ProCon
Minimum Wage
The first ever minimum wage in America was set at 25 cents per hour in 1938 and has been steadily, if slowly, increasing ever since. Using the provided website, pupils decide if the United States should further increase the federal...
Curated OER
Cameras and Careers
Applying photography basics they learn for this project, first graders take pictures of an adult at work focusing on the tools used, the work site, and job responsibilities. After making a career book that includes photos and...
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Wiki Comment: The News and You
Kids explore the world of news media by creating a wiki page. They will create a wiki page on the Internet in order to comment on and question the stories that take place in the world. They will practice creative writing by summarizing...
ProCon
Drinking Age
Eighteen is the age of adulthood in the United States, but 21 is the legal drinking age. Pupils use the provided website to determine whether the age to legally purchase and consume alcohol should be lowered. They weigh the pros and...
Curated OER
Research Project
Eighth graders research a project of their choice in relation to a career they may want. In this language arts lesson, 8th graders create a bibliography of references used both print and online sources. Students make an outline of their...
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Johnny Appleseed or John Chapman: Which Character is Your Favorite?
Students study the life of John Chapman and compare it with the fictional character, Johnny Appleseed. Students listen to books about Johnny Appleseed, and watch a video and PowerPoint if available. They make a KWL chart, make an online...
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Over-the-Counter Culture
Young scholars explore the changing consumer habits of Americans of various socioeconomic classes. They examine the exact costs of products, services and interest rates mentioned in the article and reflect on their own spending habits...
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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...
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How green is your school?
Young scholars read about Sidwell Friends School and the Green School concept and develop coverage for their student media. They employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to...
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Imus: How much free speech is too much?
Students explore current interpretation of the First Amendment, including that of commercial speech. Next read background about Don Imus and his comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team.
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Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers
Learn about the events that helped shape the United States of America. Elementary schoolers explore the Civil War with six different activities. Each activity has a different focus: literature connections, primary sources, vocabulary,...
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Comprehending Through Questioning
Elementary schoolers observe and apply a variety of reading comprehension strategies. They silently read a passage out of their science textbook, and discuss answering the who, what, where, when, and how of the text. In small groups they...
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Debt
Fourth graders read a book about debt, credit, and interest rates and write a story about these topics. In this debt and credit lesson, 4th graders read the book Four Dollars and Fifty Cents, define the terms "debt" and "credit," and...
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Animation Pre-Production
Does your class love reading cartoons? Use their talents and interests to examine the process of writing a story they wish to tell through a cartoon. They develop the beginning, middle, and end of a story based on their original...
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From Photo to Printed Word: Getting Second-Graders to Write
Use photographs to entice your children to write! In this digital storytelling lesson, students study the functions of digital cameras. They review their sentence-writing skills, then take digital photos and write sentences that describe...
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Teen Drivers with Passengers
Students research the current driving laws, particularly as they apply to teens. Students interview state legislators perhaps to see if they think this is a good idea. Students write an in-depth article about teen driving and the effect...
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Write a Story
Elementary writers will create short stories with their classmates' help, publishing the books using computer programs. The first learner writes a sentence to start the story, and each classmate adds a sentence to the story. The original...
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Show And Tell Speeches
Fourth graders choose a category to speak about for about two to three minutes. They deliver a show and tell presentation in front of the class. They complete a rubric on classmates for their accurateness of their presentation. They...
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Let Me Convince You
Students examine the elements of a persuasive speech and brainstorm topics related to school that they think should be changed. They compose and deliver a three to five minute persuasive speech to their classmates using the key...
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Book: Latino Economics in the United States: Job Diversity
Learners, after reading Chapter 1 in the book, "Latino Economics in the United States: Job Diversity," write an essay that compares the cultural as well as the historical factors (experiences with jobs, discrimination, education, etc.)...
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Animal Research Paragraph
Students investigate animals. In this animal research lesson plan, students choose an animal to research online and record facts from at least 3 types of resources. Students complete a webbing tool, write a paragraph, and use MS word or...
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The Raid on Raters
Young scholars read and discuss the article "Hollywood Rethinks its Rating Process." They discuss their views on the rating system. Students work in small groups to role play a "headhunting" company to find applicants for a new and...
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Who Am I?
Pupils complete an acrostic poem and use digital photo activities for the poem. For this acrostic poem and technology lesson, students use Word Art and digital cameras to create a technology integrated acrostic poem.
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Dazzling Digital Poem Project
Eighth graders create a digital poem using PowerPoint, Audacity.com, and www.freeplaymusic.com. In this digital poem instructional activity, 8th graders write and edit original poems. Students utilize figurative language and imagery in...