Curated OER
Bound For Oregon
Learners find 20 words that are new to them. They write the definition and drawing or symbol to help them remember the meaning of the word. Students use the context of the word from the book to help figure out the meaning of the word.
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Let the Phone Get Them Talking! Using the Yellow Pages as a Teaching Resource
Students categorize information in the Yellow Pages. In this Let the Phone Book Get Them Talking! lesson, students find pictures in the Yellow Pages and thus gain a better understanding of how the book is organized. Students locate local...
Curated OER
Curiouser and Curiouser!
Students imagine that they are casting directors for a student story-turned-movie, and assess considerations for making the book's characters as accurate, interesting, and fun as they are in the original piece.
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Flow of Information
Students examine how information follows a linear path. They identify types of sources they need to consult and where it falls in the information flow, simulate the role of historians, and generate a list of sources for a topic.
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Diversity Music
Young scholars explore different types of music. In this music diversity lesson, students are divided into groups to listen to an assigned type of music. Young scholars list characterisitcs of each type of music then assign a...
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Cell Types and Parts
Eighth graders, after creating a Venn Diagram comparing/contrasting animal and plant cells, writing ten similes describing cell types, or drawing a colored diagram of a cell, list cell types as well as describe and label cell parts. They...
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Exodus History Writ Large
Students view the video Exodus: History Writ Large. They review facts about Moses and his role in the story of Exodus. Students create a list of signifcant events in the life of Moses. They are explained that Moses and the story of...
National First Ladies' Library
Mining Disasters
Learners examine the risks and sacrifices miners have made in order for all of us to have the use of precious metals. They explore the "Miners Museum" website and read the article on uses of coal. They brainstorm a list of what would be...
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Fingerprinting
Students list and describe the three types of fingerprint patterns. They list and describe three layers of fingerprints that can be made. They explain why we leave fingerprints.
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Literary Wizardry
Students discuss what they already know about the Harry Potter series. After reading an article, they examine a critic's reaction to the latest book in the series. As a class, they brainstorm what parts of their school day could use...
National First Ladies' Library
Latin: The Language of Ancient Rome
Middle schoolers gain understanding about where some of today's words originated by reviewing a list of Latin words and their meanings. They work in small groups to create dictionary pages which will then be compiled into a large...
Curated OER
Catherine, Called Birdy: April and May
Students create an etiquette book for women of Medieval times. In this Catherine, Called Birdy instructional activity, students discuss the setting and work in small groups to list things expected of women in the 1200s. ...
Curated OER
Young Learner's Writing Workshop 2
Students choose a short story or book and a student takes on the role of one of the characters in the story. They complete an interview worksheet and then students question each other further about the character they are playing.
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Electric Blues
Students brainstorm a list of electrical devices used in their home. They read an article about electricity usage in a heat wave. In groups, they create public service announcements promoting energy conservation. They share their ideas...
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E-mail Abbreviations
Students identify an abbreviation or acronym for communication purposes. Students write various messages using each correctly. Students make a list of the most common abbreviation and acronyms used currently.
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Walking by the Wall: A Virtual Trip to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Students study about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. They express and share their thoughts and attitudes toward wars. They listen to a picture book about the Wall and read an introductory text about the Vietnam
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Vocabulary Bursting with Energy
Young scholars review key physics terms using a Visual Thesaurus. In this science lesson, student groups compete against each other to correctly identify "imposter" words from a list of related physics vocabulary terms.
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Stargirl
Students create a manual for sixth graders entering middle school. In this Stargirl lesson, students read the story and discuss middle and high school issues found in the book. Students create a list of topics students need to...
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Word Wizard
In this word wizard activity, students add to the beginning or end of fifteen groups of words listed to make a new word or common phrase.
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Helping Hands
Students discuss what they can do to help their community, then create posters for the school that list and provide details for 'Ten Things You Can Do To Help' in different social service areas.
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Martin Luther King Jr.: A Clothesline Timeline
Students use print and online resources to obtain information about the life of Martin Luther King Jr. They identify important events in King's life. They sequence lists of important events by date.
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Native American Glossary
Students develop a glossary of English language words with Native American origins. They discuss a list of words, look up the words in a dictionary, and compile the definitions in alphabetical order in a class glossary.
Curated OER
"The Soil Around Us" Project
Young scholars explore how to storyboard. They examine the tasks and roles involved in creating a multimedia presentation. They create a list of quality attributes for the presentation. Use the list to improve the style, accuracy and...
National First Ladies' Library
Writing (and Rewriting!) History
Middle schoolers differentiate between fiction and non-fiction, discuss historical fiction, which combines both genres, choose historical novel from list and read independently, and write original short stories that combine elements of...