Curated OER
Reagan and Bush: The Conservative Years
Students investigate the conservative agenda of the Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush. They conduct Internet research, evaluate an edition of the Wall Street Journal, and write and publish a special-edition newspaper...
Curated OER
Polar Express Lesson Plan
Students develop a podcast as they retell the story of The Polar Express.  In this early childhood lesson plan, students experience technology by creating a podcast.  Students also create illustrations to be scanned for the podcast.
Curated OER
In the Middle - Middle School Poetry
Students analyze and interpret poems.  For this poetry lesson, students are read poems aloud, discuss the meanings in groups, and complete two worksheets after listening to the poems.  Links to the worksheets and discussion...
Curated OER
Understanding Rhetoric and Evaluating Bias in Text
Students can learn about bias in text and the rhetorical principles proposed by Aristotle.
Curated OER
Stop Signs
Students research the positions of different interested parties regarding the current escalation of violence in Israel and the Occupied Territories. They formulate proposals to take part in a "Stop All Violence" emergency intervention.
Curated OER
Once Upon a Castle
Students complete a variety of activities surrounding castle communities and fairy tales. They write a letter to a fairy tale character, write a fairy tale, create a model of a castle, and draw a map of a castle community.
Curated OER
Advising China
Students express their opinions about how growth and modernization affect nations.  Reading an article on China, they discuss the causes and effects of exponential growth in a single town.  They research how China has changed by writing...
Curated OER
"Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters"
Fifth graders read and analyze the books "Snow White in New York" and "Mufaro's Beautiful Daughter."  They analyze the characteristics of the characters in each story, write thoughts of characters in speech bubbles, and write a letter to...
Curated OER
My Brother Sam is Dead: A study of the Revolutionary War
Fifth graders complete an analysis of the Revolutionary War through literature.  After "My Brother Sam Is Dead,"  students create a time capsule containing items that would be relevant during the Revolutionary War.  They identify key...
Curated OER
The Freedom to Fight
Students study the African American troop experiences in the Civil War. In this American history instructional activity, students examine primary and secondary sources regarding the experiences and contributions of African American...
Curated OER
Who Wants To Be A "Globalnaire"?
Tenth graders research geography and the process of creating a Powerpoint presentation. In pairs, they design their own game show, writing geography questions, and creating a Powerpoint presentation for other students to play their game.
Curated OER
Cluing into Symbols Robert Frost
Learners use the Internet and video  to discover how find evidence in poetry in order to discover the theme(s) of the poems.  They are able to define poetic devices like simile, metaphor and repetition.  Students identify themes in...
Curated OER
Searching for Meanings Benath the Surface of the Poem
Students read "Soccer Until Dusk".  As a class, they discuss the various settings and actions in the poem and discuss the life in Guatemala and compare it with the United States.  To end the lesson, they complete a journal reflection...
Curated OER
What Makes a Home "Energy Efficient"?
Students research and report the costs and benefits of making their own homes more energy efficient. In this energy conservation lesson, students explore energy efficient technologies and design over several days. They complete a home...
Curated OER
Fitting Trash into Yesterday: A Fifth Grade Activity
Fifth graders explore the concept of waste management. In this recycling activity, 5th graders discover the history of waste management and discuss how the U.S. should respond to the issue of ever-increasing waste.
Curated OER
Mark Twain and the American West
Students analyze Mark Twain's "Western" voice. In this literature instructional activity, students read Roughing It by Twain and watch "The West." Students examine Twain's history and compare it to the history of America's developing...
Curated OER
Whitewashing History
Students revisit issues of civil rights in the U.S. They use the recent national discussion of retiring Senator Strom Thurmond's 1948 Dixiecrat Presidential campaign as a starting point.
Curated OER
On the Run
Students research famous F.B.I. "Most Wanted" cases; they then create PowerPoint, or other informational and visual displays, to present their case studies in class.
Curated OER
Do You Dread the Spread?
Students explore the increased reports of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in China. They hold a mock emergency health summit to address concerns and possible solutions on behalf of the affected countries and international health...
Curated OER
Revealing Untold Stories
Students explore how and why various historical resources present information about slavery differently. They work in pairs to examine written texts to interpret the objectives, points of view, and depictions of slavery in these resources.
Curated OER
Being Too Hard on Microsoft?
Students compare the antitrust case against Microsoft with other historic antitrust cases. After exploring the notions of capitalism, monopolies and trusts, students examine the current case against Microsoft.
Curated OER
Huddled Masses Still Yearning to Breathe Free
Students examine the experience of modern-day immigrants through learning about the personal experiences of a variety of immigrants.
Curated OER
The United State of NATO
Students examine the past fifty years of NATO, focusing specifically on NATO's involvement and actions in conflicts around the world and the results of their involvement.
Curated OER
Has the Wall Truly Tumbled Down?
Young scholars examine the events behind the destruction of the Berlin Wall and the continued struggles to truly unify the former East Germany and West Germany.