Curated OER
Exploring Indiana's Natural Resources
Fourth graders complete a variety of activities as they study the European exploration of the Midwest, focusing on Indiana. They map the path explorers took, comparing the British with the French. They research why the explorers stopped...
Curated OER
Lessons from The Lorax
Students read and watch a video of The Lorax by Dr. Suess. As a class, they answer a set of questions about how the environment was affected by industries. They also brainstorm a list of possible solutions to help curb the pollution.
Curated OER
Questions About Rivers
Students investigate rivers. In this geography instructional activity, students work in cooperative groups to read about rivers from articles they have collected. Students form questions using Bloom's Taxonomy as a guide.
Curated OER
A Social Science Lesson for Grades 4-7
Learners become more knowledgeable about the lives and responsibilities of circus kids and become aware of diverse family lifestyles.
Curated OER
Nick News Lesson
Students understand the causes of the devastation in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast States. They perceive the ways that children in the region are coping with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Curated OER
Health and Safety at Work
Learners explore potential hazards of various work conditions. For this awareness lesson, students as a whole discuss health and safety issues on the jobsite, then complete a worksheet about the hazards of particular employees. The...
Curated OER
Microbe Experimentation
Seventh graders study microorganisms in their environments by experimenting with milk products. In this microbes activity, 7th graders read background information about microorganisms in yogurt and soured milk. Students then follow a...
Curated OER
Japanese Culture
Ninth graders examine the differences in the way genders have been treated in the same society over the course of a nation's history. In this World History activity, 9th graders study the factors that have caused changes in...
Curated OER
A Geography and Ecology Lesson for Grades 4-7
Pupils explore many of the unusual geographical features of the Amazon River region, and explain the importance of preserving the tropical rainforest.
Facing History and Ourselves
Three Good Things
A "Three Good Things" routine asks participants to sit quietly and reflect on three positive things in their world: family, school, community, or the world at large. After journaling about one that feels most important right now, writers...
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...
Teach Engineering
Show Me the Genes
Give your class a chance to show what they know. In the last installment of a seven-part series, pupils summarize and review what they have learned in the series. They present their solutions for creating a biosensor to detect cancer...
Teach Engineering
Sugar Spill!
Sugar isn't good for you, but it's great for yeast! Scholars design an experiment to investigate how variables affect the rate of sugar consumption in yeast. The last installment of a nine-part Life Science unit considers how scientists...
Teach Engineering
Who Can Make the Best Coordinate System?
Working with a map that does not have a coordinate system on it, small, collaborative teams must come up with a coordinate system for their map. Groups then explain their coordinate structure to the class.
Facing History and Ourselves
Making Rights Universal
Class members continue their discussion of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). After examining an infographic the summarizes the document, groups examine four of the rights to decide if they are or are not universal, and if...
Facing History and Ourselves
Many Voices, One National Identity
To conclude the unit on "Exploring Identity in the United States," pupils consider whether it is possible to combine many voices into one national identity. After creating an identity chart that lists words, phrases, and images that they...
National Constitution Center
Town Hall Wall: College Exam
The college that directly affects young citizens' lives is not the university they're applying to. Learn about the Electoral College in a town hall activity in which class members debate the merits of the current system versus electing a...
Facing History and Ourselves
When Differences Matter
Jane Elliott's controversial blue eyes/brown eyes experiment detailed in the film A Class Divided leads to a discussion of privilege, social power, and opportunity. Viewers note how the children react to the experiment, share their...
Facing History and Ourselves
Reflection and Action for Civic Participation
Slacktivist or activist? Bystander or upstander? Positive social change requires involvement and commitment. After reading a series of articles about young people who chose to get involved, scholars examine a framework that helps peers...
Facing History and Ourselves
Connecting to the Past
Young historians research the connections between their personal histories and the histories of our country to gain a deeper understanding of who they are. To begin, class members write about an object that they consider significant to...
Facing History and Ourselves
Exit Cards
Everyone wants to feel heard and valued. Provide learners with an opportunity to share their thoughts and have them heard with this closing routine. Participants use an exit card to share their response to prompts that ask them to share...
Facing History and Ourselves
Looking Back, Looking Ahead
Masks, a pandemic, remote learning, and isolation; scholars reflect on the past school year and consider what positive things they would like to see continued in the current school year and what negative things they would like to...
Facing History and Ourselves
Dual Identities
Many of us have multiple identities. There's who we are at home, school, friends, and strangers. And often these identities come with different names. The third activity in the First Days of School series examines how names reflect...
Facing History and Ourselves
Becoming Ourselves
Here's a great way to build community during the first days of the new school year. Participants read personal narratives, then craft and share their stories with others.