Smithsonian Institution
War of 1812
Luckily for those who aren't history buffs, anyone can guess that the War of 1812 happened in ... 1812. But how to cover the rest of the story? The resource does just that with effective direct instruction that includes statistics,...
Curated OER
Cinderella Folk Tales: Variations in Plot and Setting
Students examine plot and setting of Cinderella, and how it changes as it is translated into different cultures, discuss universal literary elements of the Cinderella story, and write narratives with original settings and plots...
Global Oneness Project
A Vanishing Island
The effects of rising sea levels on Isle de Jean Charles, located off the coast of Louisiana, are documented in Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee's poignant short video. Viewers are asked to consider not only the plight of residents but also what...
American Battle Monuments Commission
The Battle of the Atlantic
World War II is known for its land and air battles in Europe, but the waters of the Atlantic saw its share of skirmishes from 1939 to 1945. Learn more about the roles of the Allied powers in establishing ocean territory during World War...
NET Foundation for Television
1850-1874 Native Americans and Settlers
Did Western settlers receiving free land from the Homestead Act realize it wasn't really free at all? Scholars investigate the impact Western expansion had on Native American culture in the mid-1800s. They use documents, timelines, and...
WE Charity
High School–Module 5: Transportation Solutions
Planes, trains, and automobiles ... the abundance of today's transportation options comes at a hefty price. Using the fifth and final lesson plan from the WE Are Innovators—High School Modules set, pupils explore how modern...
Curated OER
Could You Elaborate on That?
Fourth graders engage in a instructional activity which teaches the parts of an expository essay and how to organize and write an expository piece from a given topic. After a lecture/demo, 4th graders utilize a worksheet imbedded in this...
Curated OER
Everybody Fiesta: A Unit on Hispanic Celebrations
Students study Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and Three Kings Day. They research the holidays on the Internet and write compare/contrast essays. Using Microsoft Word to type their essays, they incorporate images that represent the holidays.
Curated OER
Land Use and Lawmaking in California
Young scholars read writings by Ralph Waldo Emerson to analyze transcendentalism and analyze photographic essays depicting environmental issues. In this art and history lesson, students read excerpts of Nature by Emerson to identify...
Curated OER
Developing Student Web Pages for Showcasing Research
Students employ information literacy skills to research topics. They develop topics using a graphic organizer. They draft, revise and edit research projects. They write an expository essay. They create a web page in Microsoft Publisher.
Curated OER
Create Your Island Paradise
Sixth graders create a descriptive essay and map describing their island paradise. They try to evoke the reader's senses: seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting. They revise their paragraphs using their partner's feedback.
Curated OER
Making a Treasure Your Own: Lesson Two
Students write an essay describing the Curtis Center and what they learned there. In this descriptive writing essay, students discuss the five paragraph essay and review sensory discoveries from their trip. Students draft an outline and...
Curated OER
Turmoils of The 1960's and 70's.
Students engage in the study of the social problems associated with the 1960's and 1970's. They explain how the government made attempts to solve the problem and evaluate the success. This is done through the writing of an essay using...
Curated OER
Picture the Process!
Pupils read "Chasing Vermeer," and then study the author's writing process. They make connections between the book and the author's real life experiences. They then write an original mystery story, following the writing process.
Curated OER
Elaborate It
Students read writing samples and discuss the differences between the writing with and without anecdotal examples. They write expository essays that include personal anecdotes.
Curated OER
The Cause & Effect Model
Students analyze the plot of the story, "The Little Engine That Could" to provide a model for writing creatively, developing critical essays, producing themes, and making predictions.
Curated OER
Easy Estimating
In this estimation worksheet, students use a small snack food to complete 9 estimation activities. They describe the item they are estimating, make a first estimate, use more information, make a second estimate, acquire more information...
Curated OER
Harriet Tubman: An Informative and Impressionistic Look
Young scholars examine artwork depicting Harriet Tubman. For this Harriet Tubman lesson, students review her life and how she impacted the Underground Railroad. Young scholars view impressionistic artwork showing her life. Students then...
Curated OER
Name Geneology Essay
Students research the meaning of their names and write an essay about their findings.
Curated OER
The Class Garden Essay
Fifth graders use a class garden as inspiration for a specific writing assignment. They conduct research into different types of flowers in photo images taken with a digital camera. Students write a creative essay and draw a picture to...
Curated OER
Writing a Fantasy Story - Time Travel
Students write a fantasy story about travelling back in time to the period of the Oregon Trail. They conduct research and take notes about the Oregon Trail, and write a first and a final draft of their short story about their visit to...
Curated OER
Evaluation Essay
Students write an essay about previous studied lessons that is applied to the Japanese American experience. They have to role play being a Caucasian, or Nisei in California at a given time based on what they have studied. What would...
Curated OER
Cloudy Days Are for Reading and Writing
Middle schoolers consider a variety of well-known proverbs that refer to the weather. They research the scientific validity of these proverbs, conduct interviews about public perception of the proverbs and summarize their findings in...