Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dangerous Straits

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students view a film and read articles that explore controversial Chinese and American relations. They conduct interviews, participate in class role-plays and develop policy recommendations for government agencies.
Unit Plan
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From Sea to Shining Sea

For Teachers 5th
Students study the geography of the United States of America. Students write letters, create travel brochures, make maps, graph population numbers, read fiction and nonfiction selections, complete KWL charts, and watch films.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Codex Comes Home: Leonardo Lives in Seattle

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students complete a unit on the life of Leonardo da Vinci and the content of the Codex Leicester. They write an encyclopedia entry, watch a film, complete a data sheet, conduct Internet research, and write a letter to Bill Gates about...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Twain: Icon and Iconoclast

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Learners examine work by Mark Twain in the context of pre- and post-Civil War America. In this cross curricular lesson, students gather biographical information about Twain, use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast him with...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Radiation

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Learners distinguish between natural and man-made radiation. They measure radiation using a Geiger counter and investigate footprints of radiation.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Nationalism and Conflict-Two Fronts, Two Perspectives!

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students examine the major conflicts of the 20th century. After watching a video, they discuss the various types of technology and how they were used in World War I. They watch excerpts from films covering different wars and view them...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Cultural Palette

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine pieces of music and art that represent who they are. They study Haitian culture and traditions by performing the musical production "Once on the Island." They watch and discuss the film "The Nature of Music."
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I'm Gone

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students plan a mock mission to Mars. In this space science lesson, students work in cooperative groups and select one experiment to take on their mock mission. Students create a mission plan form and send a proposed experiment to NASA.
Lesson Plan
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The Cuban Missile Crisis

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students reflect on the events that lead up to the Cuban Missile Crisis in the early 1960s.  For this history lesson plan, students explore the conflicts between the United States and the Soviet Union revolving around missiles in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Active Viewing: Eyes on the Prize "Awakenings"

For Teachers 11th
Dive deeper into the Montgomery Bus Boycott with this multi-stage lesson, centered on the essential question: Why did the boycott last so long? Historians investigate the Jim Crow south through a video clip (not included), then analyze...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jazz in America

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore Jazz in America. They examine greats in Jazz, such as Duke Ellington. They are also to discuss the cultural implications of the music itself.
Lesson Plan
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'Song of the South' a racist tune?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read the information about the movie "Song of the South" and watch some of the clips. They write their reaction to the proposal to re-release the movie. Students consider whether it would matter if the studio adds an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rationalizing Race in US History

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students consider the classification of people. In this race studies lesson, students examine the concept of race as it relates to U.S. history and trends. Students research racial discrimination and prejudice in order to support their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Poverty Point Earthworks: Louisiana's Ancient Inhabitants

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners research the prehistoric earthworks site at Poverty Point, Louisiana. They compare the Louisiana artifacts and structure to the remains and knowledge of other ancient cultures. They present their research to the class.
Lesson Plan
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Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story - The Birth of Soul

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students analyze various kinds of music.  In this music lesson, students listen to music clips to determine the kind of music each clip is then they participate in a class discussion about the music and prepare a presentation.
Lesson Plan
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America's Involvement in World War I

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars investigate online websites on German U-boat naval warfare, conditions in the trenches and the effects of poisonous gases. They write three entries in a diary from different perspectives.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Playing Historical Detective: Great Grandmother's Dress and Other Clues to the Life and Times of Annie Steel

For Teachers Pre-K - 8th
Students draw conclusions about an mystery person based on documents and artifacts provided. In this drawing conclusions activity, students become detectives by reading and analyzing evidence provided. This activity includes...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ideal Weight, Cultural Stereotypes, and Eating Disorders

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students explore the societal stigma that accompanies people who are overweight. In addition, students research current medical thinking on "ideal weight" and identify how the perception of body image can lead to eating disorders.
Lesson Plan
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Lewis and Clark: The Language of Discovery

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students replicate some of the trailblazing methods of Lewis and Clark on a fifteen-minute "writing journey" through the school or neighborhood.
Lesson Plan
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Creatures from Planet X: Spiders

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students are given a description of some fascinating animals from "Planet X". They follow the descriptions given to illustrate one of these animals paying careful attention to introduced vocabulary such as 'appendages', 'receptors', and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mellowing With Age, A Closer Look

For Teachers K - 5th
Students realize that aging is a "natural, continuous process" and develop sensitivity to the needs, desires, and capabilities of the elderly by interviewing elderly community members and photographing age related things.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Marian Anderson: From Page to Stage

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students become immersed in a compelling anecdote of the civil rights movement through the experience of constructing dramatic scripts. An added goal is to equip students, through this "hands-on" experience, to critique dramatic...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Constitution for Alaska

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students read sections cited from the Governing Alaska unit. They discuss factors that made Alaskans push for statehood. They view video A Constitution for Alaska.
Website
PBS

Pbs: American Experience: Freedom Riders

For Students 9th - 10th
PBS collects and summarizes the stories of the freedom riders, who, in 1961, challenged segregation in the American South. Includes video clips from the documentary, interactive timeline of key locations and events, biographical...