Curated OER
Welcome to Our School
Middle schoolers build a friendly environment for future students by creating a PowerPoint presentation. In this middle school introduction lesson, middle schoolers utilize a camera to record important moments throughout the school...
Curated OER
Catholic Schools in the Community
Students are provided with a multimedia Power Point presentation that explains the educational opportunities that are available at the St. Mary Catholic School. They are presented with all facts along with the community as a whole and...
Curated OER
Weekly Current Events Podcasts
Students create a weekly current event podcast. In this podcast lesson, students find current events for the week and write out a script to explain this event. They add in music and sound effects and record their final product.
For the Teachers
Story Strips Sequencing
What happens next? Work on story sequence with a lesson that prompts kids to put a story back in order. Additionally, they discuss what would happen if one event was missing from the sequence.
BBC
Words in the News
Here's an "old-school" lesson plan on an event in US history. High schoolers look into the massive layoffs that occurred in New Orleans in 2005. Discussion and debate take place, and groups of learners must cut and paste a series of...
Newseum
From the Front Page to the History Books
Young journalists compare news coverage of four major events with how the same events are covered in historical accounts. The ensuing discussion asks class members to compare and contrast the role of a reporter and the role of a historian.
Curated OER
Chapter 4 of The Secret School
Fourth graders read chapter 4 of The Secret School and answer discussion questions as they read. In this reading lesson plan, 4th graders also write a summary of what they read.
Curated OER
The Secret School: chapters 2 and 3
Second graders read chapters 2 and 3 of The Secret School and answer discussion questions as they read. In this reading lesson plan, 2nd graders also read aloud in pairs and complete a worksheet.
Curated OER
School Violence
Students examine conflicts in schools and ways to reduce school violence. In this school violence lesson, students research the types of violence in schools. Students discuss ways to prevent and report the violence. Students create a...
Curated OER
The Secret School
Fourth graders read chapter 13 and 14 of The Secret School and answer discussion questions as they read. In this reading lesson plan, 4th graders also write a summary of what they read and go over vocabulary.
Curated OER
Idea-Noun Definition: Source Searching
A great idea for showing language arts pupils the universality of themes, even in the real world! Have class members choose an idea-noun (peace, justice, war, love, etc.) at the beginning of the year or semester. They complete weekly...
Curated OER
Football game seating: Security or Restriction?
High schoolers write an article or an editorial about the situation of Cleveland-area schools instituting policies to restrict seating at night football games. Students research their own school policy, as well as other school policies.
Curated OER
High School Energy Audit
A student-led energy audit of their high school is the focus of this energy lesson. They review the cost of energy in their school, find where it is being wasted, and attempt to cut costs by 10%. A worthy lesson!
Curated OER
Writing as a group activity
Did you know that 50% of all Americans can trace a relative who traveled through Ellis Island? Relive these journeys with your class and then provide sentence strategy templates for them to use to compose their own informative...
Curated OER
May I Take Your Order, Please?
Pupils read a story, boil down that story to 5 to 7 key events, create a sequencing quiz to go with the story and have their classmates take the quiz. They will the strategy of sequencing by reading various stories (that they are not...
Media Smarts
Bias in News Sources
As young consumers of media, it is important for high schoolers to explore concepts of bias and prejudice, and how they may be present in media. After discussing ideological messages that media can contain, individuals complete a warm-up...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
A College Student's Perspective on WWI
Some things remain the same, such as the world being on the brink of war, or college attendees writing home requesting money. As part of their research into events that led up to President Wilson's declaration of war on Germany, class...
Social Media Toolbox
Why Social Media?
Is social media the best way to convey news in your school? Young journalists dig deep into the social media question in the second of 16 lessons from The Social Media Toolbox. After learning about the relationship between social media...
Wish for the Future
Wish for the Future
What would be your class's ideal world 30 years in the future? What about 100 years? Use a series of activities to discuss globalization, sustainability, scientific contributions to society, and the global community of which your...
iCivics
Conflict & Cooperation
Considering such conflicts as the Vietnam War and the war in Afghanistan, what motivates nations to cooperate? Your class members will analyze past and current international events in order to understand the types of conditions and...
C-SPAN
Middle School Checks and Balances
Seven video clips reveal how the checks and balances built into the constitutional framework of the United states' government are designed to keep any one branch from becoming too powerful. After watching each clip, groups identify the...
Curated OER
General Lesson Plan for Documentary Lens
Use this general lesson guide to inform your instruction surrounding a documentary. The lesson is made up of five activities. The activities are intentionally general because they are designed to adapted for specific films. While the...
Curated OER
Earthquake Plan
Students discuss what to do in the event of an earthquake. They develop an earthquake plan and practice it. They also discuss their fears about earthquakes.
Curated OER
Summarizing Story Events
After reading a book on their own, pupils prepare an oral report on the book, and sit in the "Readers Report Chair" when giving the report to the class. They are taught to briefly summarize the book by talking about one of two favorite...