Curated OER
Beatrix Potter's Naughty Animal Tales
Students gain insight into the unusual, solitary world of Beatrix Potter's Victorian childhood and can compare/contrast it with their own world to explain why Potter wrote such simple stories and why she wrote about animals rather than...
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Leif Erikson Day
Leif Erikson Day lessons breathe life into social studies classroom explorations.
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Antarctica
Students explore the Antarctic continent, Australia's role in Antarctic exploration and development, the issues concerning Antarctica's future and the needs of the Antarctic community.
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The Sounds of Samba
Students research the origins of Samba in Brazil using the internet. After defining new vocabulary, they locate the cities in Brazil using latitude and longitude which practice the Samba. In groups, they compare and contrast the...
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Out On A Limb In The Pacific Rim?
Students act as cultural attachés to investigate and present briefings on the post-1945 histories and United States diplomatic relationships with East Asian countries. They articulate their foreign policy findings.
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Build the Tallest Building
Learners examine the design and construction of skyscrapers. They use the internet to research information about different types of skyscrapers. They create their own building and defend it to the class.
University of New Mexico
New Mexico Land of Enchantment
Third graders research Native American Cultures surrounding New Mexico. They analyze the history and geography of the state. They play a guessing game that incorporates the indigenous plants and animals of New Mexico. In groups, learners...
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Social Studies: African Banner Boxes
Students write creation stories and design stamps to use on banners accompany them. They discuss the use of stamps in African culture to take the place of words. Students use a handout of stamps and their own creations to create banners...
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Winter Holidays Around the World
How much do you know about the holidays around the world? Second graders put their knowledge to the test with a 14-day activity about global celebrations. They read informational text, employ KWL charts, and compare and contrast the many...
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The Cleverest Thief
Students practice their reading comprehension while listening to a classic folktale from India. In this cultural storytelling activity, students read the book The Cleverest Thief and complete word identification worksheets based on the...
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Earthquakes: Getting Ready For The Big One
Learners devise a plan to prepare a city for an earthquake. In this lesson on earthquakes, students differentiate between the different types of earthquakes, examine the impact they can have on a city, and write a proposal on how to...
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Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Learners identify patterns in the stars. For this constellation lesson, students simulate constellations using black canisters and patterns. Learners discuss the points on the constellations and how to draw imaginary lines to see the...
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Learning the 50 States
Students become familiar with all 50 states over the course of ten days.
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Terrestrial Ecozones, Population Density and Species at Risk
Tenth graders navigate and use the online Atlas of Canada. They explain the cause and effect relationship between human settlement and the natural environment and wildlife species. They utilize a worksheet imbedded in this plan.
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Earthweek
Students explore the ongoing changes in the relationship between human beings and their physical world. They read articles on environmental changes. Students write a short analysis of the effect of the event on the residents of the area...
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Little House On The Prarie
Fourth graders focus on the family's journey from Wisconsin to Kansas and their life there among the Indians.
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Yaks, Yurts, and Yogurt: A Look at China's Autonomous Regions
Learners are introduced to five Chinese geographical areas. They, in groups, research these areas and develop presentations including information on the physical characteristics, climate, elevation, agriculture and language.
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National expansion of the United States (1815 to 1850), and its connection to local Illinois history.
Students discuss the importance of establishing the I & M Canal water route. They watch a video about the canal's history. They collect and write a personal migration story by interviewing a family member. They analyze trends and...
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Affects of Geography on Colonial Cultures
Sixth graders examine the effects of geography on the development of culture. They discuss how geography can affect the lifestyles and development of a society's culture. Students examine the geography and climate of New England and the...
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Native Americans
Students, in groups, research various Native American tribes. They wirte a report about the tribe which includes information about their food and ceremonies, among other things. They create a diorama and a poster that shows how they...
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Wappo Indians of Napa County
Third graders describe the American Indian nation in their local region long ago and in the recent past in terms of national identities, religious beliefs, customs, and various folklore traditions. They synthesize their findings into a...
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Mexico: A Look At Its Culture and Geography
Students canvass the Mexican geography, culture, dress, language, crafts, and traditions in this unit of eight lessons. The Mexican Independance Day is compared to our own and the contributions of the Mayan, Azetec, and Spanish are...
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Creating and Analyzing Graphs of Tropospheric Ozone
Students create and analyze graphs using archived atmospheric data to compare the ozone levels of selected regions around the world.
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What Does Your First Day of Winter Look Like?
Students brainstorm the characteristics of winter. Using an email program, they share their characteristics of winter with those in another part of the country. They compare and contrast each letter they receive with their own criteria...