National Park Service
News Bearly Fit to Print
There are an average of three human fatalities by bears in North America every year, which is low when you compare it to the 26 killed by dogs and the 90 killed by lightning annually. The lesson encourages researching human-bear...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Life Before the Civil War
American life before the Civil War was very different from American life today. To show this difference in a full spectrum, learners compare two communities that illustrate the differences between Northern and Southern life. Throughout...
Curated OER
Health Grade 5
Fifth graders understand conflict and how to solve them. In this lesson about conflict resolution, 5th graders explore different factors that cause conflict. Students are put into groups and develop a list of examples for a specific kind...
Curated OER
What's the Problem? Exploring Conflict in "On the Sidewalk Bleeding"
Students use the story 'On the Sidewalk Bleeding' to analyze the various conflict types found in literature. In this conflict lesson, students view a PowerPoint about the story and identify the four types of conflict. Students identify...
Curated OER
Across Five Aprils/Civil War
Eighth graders study the Civil War novel, Across Five Aprils, by Irene Hunt. They review vocabulary and literary elements and write a "Brother Against Brother" essay about coming face to face with a brother in one of the battles of the...
Curated OER
Two Truths and a Lie: Internet Research Skills
It's tough for high schoolers to assess what is a credible resource and what is not. A helpful resource prompts class members to research a particular topic and record two facts—and create one lie—while documenting the sources. They...
Curated OER
Examining Conflicts At Camp Green Lake
Students complete an essay documenting a conflict present in the novel Holes. They define the six types of literary discussion as a class. After identifying one of these types of conflicts in the novel, students write a five paragraph...
Curated OER
Narrative Writing Outline
Students explore the elements of a narrative for its purpose, type of audience, mood, main character, minor characters, setting, and conflicts in the story. A story outline is developed and a five paragraph essay composed in this...
Curated OER
Emulating Shakespeare: To Snooze or Not To Snooze
High schoolers reproduce the pattern of one of Shakespeare's soliloquies, but use their own ideas and words to replace the character's. They replace each word with a word of their own that serves the same purpose.They discuss the speaker...
Curated OER
Plot and Conflict
Students review the literary elements of plot and conflict. In this plot and conflict instructional activity, students read a story and answer questions about the plot and conflict within. Students create a concept map for the novel to...
Curated OER
Gunpowder And The Explosion Of World War
Students discover the role of technology in 20th century conflicts. In this technological advancement lesson, students research how World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and the War in Iraq were fought. Students compose essays that...
Curated OER
Enrichment Activities - "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH"
Fifth graders read the novel "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH." They discuss the various characters in the book, and the different types of conflict that take place within the book. They also research owls and rats to make comparisons...
California Polytechnic State University
Australian Geography Unit
At the heart of this resource is a beautifully detailed PowerPoint presentation (provided in PDF form) on the overall physical geography of Australia, basic facts about the country, Aboriginal history, and Australia culture and lifestyle.
Curated OER
2.0 "Water Is Life" Global Water Awareness Mini-Unit (Grades3-5)
Students study the amount of potable water on the Earth. In this water lesson, students examine the amount of potable water as compared to all the water on the Earth. They discuss why many parts of the world do not have access to good...
Curated OER
Land as a Valuable Resource
Students investigate why the soil is important to our lives. In this natural resources lesson, students have a farmer as a guest speaker. Students begin to understand how farmers use and protect our natural resource. Students write...
Curated OER
African Ceramic Mask Making
Students investigate a variety of African mask types, design several masks, and create an example of an African ceramic mask in this 5th grade through High School Art lesson plan. The lesson plan can take anywhere from 6 lessons to 16...
Curated OER
Questions of War and Peace: Using Case Studies to Teach the History of American Foreign Policy
Learners read three case studies to focus on how the United States dealt with foreign policy issues. In groups, they read about the decision to drop the atomic bomb, the commitment of troops to Vietnam and wwhether to send troops to...
Curated OER
The Importance of Buffalo Culture to Blackfeet Indians
Learners examine importance of buffalo in culture of Blackfeet Indians, and explore types of technology used by Indians to kill large numbers of buffalo. Students research transition of Blackfeet from subsistence economy to capitalist...
Curated OER
Cover the Music
Learners explore U.S. history by listening to musical pieces in class. In this Civil War era instructional activity, students discuss the types of musical instruments that were available to soldiers during the war and the themes of their...
Curated OER
Colonial America
Students discover the history of Colonial America by creating a class presentation. For this U.S. History lesson, students utilize the Internet to research one of 20 topics in which they will create a PowerPoint or other type of...
Curated OER
Italian Renaissance
Fifth graders explore the Italian Rensissance in this six lessons unit. The prominent citizens, the ideas, values, art, philosophy, and literature of the are seen as a rediscovery of Ancient Greek and Roman times.
Curated OER
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Students study paintings and use their knowledge of story elements to analyze the art. In this art analysis lesson plan, students review a novel for its elements. Students study the image At the Moulin Rouge: The Dance and discuss the...
Curated OER
Nation Building
High schoolers explore the concept of nation building. In this diplomacy activity, students research America's nation building efforts in Somalia, Haiti, the Balkans, Guatemala, Cuba, Vietnam, and Grenada. High schoolers share their...
Curated OER
Letters, Telegrams, and Photographs Illustrating
Students research the factors that are important in winning a battle in the Civil War. In a second activity they are assigned the role of a specific type of person during the Civil War and asked to describe what it's like being that person.