Alabama Department of Archives and History
A Cry for Help in Alabama - 1934
What should be the role of the federal government during an economic crisis? That is the question at the center of this introduction to a study of the New Deal. Class members examine letters to the state government asking for help,...
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Word Reference Materials
A class discussion on reference materials opens up a lesson on how to use these important resources. They discover that dictionaries, glossaries, and thesauruses are called word reference resources, and they practice using them. The...
Student Handouts
Logical Fallacies
Help your learners grow their critical thinking and analytical skills by asking them to examine logical fallacies. After reading an example, pupils determine if two sets of premises and conclusions are logical fallacies or not and...
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Newsinary
Students demonstrate dictionary and vocabulary skills. They create an index card book containing a page for each letter of the alphabet that includes a word, definition, and sentence.
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Taking Notes from Written Documents
In this notetaking skills worksheet, students discuss the main events and opinions of a document, as well as listing three things the document tells about life at the time it was written.
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Astronomer Research
Students discover the contributions of early astronomers and scientists. For this research skills lesson, students research electronic and print sources about Galileo Galilei, Aristarchus, Hipparchus, Claudius Ptolemy, Nicholas...
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Vietnam Today
Students discover the Vietnam of today. In this research skills lesson plan, students identify what the country is like today. Students select projects from the provided list to complete and share with their classmates.
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Born on Halloween
In this research skills worksheet, students use an encyclopedia, almanac, web search, or other resources to answer the 5 questions about people who have birthdays on Halloween.
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African American Inventors Study
Students learn about African American inventors. For this inventing lesson, students are assigned an African American inventor to research. Students work in pairs to complete their research. Students write a compare and contrast...
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Recognizing Reference Sources
Fourth graders investigate five different reference sources in the Media Center: Atlas, Dictionary, Encyclopedia, Card Catalog (Look Up Station), and the Internet. They decide which is the BEST source to use to answer specific questions.
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Venus Flytrap
Students study the Venus Flytrap including its habitat and how it eats. In this ecology instructional activity students complete several experiments using a Venus Flytrap to see how it reacts to various conditions.
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Proteomics
Students analyze data taken from proteomic experiments. In this biology lesson, students explain the importance of bioinformatics tools in the study of proteins. They evaluate scientific results using math and computer software.
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Showdown on the Frontier
Especially critical following a series of shootings in schools, theaters, and religious buildings, it's safe to say that we need to evaluate the current laws on gun control. Eighth graders read a New York Times article in order to better...
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Prisoner in One's Own Home
Examine the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. After reading an article from the New York Times and exploring the author's word choice, young readers find the central idea in the text and work on researching...
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Be That As It Maya
Creative projects are a great way to engage your class and can be a fun way to assess mastery! Learners create brochures and postcards that might have been created by and for travelers to ancient Mayan cities. They read and discuss the...
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Ecuadorian Rainforest
Have your class talk about the importance of the rainforest and the products that come from it. Learners watch a video showing the path of chocolate from the rainforest to the supermarket. They discuss how the rainforest and...
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Dinosaur! Fossil Rush: Tale of a Bone
Explore 1870s when a "bone rush" led to amazing discoveries, as fossil-hunters risked life and limb in their quest for dinosaur remains. The class uses the attached visual encyclopedia to prep for a discussion on early paleontology. Two...
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Using Informational Books: Index, Table of Contents & Alphabetical Order
Students recall and use previous knowledge of the library's reference and nonfiction sections. Also they utilize various forms of reference (encyclopedias & dictionaries) and nonfiction books.
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Beary O'Mometer Learns About Careers In Meteorology
Students explore the field of meteorology. In this meteorology lesson, students explore weather-related careers as they research the field of study as well as various weather concepts. Students interview meteorologists, write business...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Off to Adventure!: Challenge Activities (Theme 1)
Off to Adventure! is the theme of an English language arts unit comprised of a variety of challenge activities. Scholars enhance skills and reinforce concepts by taking part in a grand book discussion, giving an oral...
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How Was Coal Formed?
Geology can be a lot of fun. Learners review geology related vocabulary, make flashcards, use encyclopedias to answer questions, then explore the formation of coal. They identify dates and order them into key time frames of geologic...
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What's the Purpose Anyway?
Examine author's purpose in newspaper articles, comic books, cookbooks, encyclopedias and other forms of written materials. Working in groups, middle and high schoolers read teacher-selected articles and write an explanation of the...
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Syllable Sleuth
Do your learners have what it takes to be a syllable sleuth? Have them try out their skills on this syllables learning exercise, which begins by having students consider what resource is available to help them determine the number of...
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Gathering, Evaluating,and Organizing Information for a Research Report
It's never too early to build research skills! Students locate information relevant to a subject they are doing a research project on. They take notes and sort the information under main topic headings. Through research, they gain an...