Curated OER
Poetry Interpretation and Figurative Language
Fifth graders discover how figurative language is used in poetry. They read selected poems and identify the figurative language with handouts and worksheets included in the lesson. They write poems of their own using figurative language.
Curated OER
The Early American Temperance/Anti-tobacco Movement
Tenth graders consider movements to regulate alcohol and tobacco use. In this Temperance Movements lesson, 10th graders compare and contrast movements in the 1800's and the modern era as they research selected primary and secondary...
Curated OER
From Whose Perspective?
Students critically analyze news coverage of Palestinian-Israeli violence by comparing information from a variety of news sources. They compose expository essays reflecting on how to obtain accurate, unbiased, and credible information.
Curated OER
History: I'm Watching You 24/7
Students examine the growth of authoritarian societies. Focusing on North Korea, they watch video clips looking for examples of totalitarianism and identify the problems there. They write letters to the editors of local newspapers...
Curated OER
Pirates: Fact or Fiction?
Students gain an understanding of what pirates are and to prove they really did and do exist. They discuss the different myths the students have about pirates as compared to what the documentary discusses.
Curated OER
Recap and Activities (Reveloutionary War Era)
Eighth graders discuss the importance of the Second Continental Congress. They compare and contrast present-day athletic mascots and their roots in the Revolutionary War. After discussing Loyalists and Patriots, 8th graders write...
Curated OER
Approaching Walden
Eleventh graders examine their natural surroundings as a way to begin thinking about an abstract idea. They analyze and compare or contrast the rhetorical stategies of two essayists. Students interpret and evaluate images culled from...
Curated OER
Window Into Another Culture
Learners read "A Single Lucid Moment" as a class. In groups, they identify the aspects of the United States that might allow for homelessness to happen and compare it with the culture of New Guinea. They write a journal entry about how...
Curated OER
Many Happy Returns
Students compare the journey of Lewis and Clark with the space flight of Apollo 11. Students sequence events using a timeline. Students write a persuasive essay trying to persuade the people of the US to support space exploration.
Curated OER
Underground Rails: The New York City Subway System
Pupils explore the New York Subway system. They investigate its usefulness as mode of transportation for the people in the city and study its history compared to other city subway systems. They examine how the subway connects the various...
Curated OER
Rock Art Around the World
Students analyze rock art. In this rock art instructional activity, students research cultures that created rock art, analyze their art pieces, and compose essays regarding their findings.
Curated OER
Exploring Cultural Rituals
Learners analyze images and music of common rituals in America with those of other countries. They use worksheets to compare and contrast the events.
Curated OER
The Other Side of Paradise
Eleventh graders explore the life and writing of F. Scott Fitzgerald. They examine the youth culture of the 1920's and compare it to their own. They practice using some of the biographer's or archivist's tools for studying a person.
Curated OER
Ambitious Women Artists At Work
Students investigate the lives of two famous female European artists. For this historical arts lesson, they examine the artwork of Luisa Roldan and Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun. Students define and discuss the meaning of the words...
Curated OER
The World of Constitutions: Better Understanding the U.S. Constitution
Students examine the purpose of constitutions. In this government systems instructional activity, students analyze the sections of the U.S. Constitution. Students then compare the U.S. Constitution to the constitutions of other...
Curated OER
Family History
Eighth graders examine immigration patterns. In this family history lesson, 8th graders investigate their own family histories and then compare and contrast immigration patterns of their class to national immigration patterns between...
Curated OER
The Fight for Human Rights
Students explore the concept of human rights by developing and defending their own 'Bills of Human Rights' and by writing a reflective essay that compares their notions of human rights and the protection of them.
Curated OER
"Retale" Value: Exploring Plot Similarities in Fiction and Nonfiction Stories
Students explore seven basic story lines and apply these story lines to news articles in the New York Times. They write reports comparing the plot of a news article to novels, plays and movies with which they are familiar.
Curated OER
Golden Ages: Gupta Empire, Ancient Greece, and Ancient Rome
Students investigate the Golden Ages. In this world history lesson plan, students compare and contrast the achievements of the Gupta Empire, ancient Greece, and ancient Rome using an interactive T-chart.
Curated OER
Our Eye in the Sky: The TIROS Weather Satellite
Young scholars investigate the political context of the creation of a weather satellite. In this technology and society instructional activity, students explore the historical, technological, and political context of the TIROS weather...
Curated OER
Fiction vs. Nonfiction
Learners explore fiction and nonfiction writing. They identify the elements of fiction in a short story and identify the criteria necessary in a nonfiction piece. Students distinguish the author's purpose in an expository text,...
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
All About Me
Pupils examine their own personality traits and preferences. They use this information to write an autobiography.
Curated OER
Fictional Hereos
Students are introduced to the definition of a hero. As a class, they compare and contrast the difference between non-fictional and fictional hereos they have read about. They read a story, create a story map of one of the heroes and...