Curated OER
Summer Watercolor Pictures
Students create a watercolor picture to express themselves. They focus on what they did over summer vacation. They place their pictures in a class book about what they did over the summer.
Curated OER
Testimony: A Lesson in Creating Poetry
High schoolers closely analyze testimony from the Holocaust. They express, in poetic form, meanings students created in their analysis. They react to written passages from the time period.
Curated OER
Soundtrack to War
Middle schoolers discuss the important role of music in lives of soldiers stationed in Iraq. They identify and demonstrate skills in creating compositions with limited resources, similar in concept to the soldiers viewed in the documentary.
Curated OER
The War of the Worlds and Fear of Invasion
Students examine how the state of politics and cultural context affect a work of science fiction. They study the power of the media to influence the public as they visit the museum.
Curated OER
Rescued from the Holocaust
Students discover how Varian Fry rescued people in Vichy France during World War II; and realize the difficulties and dangers Fry faced. This lesson has websites and a play imbedded in it for student use.
Curated OER
The Font of Funniness
Young scholars research the work of a contemporary humorist by analyzing a variety of pieces of their work. They look at the work from a variety of media sources such as writing, videos, and broadcasts to decide how "American" the...
Curated OER
Timely Tolerance
Eighth graders work together to focus on an oppressed group of society.  Using the information they gather, they create a museum exhibit to educate their community on the group.  They present their PowerPoint presentation to the class to...
Curated OER
The Mission of the Red Cross
High schoolers explore and discus the mission aims of the International Committee of the Red Cross. They draft a letter about the work of the ICRC to the US Secretary of Defense which includes personal opinions on: 
the mission of the...
Curated OER
"The Scary Letter...aaaaaaaaaa!!!"
Students study the /a/ using the hand gesture and 'aaa' sound as if they were seeing a ghost. Next, they recite a tongue twister and make words using letter boxes using different numbers of phonemes. Next, they read "Pat's Jam" out loud...
Curated OER
Only Let Your Brain Hear You!
Learners explore the benefits of silent reading and practice reading silently in this instructional activity.  As they are silently reading, they use the cross checking strategy to monitor their comprehension.  The teacher assesses their...
Curated OER
True or False - The Hobbit
Students explore The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. In this literature lesson, students recall events and literary elements in the text of the novel as they complete a worksheet.
Curated OER
Subordinate (Dependent) Clause (Adjective) Practice
In this adjective clauses worksheet, students analyze ten sentences and write the subordinate clause in each. Students tell what noun or pronoun it modifies.
Curated OER
Homonyms - Quiz 24
Students practice spelling homonyms. In this homonym lesson plan, students read the sentences and select the correct spelling to complete the homonym quiz.
Curated OER
A Monster's World
Study African American inventor Jan Ernst Matzeliger and create imaginary monsters using texture.
Time Warp Trio
The Caveman Catastrophe
Young archaeologists study the development of human history, and work in groups to create a timeline that traces the development of humans. Additionally, the groups utilize a very clever graphic organizer embedded in the plan in order to...
Forest Foundation
The Nature of Trees
Young botanists examine the different parts of tress and then draw parallels between the functions of these parts and the function of parts of the human body. 
Speak Truth to Power
Harry Wu: Forced Labor
Over the course of two class periods, young historians explore human rights issues; specifically, forced labor in China. This resource provides everything you need, including relevant vocabulary, an anticipatory activity, and a...
National Science Teachers Association
Hop into Action
Young scientists find out what makes amphibians such unique and interesting animals in this simple life science lesson. After looking at pictures and discussing the characteristics of amphibians, learners complete a series...
Curated OER
Parades
Third and fourth graders examine the history of parades and investigate guidelines and items needed for a parade. They listen to a speaker discuss how to organize a parade. In small groups, learners organize various items for the event...
Curated OER
The Constitutional Convention: Four Founding Fathers You May Never Have Met
Students study the biographies of Ellsworth, Hamilton, Paterson, and Randolph. They study roles of these men during the Constitutional Convention.
Curated OER
From Yosemite to Joshua Tree
Fourth graders discover diversity of plant and animal life in California's parks and compare findings to identify what makes park areas unique. Students then publish their discoveries in picture books of their own design.
Curated OER
Light Stick Chemistry
In groups of three with the lights off and the shades drawn, investigators place inactivated light sticks, in three beakers: one filled with ice water, another with lukewarm water, and the other with room temperature water. They wait...
Perkins School for the Blind
What Would You Do If...?
What would you do if...? That's a great question, and, when posed to learners with visual impairments, a question that can foster concept development and speaking and problem-solving skills that relate to real-life situations. The...