Curated OER
Thomas Edison's Inventions in the 1900s and Today: From "New" to You!
Students research types of technology available to Americans at the beginning of the 20th century and compare the style of living to modern times. They identify Thomas Edison's contributions to technology and their own current lifestyles.
Curated OER
The Properties of Clay
Sixth graders determine the physical properties of clay by examining ceramic works of art. They evaluate local soil samples for suitability for sculpting and compare clay taken from soil to manufactured clay.
Smithsonian Institution
The Soldier’s Experience—Vietnam versus World War I
The Vietnam War and World War I were two very important—and different—wars. To understand the differences, and similarities, class members watch videos, examine primary source documents, and then create a newscast that examines the...
Shakespeare Uncovered
War and Leadership in Shakespeare’s Henry V
“Compared to war all other forms of human endeavor shrink to insignificance.” “War is not healthy for children and other living things.” These two views of war, embodied in George Patton’s statement and Lorraine Schneider‘s famous 1966...
Curated OER
Evaluating Eyewitness Reports
Students consider the advantages and disadvantages of eyewitness accounts as records of history. They research several accounts of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and then compare and contrast each version to arrive at a final picture.
Curated OER
Conserving Electric Energy
Another fantastic lesson on energy is presented by the American Coal Foundation. This one focuses on electricity; how it is produced, how it is delivered, and how it is used. Some excellent handouts are embedded in this fine plan which...
Curated OER
Camouflage
Here is a lesson which incorporates ingenious hands-on activities that simulate how many animals use camouflage as a survival technique. This lesson clearly outlines how to implement the activities and discussion sessions found in it....
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
European Explorers
To compare how the Spanish, French, and English approached the exploration of North America, class groups examine primary source documents and become experts on one of four explorers: Francisco Coronado, Robert LaSalle, Samuel de...
Curated OER
5 Broken Cameras: How Storytellers Shape the Story
5 Broken Cameras, the award-winning documentary nominated for a 2013 Academy Award and winner of the Sundance 2012 Directors Award is the focus of a resource packet that includes a lesson plan, discussion guide, reading lists, background...
Curated OER
Then and Now: Public Health from 1900 to Today
Throughout the 20th Century, the world has become a healthier place. By examining the public-health issues and diseases doctors faced during the 1900's, students will compare and contrast life from today vs. life in the 1900's. Their...
Curated OER
Exploration of 'pill bugs'
Fifth graders define words. They create a dichotomous key. After carefully examining pill bugs, 5th graders record observations. They compare and contrast habitats of pillbugs.
Curated OER
A Togolese Tale: The Big Fire
High schoolers identify common elements found in folk tales and read a Togolese folk tale told by Fred Koehler. They analyze the folk tale for its elements and compare and contrast it with well-known Western folk tales.
Curated OER
Geography, Climate, and Community in the Dominican Republic
Learners examine primary source materials on the Dominican Republic in an exploration of how environment influences lifestyles. They compare and contrast life in the Dominican Republic with life in the United States.
Curated OER
Same, But Different
Students compare and contrast specific characters in the book, "Old Henry." They discuss similarities and differences between people and define character traits. They assess one's own character traits and have a class discussion about...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan: Spain has its own immigration issues. How does it compare to ours?
Students investigate the issue of immigration in North Carolina and Spain. They compare/contrast immigration in both and exchange opinions about possible solutions. In addition, they write an essay proposing North Carolina solutions...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan Project
Middle schoolers demonstrate the composing of a string quartet piece by working together in small groups to write a short composition based around a pentatonic scale for all four instruments. They evaluate their peers compositions by...
Curated OER
ALIKE, DIFFERENT, OR BOTH?
Young scholars compare and contrast two characters from the play The Diary of Anne Frank on a Venn diagram and write a paragraph showing similarities and differences.
Curated OER
Ellis Island/Angel Island
Fourth graders research Ellis Island and Angel Island. In this library media lesson, 4th graders use resources from the library to locate facts about Ellis Island and Angel Island. Students construct a Venn diagram to compare and...
Curated OER
Political Issues Survey
Fifth graders develop and conduct a survey regarding issues in a current political campaign. They distribute and collect the surveys, input the data using a spreadsheet program, and compare/contrast the recorded results.
Curated OER
How Poets Evoke Social and Historical Representations
High schoolers explore how poems represent the social, historical, and cultural times that they were written in. In this poetry lesson plan, students compare and contrast poems with music of the time and explore implications of writing...
Curated OER
Graphing and Analyzing Biome Data
Students explore biome data. In this world geography and weather data analysis lesson plan, students record data about weather conditions in North Carolina, Las Vegas, and Brazil. Students convert Fahrenheit degrees to Celsius degrees...
Curated OER
Poetry - Landscape, Comparison, and Critical Response
Students compare and evaluate landscape poetry. In this poetry lesson, students read poetry by Owen Sheers that describes place/landscapes. They read and compare two similar poems before looking at visual images related to the poems....
Curated OER
Insect Models
Students construct an insect model. In this "insects" science and art lesson, students complete a KWL chart about 'insects," then view several interactive websites to become familiar with insect traits. Students construct an insect model...
Curated OER
African Americans in California’s Heartland – The Civil Rights Era
Events related to the Civil Rights Movement in Sacramento, California during the 1960s offer class members an opportunity to compare the nonviolent resistance approach favored by Dr. Martin Luther King and the NAACP with those of the...