Curated OER
Underground Railroad/Quilts
Students explore the Underground Railroad communication system. In this cross curriculum fine arts and United States history Civil War lesson plan, students view several websites that feature quilts constructed by slaves during the...
Prestwick House
Understanding Language: Slant, Spin, and Bias in the News
We live in a time of fake news, alternative realities, and media bias. What could be more timely than an activity that asks class members to research how different sources report the same topic in the news?
Curated OER
Hear Ye, Hear Ye: Read All About It!
Develop an online newspaper covering the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The class publishes their newspaper on the school's Web site and analyze both primary and secondary sources.
Curated OER
Beginning Consonant Sounds
Young readers practice their beginning consonant sounds. Solid worksheets prompt students to practice their consonant in fun ways. These worksheets use Clifford the Big Red Dog as a theme, and give the kids excellent and colorful practice.
Historical Thinking Matters
Scopes Trial: 5 Day Lesson
Did Scopes violate the Butler Act? Why did so many Americans follow the Scopes trial? See analytical reading in action with a fantastic five-day lesson plan in which class members consider the historical context that provoked public...
Historical Thinking Matters
Rosa Parks: 5 Day Lesson
What led to the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and how might historians approach this question differently? This rich series of lessons includes a short introductory video clip, analysis of six primary source documents, and...
Curated OER
Habitats: Cactus Hotel
A reading of Brenda Z. Guiberson’s, Cactus Hotel, launches a study of animal habitats. Working with parent volunteers or teacher aides, groups travel outside the classroom to select a habitat, take digital pictures, and incorporate the...
BBC
Rights and Responsibilities - Part 2
Citizenship and basic human rights are the focus of the lesson presented here. In it, learners compile a basic list of human rights, then access a website in order to complete some activities that are based on rights and...
BBC
Conflict - Part Two
Middle schoolers engage in a discussion about bullying. They list the many forms bullying can take, and how much of a problem bullying is at their own school. Then, learners plan their own campaign to eliminate bullying at their school....
Curated OER
Star Reading
Learners of all ages discover the importance of reading fluently by viewing celebrities reading children books and telling about their personal paths to fluency. They participate in a fluency reading routine that connects them with a...
Curated OER
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Here is a good lesson on butterflies and caterpillars. After listening to The Very Hungry Caterpillar, young learners put cards that depict the life cycle of a butterfly in the correct order. There are some good ideas for center...
Curated OER
Comparison of Multicultural Literature
Students examine three different versions of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and complete a comparison activity. Their own version of the poem is created and illustrated in this lesson.
Curated OER
The Laundry News
In this reading worksheet, learners answer 10 multiple-choice questions about the book. For example, "What happened to the very first edition of the Laundry News?"
BBC
Floppy and The Puppies - Characteristics
Here is a wonderful online language arts activity for your emerging readers. Learners play an interactive game where they look at two characters who are engaging with each other. They must choose the word from a word bank that best...
Curated OER
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Read the story, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and complete activities from multiple subjects. Make a mural, create a class graph, discuss the life cycle of a butterfly, research information about butterflies on the Internet and make a...
Curated OER
And the Streets Are Paved With Gold
Students explore immigrant experience at Ellis Island, New York, at the turn of the century, and answer questions that challenge them to use thinking skills from various levels of Bloom's taxonomy.
Curated OER
Random Acts of Kindness For Kids
Develop a world-wide, email chain on which class members can showcase their acts of kindness. After defining the meaning of random acts of kindness through discussion and through a reading of Random Acts of Kindness,...
Curated OER
Happy 100th Birthday Airplane
Learners research the Wright Brothers and their plane. In this airplane history lesson, students use a hotlist of sites to research and create an airplane. A question is provided for each site.
BBC
Local Democracy
Middle and high schoolers explore how democracy works. After a teacher-led discussion, pupils go to websites embedded in the plan which lead them through activities that are all about the democratic process. The first website has them...
Curated OER
Inspector Readers: The 002 Book Club
This unit introduces book clubs/literature circles to lower elementary classes, but could be adapted to higher grades. It outlines the anticipatory activity that includes a WebQuest, a discussion to clarify questions about the unit,...
The New York Times
Sequencing the Stages: Understanding H.I.V. Infection at the Molecular Level
How does HIV operate at the molecular level? Pupils discover the progression from a healthy immune cell to one infected with HIV, watch an animation of the HIV life cycle, and finally identify each of the stages with illustrations on...
Curated OER
Conservation of Energy
Fifth graders examine their use of energy over a certain time period. They come up with a plan to reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprint. Groups of learners complete a chart with three columns; energy-using events, the form...
Curated OER
Drafting the Gettysburg Address
Young scholars, in groups, compare and contrast Abraham Lincoln's drafts and final version of the Gettysburg Address. They explain the differences between the final version and drafts of the Gettysburg Address.
PBS
Copyright and Fair Use
When is using someone else's copyrighted material appropriate? Learn about copyright and fair use with a lesson from PBS.org. Scholars read through a reference sheet about authors' rights and users' rights, and then create posters for a...