Curated OER
Creature Design
Fifth graders create mathematical creatures. In this geometry lesson plan, 5th graders create a creature from regular and irregular geometric shapes. Students review vocabulary and construct an original creature based on a rubric.
Civil War Trust
Contrasting the North and South before the War
Learners create a standing cube with four panels that display information on the North and South's economy, geography and climate, society, and means of transportation before the Civil War. Through discussion and reading...
EngageNY
Notices and Wonders of the Second Stanza of “If”
Here is an instructional activity that asks pupils to analyze poetry and sparks discussion about two different types of texts: asking how is the poem, If by Rudyard Kipling alike and different from the story, Bud, Not Buddy by...
EngageNY
Grade 10 ELA Module 1: Unit 1, Lesson 3
Poets write love letters, but how often do the objects of their love write back? Compare Christopher Marlowe's "A Passionate Shepard to His Love" to Sir Walter Raleigh's response, "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd," with an engaging...
Library of Congress
The Story of The Three Little Pigs
Bring the 1904 version of the classic kid's tale, The Story of the Three Little Pigs to your young readers. With original drawings by L. Leslie Brooke, young reader take a step into a world where pigs can talk and a wolf is big and bad.
National Wildlife Federation
Endangered Species: What and Where?
What do endangered species have in common with non-endangered species? Given an endangered species to read about, individuals choose another species that is not endangered to compare it to. As a class, they create a species book with the...
Humanities Texas
Primary Source Worksheet: Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address
Your young historians will be intrigued to read and analyze Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address, which discusses the president's take on the causes of the Civil War and connections between the North and the South.
WITS Program
Whoever You Are
Deep down, everyone is the same. Discuss the similarities and differences between people across cultures with a series of reading activities based on the beautiful story and illustrations in Whoever You Are by Mem Fox.
Reed Novel Studies
Winnie-The-Pooh: Novel Study
Winnie the Pooh lands in a gorse-bush plant in chapter one of A.A. Milne's beloved children's novel, Winnie-the-Pooh. With the novel study, scholars research three interesting facts about the plant. They also compose a four-line poem...
Facing History and Ourselves
A Contested History
Memories of and interpretations of history change—that's the key takeaway from a lesson plan that has young historians compare the story of the Reconstruction Era as told by the historians of the Dunning School to the view of scholars...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Dramatic Perspective in Moby Dick
A lesson on Herman Melville's Moby Dick asks readers to compare the first person point of view of Ishmael in Chapter 1 to Captain Ahab's dramatic monologue in Chapter 37. Readers cite evidence from the chapters to support their...
Library of Congress
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Follow the journey of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion down the Yellow Brick Road. An eBook version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz features the original text and graphics. Notice how colors change between...
Reed Novel Studies
A Single Shard: Novel Study
Fulfilling a dream requires a lot of hard work. A study guide for the novel A Single Shard shares the dream of a young Korean orphan. As readers work through the guide, they answer comprehension questions about Tree-ear and the...
Fluence Learning
Writing About Literature Shakespeare and Plutarch
The Oscar for the Best Adapted Screenplay acknowledges a writer's excellence in adapting material found in another source. What do your class members know about adapted resources? Find out with an assessment that asks readers to...
US Department of Energy
Hydrogen and Electrolysis
Electrify your science class with this simple electrolysis experiment. After first reading about hydrogen and its potential as an alternative energy source, a demonstration is performed showing young scientists how water molecules can be...
It's About Time
Organic Substances
Host an exciting lab in which learners burn fruit rinds to better understand hydrocarbons. A reading passage and analysis questions wrap up the lesson.
Curated OER
1863: Shifting Tides
The victory at Gettysburg is forever immortalized in the famous speech given by Present Abraham Lincoln. Designed for secondary pupils, an interesting lesson plan explains how 1863 was a pivotal year for the Union. Academics explore the...
Smithsonian Institution
Hidden Histories: Mexican Repatriation During the 1930s
Mexican Repatriation: the forgotten deportation of American citizens. The resource focuses on the deportation of Mexican American citizens during the Great Depression. Young historians read documents, complete a free-write, and fill out...
National Museum of Australia
Telling Our Indigenous Stories
How far back is 40,000 years? Scholars research the first indigenous people in Aboriginal Australia. Using museum artifacts, maps, and background readings, they form conclusions on the life of the first Australians and their struggles to...
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Genes Don't Blend
Yellow and blue make green—unless you're studying the inheritance of genetic traits. An interactive lesson explains the difference between blended traits and pure traits and gives examples of their occurrence. The resource includes a...
Nettlehorst School
The Beauty of the Short Story
Put scholars in charge of their learning! Individuals read information, discuss what they learned, and put their new knowledge into practice—all in a complete and detailed resource. Activities include creating a literary terms handbook...
American Battlefield Trust
Experiencing the Battle of Franklin
Scholars watch videos, study an animated map, and read a firsthand written account to explore the impact of the Battle of Franklin during the Civil War. Academics analyze images, complete worksheets, and create journal entries to...
DocsTeach
U.S. v. Amistad: A Case of Jurisdiction
Just what is jurisdiction and why does it matter? A helpful activity takes academics on a journey to understand how judicial jurisdiction works. Scholars read excerpts from the Constitution and court documents to understand the process...
DocsTeach
Indian Nations vs. Settlers on the American Frontier: 1786–1788
Once Americans won the Revolutionary War, their quest to gain land did not end. An interesting activity focuses on Americans' expansion into the frontier following the war and how it conflicted with Native Americans living in the area....