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Curated OER

Language Arts, Music, Poetry: Blues Style

For Teachers Pre-K - 6th
This instructional activity focuses on how the blues both operates as poetry and informs the poetry of many prominent African American poets. Students consider the poetic devices and recurring themes in blues lyrics and the significance...
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Art of Cynicism

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners analyze selected pieces of art and infer how they reflect a sense of disillusionment, and/or cynicism in American society in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and Watergate scandal. Then they identify and place cultural attitudes...
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Facing History and Ourselves

The Range of Choices

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners examine crimes against human rights. In this world history instructional activity, students watch a segment of a video about the Armenian Genocide. Learners reflect on the crimes of the Ottoman government in classroom...
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The Japanese Military Build-up

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students evaluate the state of Japan's military and their defense strategy under the current Shinzo Abe administration. They watch the film, 'The Raping of Nanking' and read "The Return of Japanese Militarism: Rising Sun" by Joshua...
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Curated OER

Who Dirtied The Water/Clean Water: Is It Drinkable?

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students enter the room, receive a film canister that contains materials that be added to the dirty water bell jar. They record on their data table who or what is doing the adding and the actual substance that has been added to the bell...
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Journey

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students complete a variety of enrichment activities that focus on the book, Journey, by Patricia MacLachlan. They create a photo album that shows their own family history.
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What Makes a Cat a Cat?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate the lives of pets by videotaping them.  In this animal life lesson, students videotape a cat and other pets using school cameras in a computer lab.  Students review the footage from the cat and other...
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Nature Superfish

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners study the behavior or ocean animals called  billfish. In this life science lesson, students create their own documentary about a local animal. They share their videos with the entire school.
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This is America

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners explore world geography by viewing a documentary film in class. In this national parks instructional activity, students view the Ken Burns documentary about the subject and identify the contributions of individuals in support of...
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Creative Voices of Harlem

For Teachers K - 4th
Young scholars explore the Harlem Renaissance. In this American history lesson, students examine a poem by Langston Hughes and identify the characteristics of the Harlem Renaissance. Young scholars research and report on a famous Harlem...
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Portrait of a Place, Portrait of a Family

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students act out stories based on lives of famous people from Harlem. In this memoirs lesson, students compare the life of the people in Harlem in 1930 to the people of today. Students explore how "home" is different for different...
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The Reformation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students reflect on the specific details surrounding the Reformation.  In this World History lesson, students watch the film "Luther," then apply what they learned in their discussion on the Reformation with the film to complete a...
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Debunking the Myth of the American West

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students participate in a close reading. They examine the text closely for implied and hidden meaning, dissect the story to understand the text as a written craft, and discuss significant details and overall meaning of story. They...
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The Cuban Missile Crisis

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students reflect on the events that lead up to the Cuban Missile Crisis in the early 1960s.  For this history lesson plan, students explore the conflicts between the United States and the Soviet Union revolving around missiles in...
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An Issue of Loyalty: Exploring the Treatment of Japanese Americans During World War II

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students consider the meaning of loyalty. They explore the history of Japanese in the United States. and consider the meaning of citizenship. They create a presentation for the class. It can be a poster, Power Point or other...
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Under the Spell of Spiders

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Young scholars examine spiders. In these spider lessons, students will view spider images and live spiders to determine physical characteristics, habits, and habitats. Young scholars will examine fantasy and folklore about spiders to...
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Create a Classroom Exhibit: Rocks and Minerals

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students bring in rocks and minerals from home. They observe them and describe them carefully, completing a worksheet. Finally, a classroom exhibit is created.
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Ancient Cultures News Broadcast

For Teachers 7th - 11th Standards
How does geography influence daily life? Guided by an essential question, class groups select and then research an ancient culture, and develop a news broadcast about the geographical setting and its impact on the culture. Teams...
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Facing History and Ourselves

Analyzing Historical Evidence

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine World War I war crimes. In this world history instructional activity, learners use primary and secondary sources to research and understand the systematic nature of the Armenian Genocide. High schoolers reflect on...
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Acting Up

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students, in groups, study a Tony Award winner from the past through researching its history, watching the production, and reading the written origin of the production. They create programs for these productions and assess
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Mineral Scavenger Hunt

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students complete a scavenger hunt worksheet as they find examples in their classroom, at home, etc., of minerals. Excellent worksheet!
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Television Goes Digital

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners explore the difference between analog and digital televisions. They examine how the technology works and the impact of television through history. They also compare older television sets to ones found today.
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Defying Convention: A World of Black and White

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars watch a series known as "Unforgiveable Blackness". They examine the history of interracial marriage. They analyze how Jack Johnson was affected by this development.
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Curated OER

Rocks and Minerals

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners bring rocks and minerals from home to investigate in the classroom. In this rocks and minerals lesson plan, students observe all the rocks and minerals brought into the class and answer 7 questions about the features of the...