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PBS
Constitution Day
Travel back to 1787 as young scholars investigate the creation of the US Constitution. After first working in small groups to create sets of classroom rules, students go on to read a summary of the Constitution and watch a short video...
Curated OER
First Day of Preschool
Learners discuss rules, have introductions, complete school tours, and more for the first day of preschool. In this first day of school lesson plan, students also discuss being good friends.
Curated OER
First Day at School
Students listen to a book about the first day of school. They divide into groups of four, and role play the story. They explain to the teacher what they like the most from the story.
Carolina K-12
Making First Vote Your Vote: Designing a Schoolwide Election
Encourage pupils to design an election plan for the entire school. They participate in a Board of Elections, create polling rules, discuss election controversies, write questions about the issues, run the election through an online...
Curated OER
The First Strawberries
Young scholars explore Cherokee legends. They read The First Strawberries by Joseph Bruchac, and then do several activities to help comprehension. They discuss the book and answer comprehension questions. In addition, they retell the...
Curated OER
First Day of School: I'll Get to Know You
Young scholars participate in a letter matching game that pairs students so that they can introduce a new friend. They listen to the Shel Silverstein book, The Giving Tree and write a letter to the class telling them what they will give...
American Battlefield Trust
Antietam 360
It was the single bloodiest day in Civil War history. Now, class members have the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of soldiers who fought in the Battle of Antietam using an interactive website. Supplemental resources include...
Curated OER
Rules and Responsibilities: Youth and the Process of Change
First graders analyze politics by participating in a class rules activity. In this democracy activity, 1st graders identify several class and school rules they dislike and conduct discussions to examine if they should be changed or not....
Center for Civic Education
Becoming an Informed Voter: Creating Initiatives
Continuing from a previous lesson on how to read and analyze proposed legislation on election ballots, your class members will now practice writing up their own proposals for a new school rule or local ordinance that will be...
Curated OER
Play House
Students explore U.S. government by participating in a role playing activity. In this House of Representatives lesson, students discuss the first day of congress and the role the House plays in running the United States. Students define...
Curated OER
Getting To Know You
Students call each other by name and mention something important about each person. They develop a sense of class bonding and find a partner with similar interests.
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Getting Ready for the All American Eclipse!
Give your pupils a front row seat at the biggest light show in the sky this year! In addition to admiring the total solar eclipse, young astronomers can explain the phenomenon with a little help from an inquiry-based lesson. The focus of...
Teach Engineering
Earthquakes Living Lab: Finding Epicenters and Measuring Magnitudes
Pairs use an online simulation to determine the epicenter and magnitude of an earthquake. Using real data about the earthquake's maximum S wave amplitudes, they then determine the magnitude. The resource provides a great career...
Curated OER
Day and Night
Third graders view a classroom simulation that demonstrates how the Earth's rotation creates day and night.
Discovery Education
STEM Camp—Urban Infrastructure
Build a bridge to learning in a STEM-aligned unit about urban infrastructure. Young engineers explore the many aspects of civil planning and design in a five-day unit. Content includes the challenging aspects of balancing building with...
Curated OER
Presidential Election Year: Major Issues
Whether or not it's a presidential election year, this debate activity will spark research on current political issues. Split your government scholars into 4 groups and assign each a political party. One person will be the "candidate"...
Curated OER
An Age of Exploration
Students investigate U.S. history by examining North American timelines. In this American exploration lesson plan, students research the events that led to Columbus finding America and participate in a jeopardy game regarding his...
Curated OER
Colonial Rules
How did Colonists react to British rule prior to the American Revolution? Give your high schoolers a taste of oppression with this role-play activity, then let them come up with a revolution of their own. This excercise is intended to...
Curated OER
Stem Cell Development
Like a fresh canvas, stem cells can turn into almost anything. In a comprehensive activity, high school biologists use clay to build a 3-D model of cell division and the processes that occur during the first 14 days of development. Also...
Curated OER
Cross-Cultural Dialogue Lesson
Use the Peace Corps to explore a different place and different perspectives. Your class reads the personal narrative "Cross-Cultural Dialogue" by Roz Wollmering, completing an attached story frame sheet in preparation for a class...
Curated OER
Movement
Learners experiment and explore a variety of instruments and movements. They play rhythms on instruments, spell words using their bodies, act out the movements of a song, role-play machine parts as a group, pantomime an activity, and...
Curated OER
The First Amendment
Students participate in a mock trial. Given the scenario, students prepare a cases concerning the freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and the right to assemble. In groups, students prepare an opening and closing statement, as well...
Council for Economic Education
Preparing a 1040EZ Income Tax Form
Some of us never feel like we know how to do our taxes! Help scholars understand the process early by using an informative resource. They fill out their own tax forms in a simulation activity and view multiple resources to learn even...
Curated OER
Glaciers and Ice Wedging
Fourth graders observe and identify a variety of weathering and geological activities in the area in which they live. This focuses primarily on what happened during the Ice Age, and how, even today, glaciers are shaping and re-shaping...