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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Whose Rite Is It?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
The class explores and debates, from multiple perspectives, a petition to allow Hopi Indians to take golden eagle hatchlings from a federal wildlife sanctuary for use in a religious ceremony. Pupils defend their personal views on the...
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Lesson Plan
4
4
Dream of a Nation

Writing an Analytic Essay

For Teachers 9th Standards
After researching an issue introduced in Tyson Miller's Dream of a Nation: Inspiring Ideas for a Better America, writers develop an original thesis statement and craft an analytic essay using evidence collected in their research.
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Lesson Plan
4
4
National Endowment for the Humanities

Scottsboro Boys and "To Kill a Mockingbird": Two Trials for the Common Core

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Here's a must-have resource for anyone reading To Kill A Mockingbird or using Harper Lee's award-winning novel in a classroom. The packet contains Miss Hollace Ransdall's first-hand, factual account of the trials of the Scottsboro Boys,...
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Activity
Constitutional Rights Foundation

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates — Springboard to the White House

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates saw two primary political candidates debating seven different times about one of the most important social movements in United States history. Middle and high schoolers read an article that describes the...
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Writing
Clever Student Training Company

Logical Fallacies Recognition

For Students 9th - 12th
“Should same-sex marriage be allowed?” As part of a study of recognizing logical fallacies learners read John Stemberger’s April 12, 2012 argument against same-sex marriage published on the opinion page of the Orlando Sentinel. They then...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Novelinks

Man's Search for Meaning: Anticipation Guide Instructions

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
To prepare readers for the major concepts in Victor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning, an account of his life in Auschwitz, class members respond to a series of statements on an anticipation guide.
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Lesson Plan
6
6
For the Teachers

Fact vs. Opinion

For Teachers 1st - 12th Standards
Many informational texts are written as factual, but can your learners determine when an opinion is presented as fact? Have your kids read several articles on the same topic and record the statements that contain either facts or...
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Unit Plan
Northern Lights Special Education Cooperative

Lessons from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
As part of a study of  Sean Covey, the author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens learners write autobiographical e-mails, hold discussions, create a collage, and compose a personal mission statement. Pupils then have a chance to...
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Lesson Plan
Read Write Think

Book Report Alternative: Rewind the Plot!

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
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...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
K20 LEARN

Trigger Warnings - Intellectual Rights and Responsibilities: Banned Books, Censorship Part 1

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
"Warning: Conducting this lesson may be harmful." Such statements, called "Trigger Warnings," are the focus of a two-part lesson that looks at censorship, especially the pros and cons of trigger warnings. Class members read two articles,...
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Organizer
Polk Bros Foundation

I Can Classify Facts and Opinions

For Teachers 6th - 10th Standards
Telling fact from opinion can be tricky. Direct your class to practice their reading and comprehension skills by taking notes on the facts and opinions in a text. Pupils fill out a two-column chart and write down how they know a...
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Activity
Constitutional Rights Foundation

How the First State Constitutions Helped Build the U.S. Constitution

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Did you know that the United States Constitution was adopted after many state constitutions were already in place? Young scholars examine facts about the influence of states through an informative and interesting resource. Groups then...
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Lesson Plan
Prestwick House

Rhetorical Devices in Political Speeches

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Have you ever watched a political speech and felt your heart beat a little faster, and your opinion either solidify or begin to slightly change? Rhetorical devices can be a strong tool in an effective and powerful speech. A short lesson...
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Lesson Plan
Prestwick House

Understanding Language: Slant, Spin, and Bias in the News

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
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?
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Organizer
Polk Bros Foundation

A Way to Analyze Paragraphs to Figure Out the Main Idea of a Nonfiction Text

For Teachers 5th - 10th Standards
Shrink up a section by asking pupils to write down the main idea for each of seven paragraphs. There is a space provided for each main idea. When students have completed this portion, they write down what they think to be the central...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pay to Play?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Lead your class in a discussion about how they believe money influences politics. After reading "Go Ahead, Try to Stop K Street" from the New York Times, they evaluate the claims in the article about the current lobbyist scandal in...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Has Brown Done for You?

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Learners review the facts of the court case Brown v. Board of Education. Next, they research recent court cases that uphold contrasting views on the landmark decision. They write opinions about these recent court cases from a 1954...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Family Life

For Teachers 6th - 12th
What is family? Challenge your scholars to write an encompassing definition of what this word means to them. After reading "It May Be a Family Matter, But Just Try to Define Family," class members discuss the emotional issues surrounding...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Denial on Trial

For Teachers 6th - 12th
What is the "Faurisson Affair”? What is “Holocaust Revisionism”? What does freedom of speech entail? Do revisionists have a right to voice their ideas? Such questions are at the heart of a richly detailed, thought provoking lesson...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Laughing Matters

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Is laughter really the best medicine? Middle and high schoolers discuss the truth behind this adage by reading and discussing a New York Times article about Dr. Patch Adams. They participate in a round-table debate in response to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Edward R. Murrow: This Reporter

For Teachers 9th - 12th
What would Edward R. Murrow think of today’s news broadcasts? Learners examine the work of the first public television newscaster and his commitment to researched, accurate reporting. The eight-day study concludes with investigators...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

The Goals of the March on Washington

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Who else had a dream other than Martin Luther King, Jr.? Pupils explore civil rights leaders in a fourth lesson out of a series of five about people who paved the way to freedom for African Americans. The inquiry-based unit has your...
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Lesson Plan
The New York Times

Dark Materials: Reflecting on Dystopian Themes in Young Adult Literature

For Teachers 7th - 12th
The Hunger Games. Maximum Ride. Why is so much of young adult literature so dark? What is the appeal of dystopian literature to young readers? The six activities in this resource ask kids to reflect on some of the reasons this genre has...
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Worksheet
Clever Student Training Company

Eliminating Weak Essay Material

For Students 9th - 12th
A strong essay eliminates weak or unnecessary material. Determining what information contributes to an essay and what information should be deleted is a skill readers and writers of informational text must develop. Class members practice...

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