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New $1 Coins Honor U.S. Presidents
Elementary schoolers examine money, then read a news article about new coins being produced by the U.S. Mint. The teacher introduces the article with samples of American money and a vocabulary activity, then students read the news piece...
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New Supreme Court Justice Sworn In
Students react to a series of statements about the Supreme Court, then read a news article about the confirmation of Chief Justice John Roberts. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and...
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Oprah Winfrey Opens New School in Africa
Students locate Africa and share their knowledge of the continent, then read a news article about Oprah Winfrey building a school in South Africa. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and...
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Postmark U.S.A.
Students identify and collect postmarks from across the United States. They develop a list of ways to collect postmarks, display the postmarks on a large U.S. map, and find the exact location using MapQuest.
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Real Ice Ages Longer Than Movie Ice Ages
If your class's knowledge of the Ice Age is limited to animated movies, use this lesson plan to strengthen their knowledge. After sharing what they know about the Ice Age, young readers explore a news article seeking to dispel...
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Return to the Moon
Students react to statements about space exploration, then read a news article about plans to resume manned flights to the moon. In this space science and current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and...
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Soda to be Absent from Schools
Should schools serve soda to students? Learners read an artlcle that argues against the sale of soda in schools and engage in a class discussion. They then complete a short assessment to check for comprehension and reflect on the...
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Trailers Become Schools After Hurricane Katrina
Students share their thoughts about natural disasters, then read a news article about how life at an elementary school was changed after Hurricane Katrina. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a...
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Traveling Cat Flown Home to Family
Students locate Wisconsin and Belgium on a world map, then read a news article about a cat that stowed away on ship from the U.S. to Europe. In this current events instructional activity, the teacher introduces the article with map and...
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Winter Olympic Torch Traveling Across Italy
Students react to statements about the 2006 Winter Olympics, then read a news article about the Olympic torch's journey through Italy. In this current events lesson plan (written prior to the 2006 Winter Olympics), the teacher introduces...
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Celebrate May Day this Spring
Welcome spring as you explore various traditions for celebrating May Day.
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Blueberries
The blueberry is the star of the show. Young farmers take a close look at the blueberry in order to begin to understand the production of small fruits. They describe the factors that affect a blueberry crop, how blueberries are grown,...
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Oral traditions: Facilitating education through verbal traditions
Bring oral traditions into the classroom to engage learning and facilitate best practices. From story telling to listening skills, this article provides reasons and rational behind oral traditions as a tool for education.
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Go Fish!
Students share a bowl of goldfish crackers. In this lesson on sharing, students see how a limited resource goes furthest when it is evenly shared. Students are allowed to take as many crackers as they would like, and then in contrast,...
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Lesson: Snake Handling
Are the studies of art and archeology connected? You bet they are! Young scholars research the ancient temples of Mexico by visiting an archaeology site. They describe the various temples they see, taking note of shapes, stairs, details,...
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The Bear Facts
Students explore various kinds of bears and gather information about them. In this research and habitats lesson, students chart their bear information on large posters with illustrations of their bears. Students map the locations where...
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Understanding the Stress of Being a Teacher
Be the absolute best that you can be for your pupils by learning how to control the stress in your life.
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Bringing Attention to Autism Awareness Month
A short description of Autism Awareness Month and a few fun activities to engage your autistic learners.
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Simulated Air Trip to Seoul, Korea
Students become acquainted with the geography and culture of Korea. In this Korean trip lesson, students view a video about Korea and read about the country. Students sample snacks and possibly learn a Korean phrase as they participate...
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Adapting the Game Concentration
I love classroom games, and this plan deftly describes how you can use the game Concentration across the curriculum to reinforce skills. I wish I would have thought of this when I was teaching this age level. These kinds of games are...
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Lesson: Emphasis on Exaggeration
His ears, head, and designs are all an exaggerated form of art. Learners examine a South American sculpture in terms of how exaggeration was used to convey meaning. They then work through the design process as they create similarly...
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Grow a Musical Instrument
Music, culture, social studies, and plant growth all in one! Kids explore the various type of traditional African instruments that are made out of gourds. They then grow their own gourds and use them to create a wide variety of African...
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Lesson: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Attention to Detail
After a quick warm up activity, learners get ready to use their keen observation skills to examine an ornate Japanese pencil box. They discuss the artistry, skills, and story of the box, paying close attention to details. They then...
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Lesson Plan: Making History to Go
Learners use their higher-order thinking skills to understand how visual images have been used to tell stories. They analyze a Lakota tipi that tells a story through paint and artistry. They then make miniature tipis using butcher paper...