Beyond Benign
Water Bottle Unit
How much plastic do manufacturers use to create water bottles each year? The class explores the number of water bottles used throughout the years to determine how many consumers will use in the future. Class members compare different...
Core Knowledge Foundation
The Victorian Age
The length of Queen Victoria's reign, surpassed only by Queen Elizabeth II in the modern era, stretched through much of the 19th century and into the 20th century. Explore the many social, industrial, and political shifts that occurred...
Curated OER
Challenging Stereotypes: A New Look at Old Age
Combine a lesson on the elderly with grammar instruction. Before viewing a series of provided video clips, class members brainstorm a list of words related to senior citizens and organize these words into categories that correspond with...
Curated OER
Polar Bears in Peril - Climate Change Culprit?
High schoolers explore the changes in sea ice over several years. In this life science lesson, students review and examine 20 years of data. They use Excel to graph data and analyze trends.
Curated OER
Do the Tallywalker
Students study the basics of mapmaking, then make a tally walker, (geographic location device used in secret).
Curated OER
Pick A Number
Elementary schoolers find out which month has the most class birthdays (mode) and which birthday represents the middle point of all the birthdays (median). They gather and organize data to find one number that fairly represents the whole...
PBS
U.S. Agricultural Subsidies and Nutrition
Most young people don't spend a lot of time thinking about why some foods cost less than others. This resource uses clips from the documentary, Food, Inc. to explore the impact of agricultural subsidies on nutrition, health, and the...
Kids Yoga Stories
Valentine's Day - LOVE
Open your heart with a refreshing yoga session designed for Valentine's Day. With visual cues of hearts and other festive decorations, participants begin a series of yoga poses designed to open their heart chakras and to reflect on...
Poetry4kids
How to Write a Diamante Poem
A lesson begins with a description of a diamante poem and the rules to follow while writing one. Scholars examine the ins and outs of synonym and antonym diamantes, then compose an original poem using their newfound knowledge.
EngageNY
Analyzing a Graph
Collaborative groups utilize their knowledge of parent functions and transformations to determine the equations associated with graphs. The graph is then related to the scenario it represents.
Curated OER
Fossils!
Students explore what fossils are, how they are formed, what different types there are and why they are significant to both our present and past geology history. They participate in a hands on fossil observation of their choice and...
Curated OER
Tobacco in North Carolina
Fourth graders examine the depiction of North Carolina tobacco farms in several photographs. They work in small groups to prepare an argument for a class debate and create promotional signs to advertise their point of view about tobacco...
Curated OER
Show Don't Tell
Students review the Show Don't Tell method of writing haiku poetry. They practice distinguishing poetic language from academic language and create poems based on images, not explanations.
Curated OER
Welcome to Our School
Students build a friendly environment for future students by creating a PowerPoint presentation. In this middle school introduction lesson, students utilize a camera to record important moments throughout the school year....
Curated OER
Freethought Day Lessons
Freethought Day provides a way for students to discuss the current justice system.
Curated OER
"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" Lesson Ideas
There are many creative activities that can be done to extend the learning after reading "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas."
Curated OER
Book Project Lesson Plans
Long term book projects can help engage students and enhance their critical thinking skills .
Curated OER
Bud, Not Buddy
Fifth graders read the book Bud, Not Buddy and participate in activities that generate understanding of the Great Depression. In this realistic fiction lesson, 5th graders read about a boy who grew up during this time. Students...
Curated OER
The Sahara: Home of the Tuareg
Students research and analyze the Tuareg and other groups as well, including their own, and examine the impact culture has on environment.
Curated OER
President Madison's 1812 War Message: A Documentary Review
Young scholars analyze primary documents to determine why President Madison believed it was important for the US to declare war with Great Britain. Students research documents on the Internet to determine President Madison's argument for...
Curated OER
We're Building Heroes
Students discuss their ideas of the qualities a hero possesses. In this attributes of a hero lesson plan, students construct a hero puzzle and identify qualities of a hero in storybook characters.
Curated OER
Serfs and Lords
Learners determine what the roles of serfs and lords were in feudal society. In this feudalism lesson, students examine what life was like for the different classes by looking at farm and manor life. They listen to Till Year's Good End,...
Curated OER
All About Bugs
Students read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and practice the days of the week. In groups, they create a puppet show, design cards of the "days of the week," draw their favorite part of the story, create a visual representation of each...
Curated OER
Diplomatic Field of Dreams
Young scholars explore past U.S.-Cuban relations, by researching key events in the past century and creating a class timeline, in order to evaluate restrictions in policy on Cuba and the potential for exhibition baseball games.