PBS
An Attack on Syria- What Would You Do?
Has United States military intervention in the conflicts of other countries always been warranted? After reviewing a brief background on contemporary US conflicts and reading articles describing the civil war in Syria, your learners...
Edgate
Journal Maps
Inspire your class to look at their environments as if they were seeing them for the first time in order to gain a better understanding of the concept of perspective. After exploring their communities and keeping a journal of major...
Smarter Balanced
American West in the 1800s
To establish a context for an assessment or a study of pioneers and the American frontier in the 1800s, groups examine photos and record observations about clothing, housing, and travel.
Curated OER
A High-Interest Novel Helps Struggling Readers Confront Bullying in Schools
Bully, bullied, or bystander? Paul Langan's The Bully is the anchor text in a unit that examines bullying and violence. After a close reading of the text, readers imagine themselves as the characters and consider how they would react in...
Curated OER
Understanding "The Stans"
Students explore and locate "The Stans" in Central Asia to create, write and illustrate maps, graphs and charts to organize geographic information. They analyze the historical and physical characteristics of Central Asia via graphic...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Ending the War, 1783
The various peace proposals, made by both sides, to end the Revolutionary War come under scrutiny in this final instructional activity of a three-part series on the war. Class members read primary source documents and compare them with...
K20 LEARN
Let Us Start The Lettuce Club (Or Not): Writing A Thesis Statement
Let us be frank! Writers learn that crafting a thesis statement is not that difficult if one peals back the layers. After watching several videos about the elements of a thesis, class members read the article "Lettuce Club helps students...
Curated OER
All Quiet on the Western Front
Young scholars use unitedstreaming and Google Earth to investigate World War II and All Quiet on the Western Front. In this novel and technology lesson, students view a video about the novel using unitedstreaming video, visit the given...
Curated OER
Synthesis of Information
Locating and synthesizing information is an essential part of the research process but can be overwhelming for many young writers. Eliminate some of the stress and confusion, this resource suggests, by separating these steps. To focus...
University of Pennsylvania
Decoding Propaganda: J’Accuse…! vs. J’Accuse…!
Reading snail mail is a great way to go back into history and to understand others' points of view. The resource, the second in a five-part unit, covers the Dreyfus Affair. Scholars, working in two different groups, read one letter and...
Curated OER
Introduction to Age of Absolutism
Who were the absolute monarchs of Europe and what effect did they have on their countries? Young historians begin by naming qualities they believe are important for a monarch to possess. They then take notes on four key factors leading...
The New York Times
Making Do: Learning and Growing Through Adversity
What is it that makes people keep going when they face challenges in life? Ask your class to consider this question in relation to their own experiences and as they read material from The New York Times. Using personal experiences and...
Speak Truth to Power
Marina Pisklakova: Domestic Violence
After reading Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and discussing background material about domestic violence, class members create a map showing where in their community survivors of domestic violence can get help and...
Curated OER
Out On A Limb In The Pacific Rim?
Students act as cultural attachés to investigate and present briefings on the post-1945 histories and United States diplomatic relationships with East Asian countries. They articulate their foreign policy findings.
Read Write Think
Book Report Alternative: Rewind the Plot!
Have you ever looked for a new way to teach an old concept? Scholars thinking about the rising action of a story in a whole new perspective. However, Book Report Alternative: Rewind the Plot! challenges readers and allows for much...
Curated OER
A Research Project and Article For the Natural Inquirer
Get your class to use the scientific process to solve a scientific problem. They utilize the Natural Inquirer magazine to identify a research question which they write an introduction to and collect data to answer. They use graphs,...
Curated OER
Isolines on a Weather Map
Ninth graders explore weather by analyzing maps. For this temperature lesson, 9th graders view black and white weather maps of locations in which the weather changes often. Students identify the isolines used on the maps and utilize the...
Curated OER
Drawing a "Life Map"
Students create an autobiography. In this writing lesson, students use a life map as a graphic organizer to develop their autobiography.
Arts Midwest
The Joy Luck Club: Culture and History
Explore San Francisco's Chinatown in a lesson about the first few chapters of The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. Kids research Chinatown on the Internet and create a virtual tour of the neighborhood, including the foods, cultural events, and...
University of Pennsylvania
Mock Trial of Alfred Dreyfus
What if scholars based mock trials on history? The fourth installment of a five-part series on the Dreyfus Affair asks learners to read various pieces of evidence before conducting a mock trial for a French officer. Teams answer...
iCivics
Drafting Board: Kids and Credit
Should kids under the age of 18 be given access to credit cards? Learners identify pros and cons of using credit, develop claims based on evidence, and finally argue reasons for or against credit for minors.
Curated OER
On-Line Homework Help: An Ethical Dilemma
High schoolers use a visual thesaurus and Vocabgrabber to interpret a news article. In this vocabulary building and comprehension lesson, students analyze quotes from the article. High schoolers use the visual thesaurus and Vocabgrabber...
Edgate
Discovering New Resources
What is a natural resource, and what resources did the Lewis and Clark expedition seek? After reading an article on the mapping of the west, learners get into small groups to discuss the important natural resources of the period. They...
Curated OER
Tasty Topics
Students analyze a graphic from an article and predict what the article might be about. After reading an article, they discover a journalist's experience of traveling across the United States to compare fast food restaurants. They...