US Environmental Protection Agency
Tree Rings: Living Records of Climate
Open with a discussion on weather and climate and then explain how tree rings can provide scientists with information about the earth's past climate. Pupils analyze graphics of simulated tree rings from various US locations for the...
National Literacy Trust
Mark The Bard!
Commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death with a packet of cross-curricular literacy lessons and activities centered around two of the Bard's most popular plays, Macbeth and The Tempest. Class members look for evidence of...
Inside Mathematics
Scatter Diagram
It is positive that how one performs on the first test relates to their performance on the second test. The three-question assessment has class members read and analyze a scatter plot of test scores. They must determine whether...
National Park Service
It Was a Very Good Year
Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park includes whitebark pines that are over 1,200 years old, meaning they have been there since before medieval times. The second lesson of five details how to read tree rings for climate change and...
State Bar of Texas
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Who decides someone is not a real person? Scholars investigate the Dred Scott v. Sandford court case which deals directly with slavery and citizenship. After viewing a short video clip, classmates work in pairs to assess and discuss the...
Smithsonian Institution
Civil War
Did you know that more than three million people fought in the Civil War? Through artifacts, graphics, and passages class members learn about the stark divide between North and South that led to the war, as well as about the events that...
Do2Learn
Participating With Others
For learners with autism spectrum disorder, participating with others in a social setting can be stressful and overwhelming. A brainstorming activity prompts pupils to consider the expectations of a particular social occasion, including...
YMCA
Turning Courtrooms into Classrooms
Turn the class into the next episode of Law & Order! Scholars work together to create a mock trial over the course of several weeks before going before a judge for the case performance. They take on different roles, go through...
Curated OER
Dr. Heidegger's Experiment
What are the pros and cons of prolonging life? Incorporate real-world issues into the study of literature using Dr. Heidegger's Experiment. Through the exploration of pre-determined websites, scholars consider several related literary...
Curated OER
Measuring Time in Minutes
Telling time is all about practical application; use these real-life scenarios (with a few analog clocks thrown in) to help scholars place this skill into a useful context. They read two word problems to determine how much time each...
Curated OER
"Photograph Math" Word Problems
Students create a photograph that illustrates one of the ways in which they use math. In this math and visual arts lesson, students write their own real-life word problems to accompany the photo.
Scholastic
A House for Hermit Crab
Engage young marine biologists in a reading of Eric Carle's A House for Hermit Crab with a fun hands-on activity. Given a set of clipart images of the different aquatic animals that appear in the book, children identify each one during a...
Curated OER
Homer's Odyssey: The Original Incredible Journey
Ninth graders read excerpts from Homer's Odyssey and apply the concepts to their own life odyssey. They write a biographical essay based on major turning points in that person's life.
College Board
Seeing Is Believing
Students read about AP calculus online. In this calculus lesson, students learn real life usage for calculus. They read about instructors and their experience teaching and incorporating calculus into the real world.
Curated OER
A Day to Remember!
Students study math. In this real-life problem solving lesson plan, students work on their skills dealing with time and money. They work in small groups on various time and money word problems and by the final day they have a final...
Curated OER
What Qualities Does a Hero Have?
Study the characteristics of real-life heroes in your history or language arts lesson. After reading about the soldiers of World War I, kids write autobiographies from their future elderly selves, and reflect on their acts of heroism yet...
Curated OER
Trash! How Cities Work: Dealing with Garbage in the US and India
Students identify how different cultures deal with the challenge of trash. Read an excerpt from a chapter book based on real life written from the Southern Indian perspective. Describe the life of a street child in Southern India....
Curated OER
QUILTING AND COMBINATIONS
Young scholars apply problem solving procedures and skills to solve a given real life problem by manipulating felt squares to represent the possible combinations for a two color quilt.
Curated OER
I Will Survive!
Students define and explore the term "survivor" through the study of real-life stories of survival. They interview a person whom he/she considers to be a survivor, and share their interviews with the class.
Curated OER
Why Save? Better Off Saving
Students examine the pros and cons of saving versus spending money and evaluate real-life situations as well as their own spending habits. They discuss the best and worst purchase they have made and why, explore the "Downtown...
Curated OER
Conflict Transformation
Students analyze the usefulness of conflict. In this conflict resolution lesson, students will examine several real life conflict scenarios. Students will analyze these conflicts in terms of there costs and benefits to determine weather...
Curated OER
Units of Measurement
In this units of measurement worksheet, students learn about different units of measurements and how they can be converted. They first read a page about units of measurement, conversions and how these are used in real life. They then...
Curated OER
Uncommon Heroes of Today
Students create a photo-biography of someone they consider a real life hero. In this character sketch lesson, students define a hero and identify heroic characteristics in short stories. Students use descriptive words to write about...
Curated OER
Mean, Median, Mode and Range
Mean, median, mode, and range lessons can link math to real life experiences.