Perkins School for the Blind
Following Directions
Turn the act of following directions into a fun and engaging game! Especially designed for students with cognitive or intellectual disabilities, this lesson uses a game format as a natural reinforcer. Write a set of directions onto a set...
Perkins School for the Blind
Treasure Hunt
On, over, and under are some very common prepositions; but how can you teach these concepts to children with visual impairments? Here, is one way. Kids will practice following verbal commands as they go on a classroom treasure hunt. They...
Perkins School for the Blind
Where Shall I Put It?
Position and positional phrases are concepts that need to be constructed for learners with low or no vision. Help them gain competence and a conceptual understanding of words like on, in, and under with a funny game. After gathering a...
TED-Ed
History vs. Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Lenin is on trial in an engaging, animated video where the merits and consequences of the formation of the Soviet Union and Lenin's actions are reviewed. This is a great way to illustrate how to establish and argue unique...
TED-Ed
Lessons from Auschwitz: The Power of Our Words
Some words are best left unspoken. Words matter, according to Benjamin Zander, conductor, teacher, and lecturer. To illustrate his point, Zander recounts a story told to him by a survivor of Auschwitz. As a result of her experience...
TED-Ed
What is the World Wide Web?
Did you know that the World Wide Web and the Internet are not the same thing? Did you know that Tim Berners-Lee is considered the father of the Web? Networks, web servers, web hosts, website addresses, domain names, web languages,...
TED-Ed
How Does Your Brain Respond to Pain?
Zap! Ouch! That hurts! But why? And how come people don't experience or respond to pain in the same way? Take a journey on the sensing pathway, from your nociceptors, along your nerves, up your spinal cord, to neurons and glial, through...
TED-Ed
How Languages Evolve
Do all languages have a common ancestor? Although no one yet knows the answer to that big question, the narrator of this short, animated video explains how linguists use migration patterns, geological features, and word clues to...
TED-Ed
A Brief History of Religion in Art
Did you know that some languages have no word for art? The English language does and the narrator of this short video discusses the aesthetic dimension of religious art as it "visually communicates meaning beyond language."
TED-Ed
Getting Started as a DJ: Mixing, Mashups and Digital Turntables
What do Paris Hilton, Avicii, Diplo, and Cole Plante all have in common? They're DJs! Seventeen-year-old Plante is featured in a short video in which he demonstrates his art and encourages others who might be interested in pursuing a DJ...
TED-Ed
Pixar: The Math Behind the Movies
When will we ever use this? A Pixar movie maker explains to students how math is used in the creation of animated films. The movie maker discusses the importance of coordinate planes, transformations and translations, and...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Impacts of Climate Change
Scholars become experts on the eight major impacts of climate change through a jigsaw and grand conversation. They then research and present what they learned about effects specific to their region.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Climate Change Impacts on Ecosystem Services
The fourth activity in a series of five has classes participate in a jigsaw to learn about global impacts of climate change and then share their new information with a home group. Groups then research impacts of climate change (droughts,...
Curated OER
Accordion-Book Summary
Introduce your young readers to the book review. Groups of writers practice the basic steps of writing a book report and complete an Accordion-Book Summary activity. The lesson includes book report basics and directions to make...
Curated OER
Pretty Plants Point of View
Young poets use Kidspiration to draw a flower, personify the flower, and write a poem from the flower's point of view. Sharing these poems in small groups will reinforce learners' knowledge of personification.
Curated OER
Publishing Stories: Beginning, Middle, End
First and second graders explore the importance of having a beginning, middle, and end when writing stories. In this story writing lesson plan, students write short stories using the story diamond as a guide. They invite their parents to...
English Enhanced Scope and Sequence
Media Literacy Applied
After investigating various forms of print, oral, and electronic media as sources of information, class members research a historical figure and produce a résumé for this person. While templates are provided for an initial sorting...
Curated OER
Clean, Green Power
Students explore and discuss alternative energy sources, and identify disadvantages of current fossil fuels.
Curated OER
Wild Moving Lizard Sculpture
Lizards are amazing! After a lesson on reptiles, take a look at this set of instructions. You'll be able to guide your class in making a paper lizard sculpture that moves. This idea also includes variations on the paper technique used...
Curated OER
Explore Point of View Through Aerial Photography
Read the story Amelia the Pigeon and discuss perspective. Since Amelia is a pigeon with a bird's eye view, use aerial photography to enhance your learners' understanding. Have fun connecting art and literature while talking about...
Curated OER
A Day in the life of.....
Learners view a list of careers and choose one to research. They discuss each career, gather information, and list their resources, and they should compile. They write a flyer about their career and print it.
Curated OER
Real World Equations!
Help your math class "get the picture" in a quadratic equation lesson that integrates digital photography. Individuals take pictures to help them model the shape of an item or situation using algebraic equations. They discover how to...
Teach Engineering
Discovering Phi: The Golden Ratio
Fe, phi, fo, fum. This activity leads pairs to find the ratio of consecutive terms of the Fibonacci sequence. The pairs find that the Fibonacci sequence can be found in many places. A discussion with the class shows that the ratios...
Perkins School for the Blind
Rough or Soft?
When a child has some vision they need to be encouraged to use it in a positive and stimulating way. To better understand which types of tactile reinforcers your learner likes best; you'll rub different textured objects on...