Curated OER
Massacre or Street Fight? A Study of Images Relating to the Boston Massacre
Fifth graders examine how the merchants of the city allowed the economy to flourish. Using primary sources, they discover how international trade helped to develop the United States. They also identify the role of Elias Hasket Derby, a...
Curated OER
Being Responsible for Earth
Eighth graders explore the characteristics of responsibility. In this character lesson, 8th graders complete a self-evaluation. Students view a responsibility video. Students write a newspaper article on selected environmental issue.
Curated OER
Marvelous Magnets
Students investigate the properties of magnets. In this physics lesson, students view a Powerpoint presentation on magnets and list facts about magnets they learned. Students use magnets in the classroom to identify what materials they...
Berkeley Engineering and Mentors
Marshmallow Catapaults
After a brief lecture on levers, torque, projectiles, and the five-step engineering design cycle, young physical science learners or engineers build catapults out of craft sticks. This is an open-ended exploration of what works and what...
Curated OER
Persuasive Essay
Next time you assign your young historians to write a persuasive essay, use this document as a starting point and support them with a rubric, tips for writing a successful persuasive piece, and a general essay outline.
Curated OER
Emergency? Ask A Kid!
What is an actual emergency situation and what should you do to prepare for it? Learners will identify a variety of emergency situations and the appropriate way to address first aid concerns to minimize injuries. They will also discover...
Curated OER
Tides in the Hudson
Learners view an illustration of the Hudson River watershed and identify the bodies of water shown. They discuss what happens when fresh and salt water mix. Students view a teacher demonstration of the stratification of fresh and salt...
Curated OER
Hazardous Products Substitutes
Third graders write a hazardous products substitutes recipe book. In this Science lesson, 3rd graders identify words and symbols that indicate hazardous substances. Students investigate safe substitutes and write a recipe book to use at...
Curated OER
Tiling the Classroom
Students see how to identify regular polygons, how to slide, turn and flip polygons, and why certain polygons tessellate better than others. Groups create a one foot square design to be used to tile the classroom. Great lesson!
Curated OER
Shapes and Tools
Young learners view different shapes drawn by the teacher on the board. The teacher identifies each shape by name and discusses the importance of knowing the difference between shapes when building something. The pupils complete the...
Curated OER
All Americana
Fifth graders research American landmarks and symbols. In this United States history instructional activity, 5th graders create a KWL chart about the symbols of America and take notes during a PowerPoint presentation. Students complete...
Curated OER
Food Pyramid Relay Race
Young scholars explore healthy eating habits by conducting a physical food challenge. In this food pyramid lesson, students identify the main concepts behind the food pyramid and what choices they should be making with their food intake....
Shakespeare in American Life
Tom Hanks and Caliban: Survivor Superstars
Here’s a clever way to combine language arts and social studies. Shakespeare’s The Tempest is believed to have been inspired by the wreck of the Sea Venture on Bermuda in 1609. The class views a brief scene from Castaway in which Tom...
Curated OER
What is an Endangered Species?
Here are two well-designed, and easy-to-follow lesson plans on endangered species for your third graders. The focus is on the bison; the history of the slaughter of the animals in the 1800's, and the story of how they were saved from...
Curated OER
In Depth with the Full Spectrum
Learners explore the basic color wheel and the ways that artists use color to guide the viewer's attention through a painting's composition. A creation of a sense of depth in a two dimensional space and the effect of color on mood and...
Down Syndrome Possibilities
Down Syndrome: Lesson Plan
You don't usually find lessons written just for learners with Down syndrome, so this is a true jewel. Kindergartners will explore farm animal sounds and identification as they sing the song, "Down on Grandpa's Farm." They sing the song,...
Curated OER
The Civil War
Although we currently focus on Abraham Lincoln's positive contributions in creating a more equal society, the truth is that Lincoln was actually a controversial character in his time! After studying the Civil War, give your high...
Curated OER
Crime Drama Teaching Units
Investigate the nature of crime dramas on television. What exactly are they trying to portray? Questions and a comparison chart support learners as they watch shows from Canada, Great Britain, and the United States. An oral presentation...
Curated OER
Blending into Good Speech
Your class can increase their production of the target phoneme /sh/ through the use of video, the Internet, and hands-on activities listed here. Sound out the phoneme altogether, then model words that include /sh/ at the beginning....
Curated OER
Lesson Plan: The Net Neutrality Debate
Should Internet users who send data-heavy content pay higher fees than those who are involved in activities, like sending an email, that have less content? This question is at the heart of the Net Neutrality debate. After watching a PBS...
Curated OER
Favorite Sports and Athletes: an Introduction to Sports Media
Even young children watch sports and like team logos and products. It's never too early to think critically about what's onscreen. This exercise develops awareness that media communicate values (i.e. who participates in sports and who...
Curated OER
Literary Analysis: Summary vs. Analysis
What is the difference between summary writing and literary analysis? A 16-slide presentation offers some basic requirements for both types of writing and helps readers identify each based on keywords used in both types of writing....
Asian Art Museum
Community Identity?
To better understand the contemporary arts movement in Japan, learners engage in a guided discussion. They view several photograms by the artist Kunie Sugirua, then discuss the elements of art and techniques used to create each...
Curated OER
Wetlands Are Wonderful
Students study the characteristics of wetlands. They are introduced to terms and different examples of wetlands. The hands-on activity reinforces the different parts of the wetlands, and provides a working model of a wetland.