Curated OER
The Power of Journals: Going Beyond the Text
Eighth graders define and use new vocabulary and identify the reasons why Native Americans captured Europeans during the colonial period. They write their own journal entries about the topic and explain the importance of journals as a...
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How are Boundaries Created?
Students examine two new concepts: orientalism and objectification. They view two film clips/videos on Seven Years in Tibet with Brad Pitt to incorporate the new concepts. In addition, students read Orientalism and write key questions...
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Midterm Project
Students create a multimedia presentation. They create a storyboard using Inspiration. Students write a narrative that reflects the process he/she went through to create the presentation. They include obstacles encountered and solutions...
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Latino-American Authors and Historical FIgures
Eighth graders examine various websites and gather information from them about influential Latino-Americans. They synthesize the information they gathered to create a poster about their chosen influential Latino-American. Students...
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Moon WebQuest
Third graders research basic information about the moon and identify the phases and order of the phases of the moon. They conduct Internet research, complete a moon WebQuest, and write a magazine article about the moon using their...
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True Settlers of the Pacific Northwest: Who was there with Dr. John Mcloughlin?
Students discover who was present when the city of Vancouver was founded. Using the internet, they research the various cultures of the area and which were present at the Hudson Bay Company. They discuss each person's role in how the...
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Henry David Thoreau
Students explore the life and philosophy of Henry David Thoreau. Students watch a slide show on Henry David Thoreau. They visit a quiet, tranquil location and observe nature. After reading and discussing Thoreau's works, students create...
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A Long Time Ago in the Future
Students read and discuss Canadian young adult literature. They compare/contrast the elements of citizenship, characterization, and themes, write journal responses, and identify the elements that define Canadians.
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Italy
Students read stories about Italy and identify main events and characters. They take an imaginary trip to Italy and write a story about their adventures. In addition, they practice several italian words and phrases.
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Remarkable Trees of Virginia
Students draw a picture of their favorite tree from memory, and then add detail as they learn more about leaf characteristics of Virginia trees. They will use their writing skills to nominate one or more of their favorite trees to the...
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From Object To Story
Students engage in a study that focuses upon the study of artifacts for the purpose of defining the heritage of family. They conduct research using a variety of resources. The information is used in order to create a personal family...
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Making Choices
Students work with a partner to write a play, story or ad that teaches about our choices as consumers. Students focus on educating people about how food choices make a difference in their lives.
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And Your Point Is . . .? Part I
Students, in groups, complete a WebQuest titled "Love Canal Debate". They follow the WebQuest to research and write papers on different points of view regarding the Love Canal environmental disaster.
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Found Poetry with Primary Sources: The Great Depression
Pupils read a sample found poem and create one together as a class. In this Great Depression lesson, students select a topic, such as miners, and read primary source documents related to the topic. Pupils select one narrative as the...
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Dancing Feathers
Fifth graders read and analyze the novel, 'Dancing Feathers.' They identify the main story elements, develop personal and fictional narratives, retell the story from a different point of view, create a mask, and design a postcard.
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The Artist As Storyteller
Students practice the art of storytelling by examining scroll writing techniques of Asia and applying them to a monthly story of their own classroom. This lesson is in two parts (Part II continues throughout the school year).
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Persuasion
Students explore the characteristics of a persuasive letter. They label each characteristic and they create a persuasive letter using the correct business letter format. Students recommend a school rule or change of a rule and justify...
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"Remembering My Childhood on the Continent of Africa" by David Sedaris
David Sedaris is quite the story-teller. Read "Remembering My Childhood on the Continent of Africa" and follow it up with this two-page worksheet. Readers will revisit the text to answer higher level thinking questions. Designed...
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Creating a Life Map
Learners create their own life map in which they introduce themselves to each other by sharing what they are most proud of. They use a life map to expressive themselves creatively.
Advocates for Human Rights
Refugees and Asylum Seekers
To gain a deeper understanding of the plight of refugees and asylum seekers, class members read stories written from the point of view of an emigrant, map the individual's journey, and note the human rights affected by each stage of the...
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Vocabulary Game
Help scholars discover new ways to build their vocabulary. Groups create a game involving their vocabulary words. Using the jigsaw model, the groups shuffle and play the games of the other groups. Save the games and use them for other...
Library of Congress
Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the Fugitive Slave Act
From the time of its publication, Uncle Tom's Cabin has been controversial. To better understand the debate, class members first examine a broadside decrying the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, and then two newspaper reviews of the novel...
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The Roots of Slavery
Young scholars conduct research about the Civil War and the slavery movement. They examine primary and secondary resources. The use of the internet and web slides are resources made available for students to make cognitive connections.
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How Historians Know: Investigating a Midwife's Life
Students view "A Midwife's Tale" to explain the methods historians use to study the past. They complete worksheets to identify what historians look for.