Curated OER
Fly, Fly Away
Students use materials from their own environment to design a kite. In this kite design lesson, students research the history of kites and obtain a formal mathematical definition of a kite. Students sketch kite designs after discovering...
Curated OER
Navy Sail Design
Learners use the Pythagorean Theorem to explore sailboat design. In this Pythagorean Theorem lesson, two sides of a triangular sail are measured, and the theorem is used to calculate the third side. A worksheet, bulletin board design,...
Curated OER
Roll It! Creating an Entrance Ramp
Students explore the concept of triangles. In this triangles lesson plan, students are to propose a plan for a ramp at their school. Students use the Pythagorean Theorem and trigonometry to determine the length, height, and angle of...
Curated OER
Wind Power: From Eyesore to Energy
Young scholars design their own wind turbine according to client's needs. In this science and technology lesson, students analyze the pros and cons of using wind power. They construct a model of their proposed wind turbine and present it...
Curated OER
The Search for Identity: "Their Eyes Were Watching God"
High schoolers read the novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God". While reading the novel, they identify and discuss the figurative language used and use a passage of interest to them and analyze it in a written paper. They also discuss...
Curated OER
Beowulf
Learners read selections from Beowulf and summarize the poetry selections in their own words. Students discuss the poem, then create a modern version of Beowulf by using their own words and their own poetic form.
Curated OER
Predict, Draw Conclusions
Learners discuss times they predict what will happen next. They compare this to using the information given in a piece of literature to predict what will happen next in the story. Students listen as the teacher reads an excerpt from The...
Curated OER
A Treasure at our Doorstep
Students write a descriptive essay about a historical landmark in their area, such as the Curtis Center in Philadelphia, PA. In this historical landmarks lesson, students use their senses to detail information about the chosen landmark,...
Curated OER
Archaeological Study
Students analyze the difference between archaeology and anthropology while studying the evolution of different products. In this archaeology and anthropology lesson, students trace the progression of a certain tool or product and come up...
Curated OER
Emergency Shelter Project: Empathy Unit
Pupils design emergency shelters. In this designing emergency shelters lesson, students discuss living conditions of people after a natural disaster. Pupils discuss the tsunami that struck East Asia. Students design collapsible...
Curated OER
Design a Latin American Restaurant
Students investigate the culture of a Latin American country to design a new restaurant. In this Latin American lesson, students identify social classes, geographical locations, cultural practices, and monetary systems of a Latin...
Curated OER
Exploring the Solar System
Students are introduced to the nine planets and countless moons of the solar system. Using the internet, they research one of the planets to determine if a manned mission to the planet would be possible. They share their information...
Curated OER
Connecting the Dots? Geometry and Architecture
High schoolers examine the connection between geometry and architecture. In this geometry and architecture instructional activity, students view a video which details a geometry class design project. High schoolers then use the Internet...
Curated OER
Writing Process
Students read Macbeth and work in groups to organize and create an outline for a persuasive essay. In this persuasive essay lesson, students work in tiered learning groups to organize their thoughts for a persuasive thesis about the...
Curated OER
Rain Forest Birds
Fifth graders look at the levels of the rain forest. In this rain forest lesson, 5th graders choose a rain forest animal and explain which of the four levels of the rain forest they think that animal lives in. They also complete a word...
Curated OER
Inquiring About the Titanic
Students observe pictures of the Titanic sailing and at the bottom of the ocean. They hypothesize the cause of the Titanic tragedy and engage in deeper questioning while one student writes responses on the board. They then work in groups...
Curated OER
"I am Not Well": Unspoken Endings and Unscripted Scenes
Students analyze Act 4, scene 1 from the play, Merchant of Venice. They hypothesize the content of an unscripted moment and response, look for evidence in the text to support their hypothesis, rewrite the scene, and perform it for the...
Curated OER
Model Lesson Plans
Ninth graders study how to identify and analyze the use of figurative language used in selected poems, short stories or other pieces of prose chosen by the teacher. These pieces of literature represent at least two pieces by one writer...
Curated OER
Kissing Coyotes
Fourth graders are read the book "Kissing Coyotes". During the story, they make predictions about what they believe might happen next. After the story, they create their own story using their imagination and draw illustrations.
Student Achievement Partners
Laura Hillenbrand's "Unbroken" and Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston's "Farewell to Manzanar"
Passages from Unbroken and Farewell to Manzanar provide the context for a study of the historical themes of experiencing war, resilience during war, and understanding the lasting trauma of war. Appendices include extension activities,...
Curated OER
Organizing One’s Thoughts
Students take a closer look at the organization of written pieces. For this writing skills lesson, students examine transitions, repetition, parallelism, and other organizational patterns in writing.
Cornell University
Fibers, Dyes, and the Environment
Nanofibers can be made through electrospinning or force spinning in order to reduce the negative impact on the environment. Pupils study the role of fibers and dye on the environment through a series of five hands-on activities. Then,...
Curated OER
Persuasion as Text: Organizational, Grammatical, and Lexical Moves in Barbara Jordan’s "All Together Now"
A thorough instructional activity on persuasive writing takes middle schoolers through several activities, including group discussion, collaborative posters, and independent writing. They compare historical speeches and analyze the...
Curated OER
Advertising in the Contemporary World: An Introduction to Persuasive Texts
Beginning a persuasive writing unit with your middle schoolers? Approach it through something that persuades us all: advertising! Through studying video and print advertisement, your class will practice Common Core skills for reading...