Curated OER
Slip Slidin' Away
Students investigate mechanical weathering as a form of erosion. In this erosion lesson, students, define weathering and erosion before determining how the Earth's surface is in a constant state of change. They watch a video, access...
Pulitzer Center
China's Rising Labor Movement
Young historians will explore the complex causes and effects of industrialization in China by perusing the numerous articles included in this webpage. Throughout the resource, there are many writing and discussion prompts to help direct...
C-SPAN
Evaluating Historical Presidential Campaign Ads
Political ads flood the airwaves each election cycle. An activity including more than a dozen political ads from iconic presidential campaigns helps learners unpack how the sausage gets made during election "silly season." Using the...
Curated OER
Geography Lesson Plan
Students examine the history of the Aborigines. In this Australia lesson, students research selected websites and print materials regarding the lives of the Aborigines and create posters that showcase their findings.
Curated OER
Be the Kiwi: New Zealand Unit Lesson
Students participate in a learning celebration at the end of a unit on New Zealand. For this global studies lesson, students share what they learned about the nation, watch "The Whale Rider," and eat foods from New Zealand.
Curated OER
Philanthropy in History
Students understand the importance of books in past and present societies. In this philanthropic lesson, students compare Andrew Carnegie and Benjamin Franklin's perspective on the importance of everyone being able to read. Students...
Facing History and Ourselves
Emmett Till: Choosing to Remember
Mamie Till, the mother of Emmett Till and civil rights activist, believed that her son's murder was the last straw before public outrage over racial injustice spilled over into the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century. A history...
Curated OER
Immigration To Wisconsin
Fourth graders see why people came to Wisconsin and what life was like in their new home. They engage in a wonderful series of lessons, which use a variety of multi-media resources. They plan a heritage day party as a culminating event.
Curated OER
A Penny for Your Thoughts, Movies, or Music?
Students investigate copyright violation laws. In this media copyright activity, students read two articles that discuss copyright laws, then they develop their own perspective on the laws. Students then divide into small groups and...
Curated OER
Pond-life Safari
Students determine the living and non-living parts of pond life. In this pond life lesson, students examine the plants, animals, and insects that live in ponds. They look through a variety of print media, cut out pictures, and arrange...
Curated OER
Investigating Brass Instruments and Pitch
Students observe the sounds of different brass instruments in order to understand how to create different pitches. In this musical lesson, students create a "brass" instrument from everyday household objects. The students discuss the...
Curated OER
Catch-22
During or after reading Catch-22, have your high school scholars complete this research project. First they'll brainstorm a list of people they might like to research, then they'll dive into your library's resources! There are several...
Curated OER
Dictionary Work - Entry Words
Second graders examine the use of entry words in the dictionary. For this dictionary use lesson, learners look at guide words in a children's dictionary as the teacher/librarian describes the characteristics of each entry. They complete...
Curated OER
Recognizing Reference Sources
Fourth graders investigate five different reference sources in the Media Center: Atlas, Dictionary, Encyclopedia, Card Catalog (Look Up Station), and the Internet. They decide which is the BEST source to use to answer specific questions.
Curated OER
Divorce And Stepfamilies: Breaking Apart, Coming Together
Students view a PBS "In the Mix" video about the challenges teens face when their parents divorce and/or remarry. They participate in a class discussion about the video, role-play related situations and explore media depictions of...
Curated OER
Locating Information Quickly in a Variety of Resources
Here is a lesson which may be best suited for a library science teacher, or one that can be done by a regular teacher when in the library. In it, learners explore the best ways to use print and electronic resources to find information...
Curated OER
The Animals Kingdom
Students are introduced to the classification system of animals. In groups, they set up an aquarium in which they must maintain throughout the year. They also observe earthworms and how they react to various stimuli and research the...
Curated OER
Asia Country: Tic Tac Toe
Enhance your geography class's knowledge of the countries on the Asian continent with this research lesson. Individuals or groups use books, the library, and the Internet to research one Asian country of their choice. Handouts and...
Curated OER
Insect Investigation
Investigation is a brilliant way to spark scientific inquiry. First graders will identify, research, and report what they have learned about a mysterious bug found on the playground. They will use multimedia resources for research and...
Curated OER
How to Locate and Evaluate Information, Part I - Online Catalog
Using the online catalog, researchers locate and record on a citation template specific sources for their research paper. A library specialist models searching strategies while the teacher introduces the research paper process. Daily...
Curated OER
Evaluating Web Sites for Bias
Students become familiar with checklist they use to evaluate Web content for bias. They use the checklist to evaluate two Web sites from very different sources.
Curated OER
OLYMPIC SHADOW BOXES
Students acquaint themselves with little-used library resources/reference materials and create shadow boxes to be displayed in the Media Center based on the research they've done regarding the Winter Olympics.
Curated OER
Glossaries and Indexes
Fourth graders identify parts of a book including the glossary, index, and dedication. In this glossary and index activity, 4th graders complete a worksheet after studying the glossary and index from a Houghton Mifflin Social Studies...
Curated OER
Sorting
Students explore indexing by participating in a library book search. In this sorting lesson, students complete a "flood game" on the Internet and discuss the techniques of locating books in a library. Students locate specific titles in...