Virginia Department of Education
Biotechnological Issues and Bioethics
Culminate a bioethics unit with the implementation of a lesson that incorporates the Socratic method to encourage class feedback and participation. Pupils participate in a discussion on bioethics and morality, complete a writing seminar,...
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Analyzing a Writer's Stance
Should college admissions decisions be based on whether whose family members attended? Secondary students read and respond to a New York Times article on the issue of 'legacy preferences' in college admissions. Following class...
Computer Science Unplugged
Conversations with Computers—The Turing Test
Will the real computer please stand up? The premise of this activity is for the class to ask questions to a human and to a computer and to determine which is which. The class asks a given set of questions, and the person playing the role...
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Dear Abby- Colonial Style
Students review the Colonial period in American history and read literature from this era. They assume the roles of a colonial young person and an adult to compose letters from each and communicate their ideas through the letter writing...
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Roger That!
Students study the letter R, r in order to recognize it, say its sound, and write it. They watch a partner's mouth as they make the "r" sound before repeating a tongue twister that contains many "r" sounds. Next, they practice writing...
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Pronouns
In this ESL instructional activity, students focus on personal pronouns. Students complete 36 fill in the blank questions and then click the "done" button on this interactive website..
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First Day of School: I'll Get to Know You
Pupils participate in a letter matching game that pairs students so that they can introduce a new friend. They listen to the Shel Silverstein book, The Giving Tree and write a letter to the class telling them what they will give to the...
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Get to Know Your Neighbor
First graders accurately name letters with their phonetic sound. In this letter recognition lesson plan, 1st graders respond to a question about summer when their name letter is called. Students describe a summer experience.
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Veterans Day
First graders examine the history and significance of Veteran's Day. They discuss each of the military branches and how Veteran's Day was started, and write a thank you letter to a Veteran. Students copy the greeting and closing of the...
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Modern Advocates for Change
Learners make a list of "modern day prophets" and explain how they have made considerable contributions toward the common good. They write a letter to a community leader in which they advocate the solution to a problem or issue in their...
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Soldiers' Stories
Students share opinions about the conditions under which they might risk their lives for a cause. They write letters from the perspective of soldiers and family members during a tour of duty.
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Put That in Writing
Learners identify life situations which require various writing responses, use the power of the written word to obtain results, practice writing responses to real-world events, and demonstrate the skills needed to recognize and create...
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Class and Health: You Are What You Eat
Students determine a working definition of class in order to determine how social class can affect personal health. They research their own nutritional needs and work to encourage healthy change in their communities.
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Self-Awareness
Students investigate their attitudes, emotions, feelings and personality. They determine how they view themselves and how they are viewed by others.
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Animals and Initial Sounds
First graders explore animals and initial sounds. They create a slideshow by clicking and dragging background pictures, letters, animal pictures and sounds to accompany each slide. Students search for animals whose name is the same sound...
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A Multigenerational Pen Pal Program
Students discover the benefits of writing letters to multigenerational pen pals. For this pen pal lesson, students identify a need for communication among the generations. Students begin a pen pal program with the elders in the...
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Writing for Different Audiences: A Discussion of Cover Letters And Resumes
Students examine the process of writing a resume. They identify examples of casual and formal language, read an article on writing resumes, discuss key questions, write a resume, and discuss and edit another student's resume.
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Teachers.Net Lesson Exchange: Classroom Objects (other, other
Students study the names of classroom objects, then examine their cards and read the information silently and very carefully.
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President Obama's Address to Students Across America
Learners listen to President Obama's speech, and discuss its meaning. In this President Obama activity students learn about the president, about how to deliver a speech, and the ways they can make a difference. They create posters, write...
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Peter the Great
Students recognize that Peter the Great modernized Russia. They write letters and complete journal entries in first person as if they were Peter the Great. In addition, they decorate their journal entries with scenes from his travels.
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Popcorn Spelling (Elementary, Language)
Third graders stand with letter cards to spell words given by the teacher. A quick time-filler game to practice spelling words.
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Our Illuminated Alphabet
Students examine artwork and create their own. In this writing and illustrating activity, students view illuminated letters from the Getty Museum's collection and discuss art vocabulary. Students examine the visual elements in the...
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Once Upon a Genre
Students examine fractured fairy tales before responding by writing in many different genres including a persuasive essay, a personal narrative, a letter, an advertisement, and a resume'. They create a pop-up book with their written...
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Troubled Leadership
Students discuss how each leader was influenced by people close to him. They view a video "Troubled Leadership." Students discuss the two rulers featured: the Egyptian King Tutankhamen and the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman. They discuss...