National First Ladies' Library
Recovery! Coping with the Effects of a Natural Disaster
Students explore natural disasters and the devastation caused by them. Using specified websites, learners examine how people rebuild after a disaster. In groups, they design and rebuild a community and conclude by writing an essay...
Curated OER
Constitutional Convention
Eighth graders investigate Constitutional Convention debates. In this early American history lesson, 8th graders analyze speeches delivered by Benjamin Franklin at the convention and then research Franklin's life. Students also...
Curated OER
Twentieth-Century Oracles
Students discuss the role of the oracles in Greek society. In groups, they use the internet to research the disagreements of scholoars on describing the importance of the oracles. They also discuss why the Greeks started going to see...
Curated OER
The Death Penalty
Students examine how people are punished in the American justice system. In groups, they identify the four different theories of punishment and how it is used in the justice system. They use the internet to read arguments for and against...
Curated OER
Understanding Federalist #10
Young scholars read the Federalist #10. In groups, they discuss the meaning of each paragraph. Afterward, students write a summary exploring the important arguments of the paper. Young scholars explore the historical significance of the...
Curated OER
Carbon Dioxide Heats It Up
Learners design an investigation to test whether vegetation in an area helps regulate the ambient air temperature. They make comparisons between the investigation and global changes in climate. In groups, they present their findings to...
Curated OER
Stamp Stories of Abraham Lincoln
Students build a 5 stamp collection based on the Abraham Lincoln unit theme. In this historical lesson plan, students discuss their collections within their group and build a new collection of 10 stamps. As a class, students debates the...
Curated OER
Minorities in a Cross-Cultural Perspective Debate Simulation Case Study: China's Borderlands
Twelfth graders investigate if minority status is synonymous with powerlessness in China. They examine if minority and majority groups interact with equity and justice in China. Students present their findings in a debate-simulation format.
Curated OER
Debate: Whose Land Is It?
Young scholars identify the main factors involved in determining who was able to claim the land of California as their own. They determine the factors of unjustness in the Gold Rush times. Students reflect on what they learned from the...
Curated OER
The Media and You
Students create a system to approach news articles. They analyze media content for main ideas and overall themes and summarize key points. Students draw upon personal experiences to build on ideas presented in news articles.
Curated OER
Instability in Iraq
Students explore the non-partisan and disparate position the United States government and political figures are taking regarding U.S. military presence in Iraq. They analyze and summarize current accounts and coverage of the events in Iraq.
Curated OER
Common Words that are Similar in Polish and English
In this foreign language worksheet, students discover that many Polish words are similar to those in English and the meanings can be guessed. Students read a chart of 220 Polish words and their English translations. Example: balon...
Curated OER
Three Essential Soft Skills That Span Every Content Area
Reading, writing, and arithmetic are just the start of what young people need to know to be successful.
Curated OER
The Extraverted Thinking Personality Type: An Introduction
Curriculum strategies designed to engage and inspire a predominantly extraverted thinking class.
Curated OER
Active Viewing: Savage Acts
Based on the documentary film Savage Acts: Wars, Fairs, and Empire, this lesson explores concepts of National interests and imperialism. They view sections of the film and share which images exemplify the meaning of each vocabulary term....
Curated OER
Investigating Our Past: Where Did Humans Come From?
Investigate the theories of human evolution. In this research based lesson, learners research and discuss how geographic isolation, interbreeding, generalization, and specialization are factors in the history of humans. Groups work...
East Lyme Public Schools
To Declare or Not to Declare Independence?
Class members adopt the persona of real figures in American history, Patriots and Loyalists, research these individuals to determine their stance, and then debate the question of whether or not to declare independence from...
Virginia Department of Education
Counterarguments
Create an urbane battle royal in class with the old Coke vs. Pepsi challenge that develops upper level high school learners skills in developing counterarguments in essay writing. The educator divides the room according to tastes, and...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Jacksonian Democracy and Indian Removal
Introduce a study of the presidency of Andrew Jackson with a lesson that uses video clips, primary source documents, group activities, and debates to examine Jackson's early life and career. The lesson focuses on the 1828 election and...
Curated OER
US Immigration Policy: What Should We Do?
Students evaluate immigration policies. In this global issues lesson, students analyze the long-term goals of divergent immigration policies as they role play the deliberation process.
Carfleo
Substance Use and Abuse
What is substance abuse? What is the difference between a depressant and a stimulant? Here is a comprehensive unit on drug use, including three lessons with such activities as categorizing and defining key terms, identifying...
Curated OER
Prosecution or Persecution
Investigate the future of the presidency in the wake of the House of Representatives' vote to impeach President Clinton. The class brainstorms both sides of the argument, reads and discusses an article, then analyzes and writes a journal...
Channel Islands Film
Santa Cruz Island Restoration Narrative
What would you be willing to do to save an animal from extinction? After re-viewing a video about the restoration of the Island Fox on Santa Cruz Island, individuals adopt the point of view of one of the key players in the...
Curated OER
Food, Glorious Food?
How are the reactions between American and European consumers different when it comes to genetically modified foods? Use the New York Times article "Consumers in Europe Resist Gene-Altered Foods" to inform your middle schoolers...