Poetry Out Loud
Creating "Golden Shovel" Poems
Get even your most reluctant pupils reading, writing, reciting, and maybe even enjoying poetry! A four day lesson, young writers learn about Golden Shovel poems: a poem format that uses borrowed words from other poems as the last words...
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Writing: Wall of Peace Bulletin Board
Students discuss holidays dealing with patriotic national holidays or remembrances. After choosing a teacher-provided prompt. they write responses to it. They write their paragraphs on paper shaped like bricks and pin them to a "wall...
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Thinking About Our Troops
Students examine various ways to support America's military troops. They conduct Internet research, and compose and send online letters to troops overseas through the "Operation Dear Abby" program.
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Maya Lin - Artist, Architect, Environmentalist
Sixth graders explore the life of Maya Lin and analyze the impact of her architectural philosophy on her work. They trace the history of the Vietnam Memorial from its conception by Maya Lin, to the present day. A time line is created of...
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Shamrock Man
Students create "Shamrock Men" using construction paper, pre-cut patterns, glue, and scissors in this lesson that celebrates St. Patrick's Day. The lesson was originally create for a Special Education class but could be adapted for...
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Singin' Around the Year
Students explore performing arts by singing with their class. In this music appreciation lesson, students collaborate in groups to read and sing songs based on specific holidays such as the Fourth of July or Christmas. Students define...
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Heart to Heart Interviews
Students interview veterans at a local homeless shelter. They publish their interviews in a class newspaper. They also present their information in different forums.
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Korean And Vietnam Conflicts: Similarities And Differences
Eighth graders study the historical significance of the Korean and Vietnam Wars in this unit of study. They investigate the different ideologies that were involved and examine the effect of the wars on local veterans.
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Shamrock Puppy
Students create small "Shamrock Puppies" using colored construction paper, crayons, and glue in this pre-Kindergarten lesson celebrating St. Patrick's Day. The lesson includes a resource link where printable patterns can be found.
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"I Believe..." Podcast Style
Use this communication skills instructional activity to emphasize evaluating a speaker's main point and argument. After reading Martin Luther King's, "I Have a Dream Speech" and John F. Kennedy's speech, "I Believe in an America Where...
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Pen Pal Letters to Soldiers Overseas
Students write letters to soldiers overseas with correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization. They learn three facts about the geography of the area where the pen pal is located and about the pen pal.
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Days of '49: "I've Been Toiling Hard for the Last Two And a Half Years"
Students trace the stages of gold mining in California. They discuss the life of a gold miner and how the discovery of gold influenced towns and cities in California during the 1949 Gold Rush.
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Survivor In The Classroom
Students engage in a lesson which adapts the idea behind Survivor to an outside-of-class project. How many students would survive? students take responsibility for meeting deadlines while strengthening their writing and communication...
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A Salute to American Symbols
Students explore American symbols. In this reading and social studies lesson plan, students read literature regarding American symbols and describe the significance of the symbols as they research them in groups.
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Sculpture of the Twentieth Century
Eighth graders examine various 20th century artists and their sculptures. They view and analyze slides, compare/contrast the artists' styles, and create an original sculpture.
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Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (Kansas) (Grades K-3)
Learners examine the Brown v. Board of Education case in Topeka, Kansas. They re-enact the courtroom and discuss how school would be different today if this case never existed. They discuss how public education has been affected by this...
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Red, White, and Blue Holidays Timeline
Fifth graders create a time line listing six national holidays in chronological order of occurrence. In this historical events lesson, 5th graders research holidays and write a paragraph summarizing each one. They then place each holiday...
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Memorials and Meaning
Students explore the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson, students collaborate to research the war. They examine Matthew Brady photographs that inspire them to create a memorial to honor those who served in the Civil War.
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Six Billion and Beyond
Students consider the idea of a world with Six Billion people and subsequent results and ramifications. Then students will gather data regarding the state of these diverse nations and then create a presentation as a culminating activity.
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Fear, Civil Rights and Personal Freedoms
Students write and perform a one-act play. They present constitutional, personal and cultural issues of the internment camps of the 1940's. They research and present a historical examine internernment camps.
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What Firemen Read
Students work in groups of three to five to conduct interview on members of the community. Once groups are formed, they draw an occupation from a hat and find a professional to interview from that occupation in their community. They...
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Environmental Destruction in Vietnam
Young scholars watch video clip on Environmental Destruction of Vietnam, select and discuss passages from essay, Resuscitation of the Dead Earth, that emphasize destruction to the land, and write essay on whether United States should...
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Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King, Jr.
Primary learners will embrace diversity and celebrate multiculturalism through these engaging activities. Which include reading the story Martin Luther King and singing the song "A Man Named King." They will also explore the concept of...
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Follow Your Dreams: Career Goals
It is so important for impending high school graduates to start thinking about their potential careers. Here, they discuss the persistence of Blondie Hasler and his impressive transatlantic trip. They follow various routes on a map and...