Curated OER
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Explore Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" in this literature analysis lesson. Middle schoolers read and summarize the plot of the story. They then adapt passages for a contemporary audience and analyze the...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Walt Whitman to Langston Hughes: Poems for a Democracy
Explore the idea of democratic poetry. Upper graders read Walt Whitman, examining daguerreotypes, and compare Whitman to Langston Hughes. They describe aspects of Whitman's I Hear America Singing to Langston Hughes' Let America Be...
Curated OER
Bud, Not Buddy: Directed Reading Thinking Activity
Here’s a reading strategy that can be used with any text. Class members examine portions of a novel, and make predictions about the theme or subject matter of the book. Although designed for Christopher Paul Curtis’s Newbery Medal...
Curated OER
DR-TA Reading Strategy
Foster critical thinking skills by using the DR-TA Strategy with Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal.” Class members read portions of the essay, stop and discuss what is happening, make predictions based on evidence from the text, and...
Curated OER
Dandelion Wine: Questioning Strategy
Readers of Dandelion Wine work in groups to develop questions on four levels (right there, think and search, the author and you, and on my own) about Chapter 34 of Ray Bradbury's reflection on the joys of summer. Groups jigsaw and...
Curated OER
Phineas Gage: The Teenage Brain and Connections: Free Choice Activity
During this lesson, which is all about making connections, learners watch a documentary about the teenage brain and connect it to Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science, their own lives, and the world.
Mathematics Assessment Project
Representing Quadratic Functions Graphically
Sometimes being different is an advantage. An engaging activity has scholars match cards with quadratic functions in various forms. Along the way, they learn about how each form highlights key features of quadratic functions.
iCivics
Yeah, But...
Impress upon your young learners the importance of formulating counter arguments based on facts and not opinions. This resource is meant to strengthen arguments designed in a previous lesson, but could also be used as a stand-alone...
Sea World
Whales
A whale of a lesson is sure to intrigue your elementary oceanographers! Learn about the mammals of the sea with a series of activities about whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Kids complete worksheets about the anatomy of a whale, create a...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Representing the Laws of Arithmetic
Sixth graders connect numerical expressions to geometric area. They first complete an assessment task requiring them to identify area models for numerical expressions. Learners then participate in an activity to match area models to...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Solving Quadratic Equations
Scholars first complete an individual assignment using a quadratic equation to model the movement of a bus around a corner. Learners then discuss their solutions with classmates and analyze the provided sample responses.
Teach Engineering
Forms of Linear Equations
Linear equations are all about form. The fifth part in a unit of nine works with the different equivalent forms of linear equations. Class members become familiar with each form by identifying key aspects, graphing, and converting...
University of Nottingham
Modeling Conditional Probabilities: 2
Bring the concept of conditional probability alive by allowing your classes to explore different probability scenarios. Many tasks have multiple solutions that encourage students to continue exploring their problems even after a solution...
Institute for Humane Education
Not So Fair and Balanced: Analyzing Bias in the Media
Life is not always fair. Who's heard that before? This same concept moves to a larger scale using prejudice and bias. Pupils discuss where prejudice attitudes derive and how they develop throughout life. Reading comprehension...
Smithsonian Institution
Trait Tracker
Help mice beat the odds with an exciting activity about traits. Biologists discover the role of diet and other factors on animal traits by participating in a simulation activity. Teams collect and evaluate data to understand how certain...
Overcoming Obstacles
Creating a Win-Win Situation
As part of a study of ways to resolve conflicts, class members examine the characteristics of win-win solutions and then practice win-win negotiations. They also examine the role of a mediator in conflict resolution and then script and...
Curated OER
What Have You Learned about the Mouth?
Students sequence the steps in a normal day that can lead to tooth decay and describe how to maintain a healthy mouth.
Curated OER
Capitalization and Washington, D.C.
Second graders learn and practice capitalizing names of cities, states, countries, streets, buildings, bridges, and geographical places around the theme of Washington, D.C. through activities at learning centers in the classroom.
Curated OER
"Swamp Monsters" by Mary Blount Christian
Using the book Swamp Monsters by Mary Blount Christian, young readers discuss key vocabulary terms and make predictions about swamp monsters. They complete a Cloze activity, explore past-tense verbs, and categorize vocabulary words.
Curated OER
Vocabulary Strategy: Call of the Wild
Here is a strategy for groups to contribute to whole class vocabulary development. Teams (based on seating rows) work together to look up dictionary definitions of words from upcoming sections of the book (though previous sections seem...
Curated OER
Animal Research Pamphlet
Fourth graders perform research on an animal of choice. The reading of a novel is done prior to the research in order to establish context for the lesson. The use of the library for research is a key skill for this lesson.
Curated OER
The Meaning Behind the Mask
Learners explore the world of African masks and storytelling. They create masks that tell stories of their own.
Curated OER
"Reality Math: Fact or Fiction"
Students investigate the use of math in everyday life. They investigate several occupations and pay scales. They complete spreadsheets that show how monthly bills can be organized using technology. They use word processing software to...
Curated OER
Building Bridges to Others
Practice communication skills in order to make meaningful connections to others. Through studying effective communication, kids make meaningful relationships that can affect the community in a positive way.