Curated OER
Hidalgo's Fight for the Independence of Mexico
Tenth graders study and examine the life of Miguel Hidalgo while working to identify major themes. Small groups create sequence of event chains, analyze and label maps of Hidalgo's travels, and work together to create giant chalk maps...
Curated OER
Jean Fritz's American History Series
Students explore children's literature by reading biographies in class. In this history analysis lesson, students read books written by Jean Fritz about the Revolutionary War and discuss the events that led up to the critical moment....
Curated OER
Analyzing Poetic Devices: Robert Hayden's "Those Winter Sundays" and Theodore Roethke's "My Papa's Waltz"
Students examine how Robert Hayden and Theodore Roethke incorporate poetic devices to convey meaning in the poems, 'Those Winter Sundays,' and 'My Papa's Waltz.' They listen to audio clips, explore websites, and write an analysis of the...
Curated OER
Conflict and Debate
Students take a medical issue and explore it, debate it, and convince others of their point of view. They improve research skills and writing skills. Students are able to define a problem, debate it, and identify which is the best...
Curated OER
The Other Drug War
High schoolers develop critical thinking skills as they construct arguments for one of the three debates described in the lesson on "The Other Drug War."
MENSA Education & Research Foundation
I Need a Superhero
Once the class learns about the hero's journey, they'll find it in every story and movie they see! Take characters from their humble beginnings to their atonement and apotheosis with a set of lessons about the hero's journey focusing...
Curated OER
Social Studies: Aztec Calendars and Culture
Sixth graders analyze the Aztec calendar and create their own examples of them. They determine the meaning of the symbols used in the calendars and record their ideas in journals. Students host a parent breakfast for them to observe...
Curated OER
What is cooperative negotiation?
Tenth graders differentiate between positions, interests, and values. In this current events lesson, 10th graders analyze, in a response to literature, the failure of a fictional negotiation. Students demonstrate the ability to use...
Curated OER
Nobel Peacekeeping
Students examine the goals of eradicating poverty, preventing conflict and promoting democracy--outlined in Kofi Annan's 2001 Nobel Peace Prize lecture--as they apply to today's news.
Curated OER
Political Cartoons: Thinking Broadly, Communicating Succinctly
High schoolers think broadly about the tsunami disaster and its aftermath through studying cartoons. Students critically think about the literary devices the authors/artists use, such as satire, metaphor and personification.
Curated OER
John Milton and Paradise Lost
Students read one of his minor poems but focus on Paradise Lost. They apply historical criticism to the poem and note the parallel between the Biblical references and the politics of Oliver Cromwell.
Curated OER
Negro Leagues Baseball
Students think critically and creatively while researching Negro Leagues baseball vocabulary terms and producing a political cartoon defining those terms. The research for this lesson is done on the internet.
Curated OER
A Elegy
Young scholars examine an elegy for form, tone and subject matter. In this elegy lesson, students share impressions from Dylan Thomas's poem and a critic's response to the poem. Young scholars discuss emotions and the refusal to mourn...
Curated OER
Water Around Us
Third graders learn the effects of temperature on the states of water. Then students create paper snowflakes. Finally students complete a computer project with software which teaches the different states of water.
Curated OER
"O Captain! My Captain!"
Who was Walt Whitman, and what link does he have to president Abraham Lincoln? After Lincoln's assassination, Whitman wrote "O Captain! My Captain!" This poem and "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" are the focus of exercises...
American Immigration Law Foundation
An Immigrant’s Experience
After interviewing an immigrant about their voyage to the United States and first impressions of the country, young learners create a fictional series of journal entries and design an iMovie depicting their interviewee's story.
Curated OER
What are the Elements of Poetry
Students read the poem "Ode to Pablo's Tennis Shoes" and analyze the form, figurative language, and mood. They complete a T-chart containing what they have learned about Pablo and the evidence from the poem supporting their conclusions.
Curated OER
Here's an Instant Activity: Onomatopeia Word-Search
Eighth graders complete a worksheet on onomatopoeia. In this spelling lesson, 8th graders review the concept of onomatopoeia. The attached worksheet for students includes a word-search of thirty onomatopeic words. Although the lesson is...
Curated OER
Coping With War: Diversions in a Century of Global Conflict
Eleventh graders analyze photographs representing leisure and transition during a global conflict. Working in groups, 11th graders review pictures from a web exhibit. The group completes a graphic organizer analyzing the photograph for...
Curated OER
Holes
Students read and analyze the story elements of the novel "Holes" by Louis Sachar. They play a "Holes" matching game, complete a timeline of story events, complete a Cause-and-Effect graphic organizer, conduct research on Louis Sachar's...
Curated OER
Building Relationships in a High School Classroom
Students explore building new friendships during the first week of school. They participate in a variety of getting to know each other activities. Students work cooperatively and develop collegial relationships with their classmates.
Curated OER
Haiku - Poetry of the Samurai Warrior
Students research the Samurai and their Haiku Writings. Students use internet research to gather information about the ancient Japanese Samurai. The students then create individual Haiku writings, and a cultural day is designated when...
Curated OER
Why Do We Have Thanksgiving?
Students investigate the change in the Thanksgiving holiday over time. They research the Native Americans and Pilgrims to find out how their relationship affected the holiday. They create a PowerPoint presentation using digital cameras...
Curated OER
Seeing Art in Historical Context: An Activity to Promote Visual Literacy
Students consider works of art in their historical context. In this art in historical context lesson, students are encouraged to think about and record their prior knowledge of the historical period and to make inferences about the...