have about a specific scienctist. They write their own newspaper article using...
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Position Wanted
Learners share their opinions about local job opportunities for people their age. After reading an article about hiring trends, they discuss Google's answer to filling jobs. Class members research and report on an employer that offers...