Curated OER
Naming Roads
Students investigate the aspects of a historic map of roads and trails in the Southeastern United States. They explore reasons for giving roads certain names and decide on names for other roads themselves.
Curated OER
Bullying and Core Democratic Values
Middle schoolers explore the concept of core democratic values. After completing a survey of student populations regarding bullying, small groups analyze their findings and present their findings to the Student Council, principal,...
Curated OER
Help Mary Find Her Way Home
Students discover the first quadrant of the coordinate plane by using coordinate points to give directions. They show a lost girl the way home using coordinate points. They add definitions to their math journals.
Curated OER
Immigration Unit
Third graders develop an appreciate for the various cultures that are present in their local community.  Through reading and research, they explain how various culture came to live in their area.  At the conclusion of the unit, 3rd...
Curated OER
Ivan the Fool Lesson 3
Students determine that a quest is central to many folk stories. They name stories from their own literary traditions that involve quests and write their own, incorporating a quest. They design a board game that illustrates the czar's...
Curated OER
Where in My World Am I?
Students determine exactly where they are in the world by using a local map to write accurate directions to local eating establishments. They write precise directions from the school to their home which the teacher simulates driving to...
Curated OER
Talk-About-It
Students identify and interpret how it is important to know class rules and the difference between "Big" and "Small" problems.  They identify what the problem is, how the problem makes them feel, how the problem was solved, and how to...
K5 Learning
Clara Barton: Civil War Hero
Gain information about Clara Barton, a Civil War hero, and enhance reading comprehension skills with a worksheet that challenges scholars to read an informational passage and answer five short answer questions.  
Cornell University
Beam Focusing Using Lenses
Explore optics using an inquiry-based experimental approach! Young scholars use a set of materials to design and build a unit capable of focusing a beam of light. They experiment with different lenses to determine the best approach to...
Curated OER
Pride And Prejudice: Anticipation Guide
In this anticipation guide instructional activity, students thoughtfully mark statements according to whether they disagree (D) or agree (A). Students will mark the same 7 statements before and after they read Pride and Prejudice.
Curated OER
Human Fax Machines
Fourth graders discover how to communicate effectively by giving oral directions to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They work with a partner and give oral directions for block building.
Curated OER
Conversations
Eighth graders explore the art of conversation. In this giving instructions lesson, 8th graders discuss and respond to rules, play a game, and practice giving instructions to one another. Students are preparing for communicating in English.
Curated OER
The Places We Will Go
Second graders demonstrate basic map skills.  They each bury a bag of chocolate coins, create a map with directions to find their "treasure," and follow another student's directions to locate a bag of coins.
Curated OER
Kaleidoscope
Students explore energy by creating a light project in class. In this kaleidoscope lesson, students discuss the properties of light and how mirrors can reflect the energy in different directions. Students view a diagram of light...
Curated OER
Creative Homework Assignments Can Motivate Students
Teachers can make homework more meaningful by giving students interesting and motivating assignments.
Curated OER
Sports Helmets and Impact Testing of Polymers
Students examine the importance of good quality safety gear. In this investigative lesson, students will tests various polymers, collect data, and analyze the data to determine which polymer is best for safety helmets. They will design a...
Curated OER
Descriptive writing
Fourth graders practice writing with description. In this descriptive lesson, 4th graders see the results of a task when the directions are not clear. They come up with descriptive words and write their own instructions. 
Curated OER
Wives and Mothers in WWII
Eighth graders explore the effect of World War II from a financial standpoint. In this World History lesson, 8th graders review World War II through teacher lecture, reading and viewing pictures and cartoons, then discuss the hardships...
Curated OER
Ways to Extend the Learning With A Fraction Unit
Here are some ideas for extending the learning beyond traditional fraction lessons.
Curated OER
Tree Talk
Students discuss trees, leaves, and the growth process  In this 1st - 3rd grade lesson plan, students identify various types of leaves, recognizing the differences in size and shape.  Students create tracings of various leaves to...
Curated OER
What are the Ages of Three Daughters Given the Product and Sum of Their Ages
In this problem solving worksheet, students identify the age of a man's three daughters.  The students are given the product and sum of the daughter's ages as well as the fact that the oldest daughter like vanilla yogurt.  The...
Curated OER
Attracting an Audience With Purpose
Students discuss the attributes of a good speech and a bad speech, and listen to Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech, I Have A Dream. They rewrite a speech, directing it to a different audience than it was intended for.
Novelinks
Walk Two Moons: List-Group-Label
Use a vocabulary asssignment as a quick activity between reading chapters of Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech. Young readers choose their favorite words from the vocabulary word list to describe Sal, Phoebe, or any other character from...
Harper Collins
Parrot in the Oven: Response Journal
After completing Chapter 5 of Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida, readers make text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections to Victor Martinez's novel by crafting journal entries addressing comments and questions to characters in...