Curated OER
Does Security Mean Safer? Exploring Issues of Security in Public Places
Students explore various scenarios that may or may not make them suspicious in the post-September 11 world, and discuss and write position papers about a fatal shooting involving air marshals and a mentally ill passenger.
Curated OER
Why Can't I Vote?
Fourth graders take an unannounced test (failure is expected) and the top scores are rewarded with candy bars. They compare this test to the literacy tests given before 1960 and votes to candybars. They journal their responses.
Curated OER
R U Talkin 2 Me?
Learners discuss how they use communication devices. They read an article about communication technology. They create a poster depicting the impact of such devices on future generations. They also write a paper about what they have...
Curated OER
What Sticks from '06
Students identify significant events that helped shaped 2006. Completing a news quiz, they discuss the importance and impact of each event mentioned. They create their own news quizzes to be used as a class. They create a poster...
Curated OER
Operation Iraqi Democracy
For this lesson, students consider various forms of government and examine the idea of political sovereignty, then prepare outlines for oral presentations on international models of government. For homework, they write response papers...
Curated OER
Cuba On My Mind
Students explore the Cuban society, politics, culture, and economy. As a class, they take a look at the Bush administrations policy on Cuba after reading "Embargo Remains Until Cuba Alters Policy, Bush Says" from The New York Times....
Curated OER
Bonded for Life
Learners explore the modern day slave trade through reading and discussing the article "What It Takes To Stop Slavery." They research one of the campaigns of the International Labor Organization and present their findings to the rest of...
Curated OER
Home Sick
Students discuss where everyday aliments could be treated. After reading an article, they discuss the life of a traveling nurse and how it differs from a hospital nurse. Using the internet, they research the requirements for taking...
Curated OER
Galvanic Reactions
Students create a battery using pennies. In this galvanic reactions lesson plan, students use pennies, a washer, salt water, wires, tape and a paper towel to create a battery. They use a voltmeter to record the voltage in their battery...
Curated OER
Egg to Butterfly
Young scholars examine the life cycle of the butterfly through literature. In this butterfly life cycle lesson, students listen to a read aloud of Eric Carle's, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and discuss the life cycle shown in the story....
Curated OER
Memories from the National Sites
Students write a virtual postcard. In this logo instructional activity students are introduced to the concept of postcard writing. Students research the national sites and states highlighted on quarters for that year. Students take a...
Curated OER
The Beat Goes On
Students take their own pulse before and after exercise as they explore how the heart works. They research various ways that heart disease is treated and suggest specific treatment methods for their own imaginary patients.
Curated OER
Discovering Rhythm and Rhyme
Students explore ways to provide enjoyable phonemic awareness and conversation experiences for their children while reading and discussing children's book, A Tree For Me. Students extend their expertise in reading by fluently reading...
Curated OER
The Fabric of America
Students examine the theme of independence in American history by participating in a class-wide paper quilt project. Each student creates three quilt squares representing the past, present and future of independence in the United States.
Curated OER
Adding Fuel to the Fire
Students consider global warming and the greenhouse effect, then explore how these issues affect other countries. They graph findings and write papers considering how continued usage can affect the future of the atmosphere and the global...
Curated OER
Justices for All
Young scholars examine role of Supreme Court justices in the American political process, research the qualities of the current Supreme Court justices, and write opinion papers evaluating the current justices and recommending future...
Curated OER
From the Moon to the Sun and Back Again
Students consider the aims of the space program, create posters comparing the voyages of Apollo 17 and Genesis and write response papers evaluating NASA's current mission statement.
Curated OER
Tell It Like It Is
Students consider the accuracy of the Web sites they regularly use, then prepare for a formal debate on the reliability of Wikipedia and similar Web sites. For homework, they prepare note cards and practice delivering their orations.
Curated OER
Must Be Something in the Water
Students research water pollution and create a class guide to raise the public's awareness about this issue. They write papers analyzing the effectiveness of the guide after it is read by members of the community.
Curated OER
Shades of Gray
Students examine their own strengths and weaknesses and try to determine if it is a result of nature, nuture or both. After reading an article, they discuss how gender may or may not account for differences in intelligence. They...
Curated OER
Navigating the Straits
Students research the players and events that have influenced U.S.-China relations since World War II, with specific emphasis on the two countries' relationships with Taiwan. They write a briefing paper, advising the president on the...
Curated OER
Mining For Descriptive Gold
Students describe places using language that is as vivid as possible. They will examine the writer's craft in describing a place by reading and discussing "Resurrecting the Miner's World." They will then revise their descriptive pieces...
Curated OER
Life Cycle of a Salamander
Third graders examine the life cycle of a salamander. In this life cycles lesson, 3rd graders view a PowerPoint presentation about the life cycle of a salamander. Students take the temperature of a toy salamander with a thermometer and...
Curated OER
Spelling - Compacting (Grades 3-5)
Students use compacting when learning spelling words. In this spelling lesson, students take a pre-test on their weekly spelling words. Students who score 100% are exempt from spelling and those who miss 0-2 words compact their studying...