Curated OER
Cinderella
Explore positive and negative character traits and universal themes in the story of Cinderella with primary learners. Story elements are reviewed and discussion questions are listed. Learners practice retelling the story and begin a...
Curated OER
Map Your Community
Young scholars study their community's assets and needs to create a service project that would meet the needs. In this community project lesson, students research their community and look for the strengths and weaknesses of the...
K20 LEARN
It’s Never Too Late to Apologize: Character Development and Theme in “The Scarlet Ibis”
Sometimes saying I'm sorry just doesn't cut it. Scholars examine a series of apology poems, songs, and stories and consider each speaker's regrets. Using what they have learned, they analyze James Hurst's short story, "The Scarlet Ibis,"...
Curated OER
Abigail in Mourning
People deal with grief in different ways. The series of Abigail Adams' letters in this lesson reveals how she dealt with losing her mother, father, and community members. The included worksheet helps young scholars identify the tone and...
Curated OER
Cinderella Is A Fella
Second graders identify the universal theme in the Cinderella story. In this fairy tale instructional activity, 2nd graders develop their vocabularies as they read a variation of Cinderella.
Curated OER
Concern + Action = Clean Air Solutions
Students participate in a service project about improving air quality. In this air quality lesson, students understand the problems and solutions for improvement of air quality issues. Students discuss and choose an air quality service...
Penguin Books
Wonder in the Classroom
Would you rather be right, or would you rather be kind? A novel unit based on R.J. Palacio's Wonder focuses on the need to be kind to others and to accept their differences. As learners read the book, they discuss the themes of family...
Curated OER
A Haring Holiday
Students create a holiday ornament. In this Keith Haring art lesson, students use paper mache to make 3-dimensional ornaments that resemble his work. Students cut out felt shapes of babies, dogs and angels then sew them together and fill...
Curated OER
Looking at Our Community
Students analyze the way that the media views the community that they live in. They poll residents about the strengths and weaknesses of their community and devise ways such as community service projects that they can improve the image...
Curated OER
Design A Community Program
Students take community action. In this philanthropy lesson, students consider issues in their community and collaborate in small groups to rank the issues identified. Students read Brandy Cake and reflect on the story's themes in order...
Curated OER
Fighting Hunger
Young scholars participate in a service-learning project to help combat hunger in their community. For this current events lesson, students discuss possible causes for hunger in the United States. Young scholars read a short story,...
Curated OER
My Community: Then and Now
Middle schoolers compare and contrast their community to what it was like 50 years ago. They research various aspects of their community and compare and contrast with what it is like now. Students present and discuss their findings.
Curated OER
Altruism: Meeting Society's Needs
Students study society's needs and altruism within communities. In this altruism lesson, students identify and categorize the basic needs that human beings have and define altruism. Students complete research on altruistic organizations...
Curated OER
Preparing the Soil
Middle schoolers explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning lesson, students read Seedfolks and discuss the characters in the story and consider their actions that led to a community garden. Middle schoolers journal...
Curated OER
Small Actions with Big Results
Students explore philanthropy in literature. In this literature lesson, students read text from three different genres that all have a moral. Students compare and contrast these pieces of literature, focusing on the character traits that...
Curated OER
Looks Like Respect, Sounds Like Respect, Feels Like
Students explore philanthropy through art. In this service learning lesson, students discuss the diversity in their community and use their senses to create tolerance posters.
Curated OER
Trash or Treasure?
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning lesson, students pull together to clean up a community park and reflect on the experience through literature.
Curated OER
Farming and the Services of a Community (Lesson 5)
Students identify different types of farms and services of a community. They use a pretend farm scenerio and a worksheet to distinguish between the different types of farms. They also practice using new vocabulary.
Curated OER
My Community
Young scholars engage in a lesson plan about the community in order to find out what different things go on within it on a daily basis. They conduct field research and look up information in order to answer some key questions addressed.
Curated OER
A Voice for Hard Issues
Ouch! The final lesson in the 12-resource poetry unit models for young writers how poems can be used to voice hard truths.
Curated OER
Planting Phil's Garden
Students explore gardening. For this agriculture lesson, students plan and plant seeds according to the procedure modeled by a "master gardener." Flowers are distributed at a local retirement home.
Smithsonian Institution
Latino Expression
How much of your daily life is influenced by Latin American music? Take a listen—the answer may surprise you! High schoolers keep a journal to note any instances they see Latino culture represented, including the media, their school, and...
Curated OER
Goods and Services Scavenger Hunt
First graders conduct research into the concepts of goods and services. The information is used in order to create a definition for each concept. Then the information is organized using the scavenger hunt format. Further extension to the...
Curated OER
Why I Serve
High schoolers explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning lesson, students consider and share the importance of volunteering. High schoolers participate in a service learning project and reflect on it.