Curated OER
The Last Word: Using Critical Thinking and Analysis to Reach a Decision
Want to explore the process of writing a persuasive essay and tie it in with the upcoming elections? Class members use Venn diagrams and the hamburger model of persuasive writing to write a five-paragraph essay on elections and...
Population Connection
Where Do We Grow from Here?
Did you know that the population is expected to grow to 11 billion by 2100? The resource serves final installment in a six-part series on the global population and its effects. Scholars interpret data from the United Nations about the...
Curated OER
Voice of History
Way before the digital age radio was the medium of popular culture. After listening to excerpts from radio programs (easily available on the Internet), participants return to the radio age by creating a two-minute sketch based on a...
Curated OER
Reliving History through Slave Narratives
Helpful for an American literature or history unit, this lesson prompts middle schoolers to examine slavery in the United States. They read slave narratives that were part of the Federal Writers' Project and then conduct their own...
Curated OER
"Study Finds Soft Drink Consumption Up, Health Down"
Students compare the nutrients in soda with those in milk after reading an online article. They identify micronutrients that are important in the teen years and those that help stave off disease.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Soviet Espionage in America
The war against Communism and Joseph McCarthy’s place in it are the focus of a series of three lessons examining postwar America from 1945-1950. This first lesson asks groups to read an introduction that describes the Verona Project and...
Curated OER
Driving Safety and Distractions
Students perform research about the problem of distractions caused by technology. The importance of the problem is formulated after the research is done. Students write an article based upon answering the problem.
Curated OER
Media Literacy Lesson Plans
Students familiarize themselves with the definition of media literacy and why it is important. In this media literacy lesson plan, students examine the front pages of three different types of newspapers. Students discuss the lead stories...
Curated OER
Writing and Sharing Community Stories
Learners use interviewing skills to explore and express the culture of their community. In this literacy/writing lesson, students interview a community member as a basis for a biographical writing project. Each class member contributes a...
Curated OER
For Better Or For Worse
Students explore personal and public responsibility in dealing with social inequality. They conduct research and participate in a discussion about the effect of Hurricane Katrina in regard to racial and economic equality in the United...
Curated OER
Controlling Substances
Students consider their own understanding of household safety, examine the latest remedy deemed poisonous by physicians, and research the hazards of household products. They create public service announcements regarding potential hazards.
Curated OER
Comparing Cultural Holidays
Students discover facts about the Mexican holiday, Day of the Dead. In this compare and contrast lesson, students explore Halloween and the Day of the Dead. Students create an alter to memorialize a family member or friend that has...
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...
Curated OER
Digital Parts of Speech
Students investigate different parts of speech by creating digital skits. In this digital education instructional activity, students collaborate in groups to research the Internet for clips and music that represent the different parts of...
Curated OER
The Flat Earth
Students use scientific explanations to discuss the shape of the Earth. In this research based lesson, students will explore various concepts about how scientist use evidence to determine if the Earth is flat or round. Students will hold...
Curated OER
Dissection Time
Students take a closer look at the organization of magazines. In this journalism lesson plan, students complete handouts about the jobs and responsibilities in the magazine industry. Students then learn about the steps of publishing and...
Curated OER
Characterization in Literature
Students discover characterization techniques and methods. In this characterization lesson, students choose favorite fiction characters and discuss what makes a character come alive. Students then describe a family member or a friend and...
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Monsters
Learners explore the idea of 'monsters' in society. In this character lesson, students define what a monster is, what purpose they serve and why they are necessary. They will go on the read Beowulf and Grendel and design their own...
Curated OER
Exploring A Streetcar Named Desire
Students investigate the dramatic elements of a Streetcar Named Desire. In this drama lesson, students explore the theme of the Tennessee Williams play as they read the play and watch performances of some of the acts. Students then write...
Curated OER
Eugene O'Neill on Page and Stage
Students investigate the life and works of Eugene O'Neill. In this American theater lesson plan, students read biographical information about O'Neill and review Long Day's Journey into Night. Students then analyze the play in order to...
Curated OER
Safety Catch
Students consider their own beliefs about gun control after examining the effects of and speculations about a decade-long ban on semiautomatic assault weapons.
Curated OER
Twain: Icon and Iconoclast
Students examine work by Mark Twain in the context of pre- and post-Civil War America. In this cross curricular lesson, students gather biographical information about Twain, use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast him with Lincoln and...