Curated OER
Suicide and Depression
Eighth graders research suicide and depression in teens. They are given an essential research question then create focus questions of their own before conducting their research. Using the Internet, they find answers to their questions...
Curated OER
My Family
Students examine the different kinds of families. In this family lesson, students discuss who is in their family, talk about how families should treat each other and how they feel about their family. Students make posters that show...
Curated OER
Similes, Metaphors, and Personification
Eighth graders explore figurative language, specifically focusing on similes, metaphors and personification. They work on the web to identify poems that demonstrate simile, metaphor, and personification, then analyze how it enhances...
Curated OER
Native American Culture: The Light in the Forest
Seventh graders read the novel, The Light in the Forest. They work in groups to research and create artifacts for a Native American Living Museum. They complete a Powerpoint presentation of their virtual museum to classmates.
Curated OER
Power of Symbols in West African Art
Students examine and analyze symbols used in the Asante community of Ghana and look at the history of power struggles in West Africa. They discover how to express meaning and power as they create their own symbols and short stories...
Curated OER
The Flag
Students see the flag as a symbol. In this flag lesson, students look at the flag to see different patterns and shapes. They review the importance of the flag and its meaning to the United States.
Curated OER
Tezuka OSAMU
Students engage in a lesson to research the life of Tezuka Osamu. They examine his life and writings looking for the answer to essential questions to guide the work. They complete several activities as part of a unit study.
Curated OER
Adopt a Poet
Seventh graders research an assigned poet's life and times and read examples of their poetry. They prepare a word-processed paper analyzing the poems by their poet, and answering the essential question then they give an oral...
Curated OER
Famous Britons
Students read three short texts which give clues to the identities of three famous Britons. The texts explore the fame of the three personalities and the growing interest in celebrities in modern British life. Students participate in a...
Curated OER
All About Me
Learners answer short answer questions, state their likes and dislikes, say what roles they have, and more about themselves. In this all about me lesson plan, students read books about how we are all different and the same.
Curated OER
Short Stories: The Puzzle Pieces of Life
Students distinguish the elements of fiction in a short story. In this fiction elements lesson, students complete nine lessons of activities to learn about the elements of fiction in short stories.
Curated OER
The ABC's of Walter Anderson
Fifth graders examine how motifs, symbols, and ideas influence various pieces of visual art. They compare and contrast the work of Walter Anderson to pre-historic cave paintings and create a glue line print using motifs and symbols found...
Curated OER
The Economics of Conflict
Seventh graders examine how economics can empower or disempowers people of a nation. In groups, they analyze how commodities for economic power have changed and the trends that might affect future empowerment. They describe Canada's...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Dramatic and Theatrical Aspects in Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town”: A Common Core Exemplar
“So I’m going to have a copy of this play put in the cornerstone and the people a thousand years from now’ll know a few simple facts about us.” Our Town is used as the text in a Common Core exemplar that examines the dramatic and...
New York City Department of Education
Learning about Lunar New Year
Rich in images and information, a teacher's guide to the traditions of Lunar New Year's celebrations in various cultures addresses celebrations of Buddhism and Daoism. It includes background information about the origins of the...
John Hopkins University
Diets and Influence on Food Choice
From start to finish, this is a truly excellent lesson plan addressing the epidemic of diet-related disease in the United States. Learners begin with a reading excerpt of detailed information on trends in the American diet and the...
Curated OER
Integrated Lesson Plan
An ambitious and engaging instructional activity on the Westward Movement for your young scholars to enjoy! Groups of learners rotate between learning tasks such as learning about the Chislom Trail, Lewis and Clark, and the Gold Rush. A...
Curated OER
Past Imperfect: Examining Secondary Sources of the American Revolution
Ninth graders respond in essay form to the following writing prompt. Mel Gibson, star of The Patriot, is quoted as stating, "If one were to adhere to historical accuracy all the way, you'd probably have the most boring two hours on...
Curated OER
Moles Lab Activities
General chemistry class members engage in a mini-unit on mole conversions. Through nine lab activites with varying degrees of difficulty, they practice measuring mass and volume, molar calculations, and stoichiometry. Terrific teacher...
Curated OER
Say Hi to Haibun Fun
What is a haibun? With this interesting lesson, writers will experience the Japanese writing form haibun, identify elements important to Japanese writing styles, analyze a haibun, and compose their own. Different from the typical journal...
Curated OER
Halloween
Students study the customs and superstitions of the Halloween holiday. They look at the origin of the Halloween, read poems, play games, and discuss readings such as Harry Potter and the works of Stephen King.
Reading Shakespeare
Shakespeare Literature Circles Role Sheets
Tired of those blank stares after your class reads a particularly complex passage from a Shakespearean play? Help high schoolers untangle that prose with a literature circle activity. Ten different roles prompt class members to focus on...
Museum of Tolerance
Immigration Journeys
Through the journey of four stories of immigration, scholars complete graphic organizers and apply knowledge to create a visual representation of their findings on a large poster. Third and fourth readers write a letter to their family...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Using Historic Digital Newspapers for National History Day
Your learners will take a trip through history as they peruse through historic digitalized newspapers, reading real articles from such historical periods in the United States as the Temperance movement and passage of the Thirteenth...