Curated OER
Using Southeast Asian Folktales to Teach Reading and Writing
Students use maps to locate the countries of Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. In groups, they compare and contrast the three countries in regard to their culture, morals and values. They read various examples of folktales and write their...
Curated OER
Tooling Around Arizona: Reading Arizona Maps
Students research Arizona maps. In this map lesson, students discuss map titles, scales, directions, elevation, and symbols. The class will examine topography, landforms, and rivers found on an Arizona map.
Curated OER
Gender Roles in the Mid-Nineteenth CenturyWhat Fiction Tells Us
Young scholars examine 19th century gender roles. In this gender roles lesson, students read "The Daughter-in-Law" and discuss their impressions of etiquette and gender roles in the 19th century. Young scholars write etiquette guides...
Curated OER
What If It Happened To Me? A Look At The Disabled in Society
Students examine what it would be like to be disabled. They read literature with characters who have disabilities and discuss how society treats people with disabilities. They write an essay explaining why they are "normal."
Curated OER
Life in the Arkansas Territory
Students compare the living conditions in Arkansas when it was a territory with contemporary times. They participate in a role play activities of the territorial times.
Curated OER
Exposes in Different Eras: The Work of Dorothea Dix and Burton Blatt
Students discover that Dorothea Dix was the first to make the pubic aware of the terrible living conditions of people with mental illness in the 1800's. They evaluate the influence of citizen action on public policy.
Curated OER
Comparing and Contrasting Literature Using Venn Diagrams
First graders create a venn diagram with two folktales. In this folktale lesson, 1st graders read Cinderella and Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe. They find the similarities and differences and chart these on a venn...
Curated OER
Read a Transportation Story
Third graders research the building of a transcontinental road. In this railroad history lesson, 3rd graders discuss past and present transportation. Students look at historical photos and compare and contrast photos from today.
Curated OER
Agriculture in Motion
Youngsters learn about simple machines that could be used on a farm. They learn about agricluture, listen to a farmer speak, compare and contrast different farm machines, and then design their own. Note that although the publisher...
Curated OER
Changing Images of Childhood in America: Colonial, Federal and Modern England
Students compare and contrast maps of New Haven, Connecticut from today and the past. After taking a field trip, they draw sketches of the types of architecture and discuss how the buildings have changed over time. They read journal...
Curated OER
Our Eye in the Sky: The TIROS Weather Satellite
Young scholars investigate the political context of the creation of a weather satellite. In this technology and society lesson, students explore the historical, technological, and political context of the TIROS weather satellite. They...
Curated OER
The Civil War in Historical Fiction and Historical Accounts
Eighth graders examine life during the Civil War through various readings. They compare and contrast a novel they read in class to one they chose on the subject. They work together as a class to produce a newspaper displaying the...
Curated OER
A Little Mystery and Intrigue in Writing Short Detective Stories
Students read and analyze the twelve short stories in the novel "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." They create their own detective that has to solve a new kind of crime, and write and edit a short story with their original detective as...
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Analyzing Key Ideas and Details in Nonfiction
Learners explore nonfiction texts. In this language arts lesson, students read a nonfiction text and make predictions. Learners identify facts and opinions in the text and draw conclusions as they read.
Curated OER
Harlem Renaissance: Pivotal Period in the Development of Afro-American Culture
Young scholars examine the time period of the Harlem Renaissance. In groups, they compare and contrast the type of art before and after the movement along with the state of society at the time. After reading a book on the topic of...
Curated OER
Doctor Mae C. Jemison - First African American Woman in Space
Seventh graders trace and analyze the life of Doctor Mae C. Jemison and the circumstances that enabled Dr. Jemison to achieve her goal of becoming an astronaut. They explore the role of NASA in the development of America's Space Shuttle...
Curated OER
What Can You See in the Sky?
In this objects in the sky activity, learners will compare what they can see in the sky during the day and during the night. Students will complete 8 fill in the blank statements.
Curated OER
Analyzing Speaker, Language, and Tone in the Writings of Benjamin Franklin
Students analyze writings by Benjamin Franklin. In this Benjamin Franklin lesson plan, students discover the pseudonyms under which Franklin used to write. Students compare and contrast 2 selections by Franklin.
Curated OER
Newspaper Writing on Flight in History
Young scholars read about important events in history through newspaper articles. In this newspaper lesson plan, students look at different writing styles and author's bias in different articles about the same event. They write their own...
Curated OER
Common Theme in Folktale: 900 Versions of Cinderella
Seventh graders examine various stories that have a Cinderella theme. In this Language Arts lesson, 7th graders compare and contrast stories. Students write various journal assignments in regards to the stories.
Curated OER
Shopping for Souvenirs In the Middle East
Young scholars participate in a role play in which they are shopping for souvenirs in the Middle East. Using maps, they locate the Middle East and identify each country within the region. They create a key map for the types of...
Curated OER
Compare and Contrast Creation Stories
Students compare and contrast creation stories. In this Bible studies instructional activity, students work in groups to read and summarize creation myths and share with their peers. The class goes on to create a chart to...
Curated OER
Writing a Comparison/Contrast Paragraph: Using Vivid Verbs
In this vivid verbs worksheet, students complete three activities that help them use strong, vivid verbs in the comparison and contrast writing.
Minnesota Literacy Council
Introduction to Historical Thinking
Christopher Columbus: hero or villain? Prepare class members for the debate with activities that asks them to think critically about how history is reported.