National First Ladies' Library
School Reform, Again!
Students discuss their perceptions and experiences with changes in schooling. They work in small groups to prepare a PowerPoint presentation to explain the efforts toward reforming schools since 1983. Students speculate on the next...
Curated OER
What Can We Do to Help End Hunger?
Students use the internet to research people who have made a difference in the fight against poverty and hunger. In groups, they discuss the actions they can take in their community to help those in need. They are also introduced to the...
Curated OER
Canadian Missionaries: An Investigation
Students discuss their ideas related to mission work, read an article on Canadian missionaries and review video clips on specific topics.
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And Justice for All?
Students explore the history of the environmental justice movement. They examine how discrimination promotes environmental illness in low income communities. Students explain why minority and low income groups have less economic and...
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Homelessness
Students study homelessness and the associated vocabulary. In this homelessness lesson, students work with a classmate to determine the definitions of words that are associated with homelessness. They attempt to define the words and then...
Curated OER
Do We See What We Know?
Eighth graders compare two visual works of art about John Brown. They read a text or listen to an interview, and identify information about him. They debate their opinions using evidence in written and visual texts. They research other...
Curated OER
"The Society of Friends" and Society
Pupils work together to research the Quakers. They compare their own life to the Quakers. They identify core democratic values that the Quakers used to help the common good.
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Child Labor and Social Protest
Students explore child labor of the 1900's and compare it to its existence in countries around the world today. Several activities are included including Web research, video presentations, and group projects.
Curated OER
Race & White Privilege
Students read and analyze the Tomas Rivera novel "...And the Earth Did Not Devour Him." In small groups they select three paragraphs from the text that are relevant to the issues of racism or white privelege, conduct Internet research,...
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KS3 Citizenship: Cathy Come Home (1966)
Students view, critique and analyze a moving drama that offers a way into looking at housing problems today. They become aware of the issues, conditions and emotional side of sliding into poverty, debt and homelessness through the eyes...
Curated OER
Traveling With Limited Funds; A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Students participate in a pre-reading activity which helps them see what it would be like to live in poverty. In this reading comprehension lesson, students make a list of items they take on a trip considering they have very limited...
Curated OER
Animal Farm
Students work together in small groups to share their knowledge about apartheid in South Africa. They research the role of women in both traditional and contemporary African societies. They focus on such topics as employment, family, and...
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Pizzazz!...Persona-Poems
Students compose persona-poems. They examine the sample poem and then practice writing their own persona-poem. Students collaborate in small groups and write a poem about their partners.
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Development and Social Issues in the Caribbean
Students work together to research social issues in the Caribbean. They role-play different positions in society to determine how each group is affected. They share their results with the class.
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Lesson Plan on Refugees
Students explore the issue of "human rights" and discuss world events/situations in which human rights are in question. They determine their own needs and wants and simulate the experience of being a refugee having to leave their home. ...
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Lesson Plan on Girls' Education
Young scholars examine the obstacles in education faced by young girls in developing countries. Through discussion, they explore what international documents protect this basic human right.
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Parrot in the Oven: Anticipation Guide
Get readers thinking about the major themes in Victor Martinez's award-winning novel, Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida by asking them to agree or disagree with the prompts on an anticipation guide and to discuss their responses with class...
Curated OER
Through Our Eyes
After reading Sandra Cisneros’ novel The House on Mango Street, class members design a canned food drive, create advertisements for the drive, and use digital cameras to document the entire process. In addition, pupils journal their...
Penguin Books
White Fang Teacher's Notes
If you're looking for a way to structure your unit on Jack London's White Fang, use a well-organized guide to bring the intrigue of the novel to your middle school classroom. Covering a biography of the author, main background and...
Practical Action
Moja Island
Did you know that 1.3 billion people live without any form of electricity? Discover an array of possible renewable energy options by taking a trip to Moja Island, an online learning resource that will equip you and your learners with an...
Curated OER
The Grapes of Wrath: KWHL Strategy
Before beginning The Grapes of Wrath, readers create a KWHL chart recording what they already know about the Dust Bowl, the author, and the book, what they want to know, and where they might find answers to these questions. After reading...
Wake Forest University
Authentic Activities for Connecting Mathematics to the Real World
Check out the handout from a presentation that contains a collection of high school algebra projects connecting a variety of mathematics to the real world. Activities range from simple probabilities to calculus. The activities can be...
Curated OER
Waging A Living
Students view a video clip about minimum wage. They discover the history of wage policy in the United States and the difference between the minimum wage and living wage. They write a paper on how to increase the wages.
Curated OER
Breaking News English: Africa
In this Africa activity, students read the article, answer true and false questions, complete synonym matching, complete phrase matching, complete a gap fill, answer short answer questions, answer discussion questions, write, and more...