Curated OER
Native American Legends
Students work together in groups to research a Native American legend. They present the information they gathered in a format they chose. They write their own legend based on their research.
Curated OER
What Makes Shadows? Observing and Drawing Shadows
Students make accurate drawings of a classmate's shadow. They note position of the sun in the sky. They identify a connection between the direction of the shadow and the location of the sun. They observe changes in shadows over time.
The New York Times
Writing Fiction Based on Real Science - NYTimes.com
Refuse to alienate your scientific-minded young scholars during your creative writing unit. Learners explore how literary writing can reflect observable fact, and be based in actual science. The links include examples of fiction and...
Alabama Learning Exchange
J. Alfred Hyperbolizes
Mermaids will sing to your class members as they engage in an activity related to T.S. Eliot's famous dramatic interior monologue. After engaging in a socratic seminar about literary devices in the poem, individuals choose one...
Curated OER
Inside the Mind of the Unreliable Narrator
Create interdisciplinary connections and promote high-level inferences by studying unreliable narrators.
Curated OER
Greed is Good?
From Mr. Merdle to Mr. Madoff? A viewing of the PBS adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “Little Dorrit” launches an examination of greedy characters in literature and a study of greed, unfairness, and economic hardship today. The richly...
Curated OER
Chasing Lincoln's Killer: A Novel Study
James Swanson's novel, Chasing Lincoln's Killer, provides an engaging unit of study for all readers.
Prestwick House
Understanding Language: Slant, Spin, and Bias in the News
We live in a time of fake news, alternative realities, and media bias. What could be more timely than an activity that asks class members to research how different sources report the same topic in the news?
Curated OER
Going Graph-y
Second graders listen to and dicuss the story Where the Wild Things Are. They play a pantomime game and act out various feelings so their classmates can guess. They listen for the frequency of certain words, and record their findings on...
Curated OER
Primary Sources and Protagonists: A Native American Literature Unit
Introduce your middle schoolers to the lives of past Native Americans. First, learners work together to put photographs in a sequence. Then, using their sequence, they create stories to share with the whole class. No matter how old your...
Curated OER
Can You Build a Better Mousetrap?
Students use a variety of linked sites to research information about student inventions and contests that are available for them. They research an invention they would like to see become available. They communicate their results to their...
Curated OER
Christopher Columbus: The Man, the Myth, the Legend
Learn more about maps by examining Christopher Columbus's voyage to the New World. Kindergartners will learn about basic map skills and how to identify the compass rose, oceans, and land masses. They will also discover the purpose of...
Curated OER
Probability or Ability?
Pupils use their non-dominant hand to catch candy which they tossed in the air. They estimate how many they catch in a second round. They record and determine how the probability changed the second time.
Curated OER
Dr. Teeth and Dr. Gums To The Rescue
Second graders role play as dentists researching teeth and their care. They create a slide show showing how a character, Bear, can take care of this teeth explaining habitats, diets and teeth.
Curated OER
Rockin' Picture Books
Learners demonstrate their knowledge of the rock cycle by creating picture books.
Curated OER
Introducing Biographies - Getting to Know You
Learners explore several different types of biographies to determine their area of interest, choose one notable person they would like to explore, complete online tutorial on biographies, and use written and Internet resources to...
Curated OER
Author, Author!
Third graders, in groups, select and research a favorite studenT author or illustrator. They answer questions about the author, conduct research and prepare a PowerPoint presentation with their findings.
Curated OER
Hank Williams: My Inspiration
Students research information about Hank Williams using the internet. Using the lyrics from his songs, they interpret the poetry used. They work together and individually to write their own poems and interpret them.
Curated OER
Postcards from the Past
Students create postcards from the past by summarizing a historical event. Then they design illustrations for their postcards and send them off to another teacher at their school.
Curated OER
Rare, Fat, Flabby, Big-Mouthed Sharks
Learners research Megamouth Sharks and write paragraphs based on their findings.
Curated OER
Creature Feature
Students research an animal, and create a video to share their information and pictures with the class.
Curated OER
Awesome Audio Book
Students choose a written piece and present it aloud in a student-made recording. They analyze how sounds are used to elicit emotion.
Curated OER
Researching Stocks on New York Stock Exchange
Sixth graders research to find background information and stock history over the last year about a company listed on the NYSE. They evaluate whether or not they should "invest" in that company. They write a persuasive essay outlining...
Curated OER
Grounded for Life
Second graders become familiar with the lives of penguins including their life cycles, habitats and basic needs. Students will experience the lives of penguins through stories and video.