Curated OER
Safe In the City
Students read a report about the most dangerous cities in America. Using the internet, they research their own community in regards to how safe it is. They interview local law enforcement and determine the degree of local danger. They...
Curated OER
A City Council Meeting
Here is an interesting plan for introducing your pupils to the workings of the local city council. The teacher must go videotape a city council meeting in it's entirety. Learners watch the tape, and discuss what they observed from the...
Virginia Department of Education
Developing a Research Strategy - Define Your Topic
Your budding scholars spent the day in the library looking for a topic for their research essay, and now they are all in tears because there is too much information available on their topics. Wipe those tears away with the ideas and...
Curated OER
Poem in Your Pocket Day: Ideas for Celebrating
First instituted in New York City in 2002 and recognized nationwide in 2009, "Poem in Your Pocket Day" is part of National Poetry Month (April) and celebrates poetry in everyday life. A brief news story includes 9 ideas about how to...
Curated OER
Our Town
Learners read and discuss an online article as they consider what makes a center of activity in a city or town. They produce a documentary film of the hub of activity in their school.
Curated OER
Thesis Statements
At 32 slides, one would think this presentation on thesis statements is a bit too long, but it is the most important component of a well-written essay! Help your developing writers craft concise, interesting theses with this PowerPoint....
Curated OER
Oral History: Park City Museum
Bring U.S. history to your language arts class with this lesson. Middle schoolers complete an interview for an oral history project, and discuss the importance of oral histories - and how they embellish written accounts. They write...
Curated OER
Commemorating a Tragedy
Learners read newspaper articles and watch segments on the anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. In groups, they discuss how each media outlet presented the material and decide which one was more productive. As a class, they discuss...
Curated OER
Improve the Lives of the Homeless in New Orleans
Students develop a business plan to address the issue of homelessness. In this "Homeless in New Orleans" activity, students learn how to develop a business plan, interview homeless people, brainstorm ideas and present their final plan to...
Curated OER
"Golden" Years?
The Golden Years? Upper graders may think retirement is a long way off, but in life everything is just around the corner. They consider what it means to retire and the current trend of parents working for their Students. They research...
Curated OER
Denial on Trial
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...
Curated OER
E-mailing the Chamber of Commerce
Encourage effective internet research and e-mail correspondence as scholars investigate a US capital city they've never visited to find pertinent and relevant information. They begin by picking a city, then visit that city's chamber of...
Curated OER
Costco and Zoning
Students research zoning laws in the community. They interview city planners to find out necessary steps for approval. Students collect information about facilities being proposed. They write an article on their findings.
Curated OER
Targeting Young Speeders
Students research the police ticketing of teens in their city or county. They determine if the police are targeting teens and why. Students explore other ways the community tries to ensure safer teen drivers. They survey teens in school....
Curated OER
Minority Graduation Rates: A 50-50 Chance
Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate and synthesize data from a variety of sources. In this lesson the issue is minority graduation rates.
Curated OER
No Place Like Home?
Young scholars investigate the impact of the physical environment on an endangered species. They create a plan for the ideal care of the species and develop an advertisement to promote awareness about the need for its protection.
Curated OER
Stately Statements
Learners closely read President Bush's State of the Union address, then develop interviews and write articles to assess a variety of points of view about The proposals offered in the speech.
Curated OER
Eating Over the Rainbow
Young scholars examine their own diets, and then redesign the USDA's Food Pyramid to reflect nutrition experts' latest advice. They read and discuss The Color of Nutrition: Fruits and Vegetables, which is an article imbedded in this plan.
Curated OER
What Was the Cold War About?
Young scholars explore a website to gather some first impressions of the Cold War era and its impact on Canadian society and politics. They, in groups, answer questions about the Cold War on a worksheet imbedded in this plan.
Curated OER
The Learning Network: Reactions to Rating Teachers
Meant to be used in connection with the article "In Teacher Ratings, Good Test Scores Are Sometimes Not Good Enough" also available on The New York Times website, this resource provides 12 short-answer writing prompts that ask both basic...
Curated OER
Las Vegas: We Are Just Like You
Students practice making multimedia documentary films by investigating cities of America. In this U.S. geography lesson plan, students examine Las Vegas and compare the state of Nevada to 15 other states and discuss their main...
Curated OER
The Sorcerers Shown
Students consider the different genres of literary and movie characters. For this character types lesson, students brainstorm character genres from books and movies. Students read the article 'Which Wizard Beats 'Em All?' and develop...
Curated OER
The Eighty Yard Run
Students read and explore the themes of the book The Eighty Yard Run. In this literature lesson, students discuss their observations and predictions. Students develop their own story which is similar to that of The Eighty Yard Run.
Curated OER
Pacific Northwest History - Natural Resources, Ports and Railroads
Pupils explain the importance of extractive resources on the development of the Pacific Northwest. They explain how the timber industry, fishing, mining and agriculture industries shaped the growth of the Pacific Northwest.