National First Ladies' Library
Michigan vs. Ohio State: A Serious Rivalry!
Middle schoolers discuss and research the pros and cons of school rivalries. In particular, they study the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry. Through their research, they think about how media accounts of college football games can be shaped...
Curated OER
Cave Stories - Tales of Adventure
Students list three things about caves that interest them and list reasons why writers choose caves as settings for stories.
Foreign Policy Research Institute
Understanding China: The Prospects for Democracy in China
This document provides useful information for a unit on democracy in China. While it does not include detailed activities, it does have a list of democratic principles, and important facts about China that facilitate understanding of its...
Curated OER
Baked Polymer Clay 3D People Portraits
Students discuss methods of building forms with clay (ball and variations, snake, flat sheets). They draw a stick figure of what their sculpture may look like, including correct figure proportion.
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A Midsummer Night's Dream
Students explore the world of love and magic in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Comparisons are made to the life experiences of the reader as love's portrayal in contemporary situations are analized.
Media Smarts
Making Media for Democratic Citizenship
Pupils analyze global issues. In this video podcasting lesson plan, pupils research Internet and print sources regarding selected global development issues. Pupils plan and create video podcasts that feature their research findings.
Curated OER
Who Are the Arab Americans?
Students explore the concept of diversity. In this Teaching Tolerance lesson, students take a quiz titled "Who Are the Arab Americans?" and then use the quiz as a lens through which to discuss misperceptions regarding Arab Americans....
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Taking a Closer Look (Critical Viewing)
Students explore persuasive writing in advertisements. In this advertisements lesson, students evaluate tobacco advertisements for persuasion techniques. Students then create a counter advertisement against smoking.
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Sporting Fever
Learners view a video about the values that are represented by sports teams. They write a paper about the connection between sports and social values. They share their responses with the class.
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Social Studies: War and the Media
Students examine the impact of the media on various wars, especially the Iraq and Vietnam wars. By examining cartoons and popular music as primary sources, they suggest motivations for the conflicts and propose reasons for public...
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Making Meaning from the Past
Young scholars read Ella Lyon's autobiographical poem, "Where I'm From" as the impetus to critically reflect on key images, memories, and events from their own lives and communities.
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What is Manga?
Young scholars research graphic novels. In this manga lesson, students work in small groups as the read graphic novels in literature circle format.
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The History of Rock and Roll: Part 8 - The 70's Have a Nice Day - Lesson 2
Students identify the characteristics and elements of large scale rock productions. They examine the similarities between the American Vaudeville shows and the large-scale rock theater productions of the 1970's.
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The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson: Issues in the Election of 1828 and Beyond
Students research the campaign and election issues of Andrew Jackson. In this presidential election lesson, students research the campaign of 1828. Students then list the important issues. Students discuss the political advertisements in...
Teaching Tolerance
The Power of Words: Ethnic Stereotypes
Pupils study stereotypes that are associated with different ethniciites or regional groups. They examine how occupations can be hypothetically related to ethnic sounding names.
Curated OER
The Genre of Captivity Literature
Students make reference to previously presented material,
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Musical Roles
Learners watch a videotape on the musical career of Aretha Franklin and explore the different careers in the music industry.
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Buffalo Soldiers
Fourth graders explore the role of the buffalo soldiers in the United States Army during the nineteenth century conflict along the frontier with the Indian tribes. They discuss the social change represented by African Americans serving...
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Charolotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wall-paper" - the "New Woman"
Students analyze the life of American middle to upper-class women in the mid- to late-nineteenth century and early twentieth century. In this women's suffrage lesson, students visit the given links in the lesson to analyze the changing...
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Revealing Process
Students investigate the method of collage in art in part of a study of Dada and Surrealist art. In this art analysis lesson, students explore how artists incorporated materials from everyday life into their art works. Students complete...
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The Role of Japanese Women through Art
Pupils examine the role of women in Japan through Art and create collages using learned knowledge that depict the role of women in America today in this exciting Art or Social Studies lesson.
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Artistic Influence - Lesson 3
Students discuss how musicians' messages can influence society. They think of examples of artistic expression in music, the visual arts, dance, and theater that can lead to a society's self-examination.
Curated OER
A Songwriter Not Silenced - Lesson 2
High schoolers discuss how a musician's message can influence society and government. They debate if political viewpoints should be publicized in music.