University of North Carolina
Working with Your International TAs
Colleges and universities attract a diverse group of pupils, and sometimes that includes teaching assistants (TA) from other countries. Using a handout on working with international TAs, scholars find tips to use when listening and...
Curated OER
Dive into the Common Core with Opinion Pieces
Build your confidence in implementing Common Core State Standards with this CC-based approach to an important writing standard.
National Library of Medicine
Your Environment, Your Health: The Great Debate—Bottled Water vs. Tap Water in Our School
Should bottled water be sold in schools, or should they only provide tap water? The summative unit in the six-part series encourages scholars debating this topic. The lessons teach how to build an argument, how to gain background...
Curated OER
Engaging Young Scientists with Inquiry: Part One
Building inquiry into your science lessons will make science concepts more concrete for your class.
Curated OER
"The Emperor's New Clothes and Mahler's Ninth Symphony" Writing to Explain, Confidently and Efficiently, Even Physics!
Students combine their study of physics with their study of best practices when writing to inform. They communicate with experts using e-mail before creating a brochure based on their study of universal gravitation.
Curated OER
Improvisation
High schoolers are introduced to the concept of improvisation. In groups, they practice improvising a different scenario given to them and explore the various ways people communicate with each other. To end the lesson, they reflect on...
Curated OER
Our Wonderful Stories: Lesson Plan 5
The fifth installment in a writing unit that culminates with a Hyperstudio illustrated group story project, this plan is ripe with ideas for ways to design group writing projects for elementary writers. Use the whole unit as a base from...
Curated OER
Video Conferences with Parliamentarians
Students from all over Canada videoconference with Parliamentarians to talk about issues in a current bill.
Thoughtful Learning
Learning to Say No
It's not always easy to say "no". Give scholars the power and confidence to stand up for themselves with several steps to communicate using their voice and body language.
Curated OER
Researching and Word Processing Unit: Wagons West
Help create confident and competent Internet users for research purposes. Middle schoolers conduct Internet research and compose a paper on the computer. They learn how to properly cite Internet references and explore net etiquette.
Curated OER
Time Capsule Survey
Here's a fun way to incorporate technology into your curriculum. E-mail each of your class members a picture and 10 questions about the photo. Individuals then imagine the story behind the image and e-mail back their responses. Although...
Curated OER
The Front Page: Asking Geographic Questions
Students examine how to ask geographic questions. They read an article with details omitted, list possible geographic questions, and write a summary of the article.
Curated OER
Sink It
Introduce your class to the concept of sinking and floating. In groups, they classify objects after making predictions about which materials will sink or float. They record their results and create graphs and charts to share with the class.
Curated OER
Introduce Double-Digit Addition
Pupils generate a list of numbers then classify them into groups of single digit and double-digit numbers. After listening to a children's book about double-digit addition, they work with tens and ones blocks to solve double-digit...
Curated OER
Using Authentic Literary Text With Advanced Learners
Students practice reading for the gist of a text, improving reading speed, and fostering interest in reading authentic texts. They explore the use of figurative language.
Buffalo State
Adding and Subtracting Integers Unit
Just because one integer is larger than another doesn't mean it will make sense right away. Go beyond note taking and show learners, through the use of algebra tiles and a Four-Pan Algebra Balance, how the numbers relate to one another...
Curated OER
Exercise in creating drawings for field notebooks
Students (with a partner) draw and describe a leaf in its natural setting, and then re-find leaves drawn and described by classmates. The point is to have them start to think about observations in science, what to put in a field...
Curated OER
Rebecca Brown's "Forgiveness" and Christine Delea's "CoCo Chanel in the Stairwell"
Students, after reading and analyzing Rebecca Brown's "Forgiveness" and Christine Delea's "CoCo Chanel in the Stairwell," explore and focus on the author's tone and genre analysis. They interpret different rhetorical situations as they...
Bowland
Bunting
How much fabric is necessary for bunting? Scholars use given dimensions of triangular bunting (hanging decorations) to determine the amount of fabric necessary to decorate a rectangular garden. The task requires pupils to consider how...
Overcoming Obstacles
Blowin' in the Wind
Working together isn't as easy as it looks! Small groups of classmates try to keep a balloon in the air using only a straw, their breath, and team communication.
Curated OER
We're Environmentally Friendly
Fourth graders examine written works dealing with environmental issues and resolutions during a 5 week unit. They create posters, poems, and rap songs demonstrating authorship and knowledge of the environment.
Curated OER
With Liberty and Justice for All
Fifth graders identify and define in their own words the first ten amendments to the Constitution. They are assigned a CDV or amendment from the Bill of Rights and create and present a one-minute skit demonstrating it.
Curated OER
Self-portrait Projects
Teacher discusses drawing of facial features with students. They then research facial features of famous artists and children's illustrators on the Internet. Students then will create a self-portrait using paper and pencil.
Curated OER
Independent Learners
Students develop a sense of self through building confidence in their abilities to become independent learners. They develop those strategies needed to communicate their ideas and knowledge of concepts taught.