Curated OER
Staying Informed
Students identify the various ways the American public can stay informed on the news. In groups, they brainstorm reasons why the public should not stick to one source for their news. They use this information to examine their own current...
Virginia Department of Education
The Writing Process for Expository Writing
Struggling on what steps to take in your expository essay lesson? Or confused on what to include for your scribes? This exercise in the process of expository writing provides concepts and structure for the educator on what the writers...
Curated OER
Plot the Oysters' Peril!
Use comic strips to teach sequencing in narrative poetry. As homework, each class member selects a comic strip with 4-8 frames, cuts the frames apart, places the pieces in an envelope, and brings the envelope to class. Class members swap...
Curated OER
Day to Day Life in a Small African Village
Students analyze life in a village of Tanzania including its language, geography, health, and hygiene issues. In this African village instructional activity, students locate Tanzania and its capital city on a map. Students compare...
English Enhanced Scope and Sequence
Media Literacy with Focus of Strategies for Collaboration
Introduce your class to literary analysis with a series of activities that has them examine book and movie reviews. Groups then draft their own review of a text, select a digital medium, and craft a presentation.
Curated OER
Numbers Scavenger Hunt
Middle schoolers use computers and Internet to research specified topics using given sites. They print the researched information, and create a PowerPoint presentation.
Curated OER
Exploring the Controversial Plan to Drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Students examine the Bush Administration's plan to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from varying points of view. They work in small groups in order to perform their research, but they compose individual journal writes...
Curated OER
Design Explorations: Frieze Patterns
Students will explore frieze patterns. A frieze pattern is a mathematical concept to classify designs on two-dimensional surfaces, which are repetitive in one direction, based on the symmetries in the pattern. They will explore examples...
Curated OER
Patterned Leaf Cloths
Students identify and reproduce simple patterns (e.g., red blocks alternating with blue blocks; clap-clap-stamp) and create and extend simple patterns using a variety of materials or actions (e.g., popsicle sticks, pebbles, stickers,...
Teaching English
Poetry Project in Three Parts
It’s poetry T.I.M.E! Individuals use the T.I.M.E. format (T = Title, thought, and theme; I = Imagery and figurative language; M = music and sound; E = emotion) to study a poet, collect poems that have a similar theme, and create a...
Curated OER
People's Rights Change With the Decisions of the Courts
Ninth graders research the Bill of Rights, and the difference between a conservative and a liberal court decision. They examine how peoples' rights are expanded or limited by court decisions.
Curated OER
Author's Purpose
A simple activity for young readers, this introduces the idea of author purpose. Learners analyze various types of texts (newspaper articles, magazines, books, advertisements, etc.) and determine if the author's purpose for writing was...
Curated OER
Vacancy: Habitats Available!
Sixth graders pick a native animal and write a classified housing ad to match the animal's habitat requirements, paste it on posterboard and then try to match each habitat with the animal it represents.
Curated OER
Don't Flick Your Bic!
Learners research the ban on lighters and how it is being enforced and interview community members who smoke, especially travelers who have or might be stopped for carrying lighters. Students then write an opinion piece about the situation.
Curated OER
Voter Fraud: Are Ghosts Going To The Polls
Students research background material about voting in their community. They interview local/county election officials to see what is going on in the community. They also interview teachers, and students to determine if they are newly...
Curated OER
Poetry Cyberbook
Emerging poets design a website and then post seven original poems as well as their written critique of these poems. Although the resource mentions Inspiration and FrontPage technologies, any software could be substituted.
Curated OER
Interviews with the American People "Days of Infamy"
Students compare and contrast statements made by people in "Man on the Streets." They are interviewing them on the current war in Iraq and how they felt on Sept. 11th. These interviews are tape recorded. To see what kinds of questions to...
Curated OER
It’s Your Birthday! – Conventions: Revision and Proofreading
Happy birthday! Celebrate everyone's birthday with this writing activity, which prompts seventh graders to research historical events in a country at the time of their birth to create an essay. Working in pairs, they proofread each...
Curated OER
Problem Solving
Scholars will learn to solve word problems using addition, subtraction, multiplication or division. Using a grocery store theme, they will identify the best way to solve real-life problems. There are many ways this basic instructional...
Curated OER
Creating Stage Designs that Reflect
Students identify and research cultural, historical, and symbolic clues in dramatic texts. They demonstrate knowledge of research sources.
Curated OER
Totem Mask
Sixth graders study totems of the Northwest Native Americans and design their own.
Curated OER
Slavery in Arkansas, Market to Misery
Students determine the factors that were considered when purchasing slaves at market or through the purchase of an estate. They examine the Arkansas Slave Code and share its content through a group activity.
Curated OER
Lesson 2 How Do You Find Stock Symbols?
Students practice finding stock symbols by company, industry, and country. Stock symbols are necessary to find company information such as stock charts, news, and financial data on the Internet.
Curated OER
Do Deductibles Matter?
Fifth graders discuss insurance and the cost of automobile insurance. They compare and contrast the costs of insurance from different companies. They figure the savings from the lowest deductible to the highest deductible.