Curated OER
February Friendship Bugs
First graders select five behaviors from a class web that promote kindness and strengthen friendships. In this random acts of kindness lesson, 1st graders create friendship bugs with corresponding Kindness Tasks. Throughout the day,...
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Change for the future: Redesigning Maquoketa
Sixth graders research a problem to be solved in their town, develop a rationale as to why they should act on this problem, and present their ideas to the class and their community. In this problem solving lesson plan, 6th graders...
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I Watch Babies Grow
Students examine the potential of human beings. In this philanthropy lesson, students research the life of peer as they interview them and create a timeline that features important moments in their lives.
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School Safety Survey Project
Students investigate safety issues at school. In this citizenship lesson, students discuss things they are fearful of at school. Students then conduct a school survey asking what others are fearful of.
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Who Needs My Help?
Students think about helping others. In this citizenship instructional activity, students think of people in their lives who could use their help. Students illustrate the things they do to help others.
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A Look At An influential African American
Students research an influential African American. In this character education lesson plan, students use a variety of research materials and write a biographical report about a famous African American. Students identify the six pillars...
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Pen Pals
Young scholars write to a pen pal and learn about their lives. In this pen pal activity, students learn about a person from another country. Young scholars develop an understanding that they have many things in common with people from...
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Responsible Youth in the News
Students research newspapers and magazines for articles about young people being responsible or being irresponsible. In this responsibility instructional activity, students discuss responsibility and the articles. Students answer...
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Protecting the Planet
High schoolers discuss being a responsible student by helping to protect the rainforest. In this citizenship lesson, students brainstorm ideas to help global warming, warfare, human-rights abuses and acid rain. High schoolers write an...
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Courage in the Movies
Students examine the decisions and behaviors of movie characters to encourage awareness of their own ethical decision making. For this character education lesson, students discuss integrity and watch one of the listed movies to focus on...
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Dishonesty: Clues and Consequences
Students explore trustworthiness and dishonesty. In this character development lesson plan, students discuss dishonest behavior. Students develop scenarios about dishonesty and decide what consequences the person should have.
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What's the News? Articles of Deception
Students choose a event in the news involving deception. In this deception lesson plan, students develop questions and share them. Students answer critical thinking questions about their event and describe what they learned about...
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Viewpoint and Persuasive Writing
Practice persuasive writing skills in this thorough lesson. After selecting issues and discovering viewpoints, middle schoolers write letters or brochures created to express the individual's perspective. The ideas are presented to the...
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Lady Sings the Blues
Students explore women and music in the 20th century. In this music instructional activity, students study the relationship between literature and music through The Color Purple and music by Ethel Waters, MA Rainey, Bessie Smith, Billie...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Investigating the Declaration of Independence
Teach your class about the Declaration of Independence while giving them practice working as a team. The resource breaks participants into groups and has them answer questions about specific grievances from the Declaration of...
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Conflict Resolution
Students discuss situations where they would demonstrate conflict resolution. In this conflict resolution lesson plan, students role play, review angry body clues, learn how to make compromises, and more.
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Are You Balanced?
Fifth graders discuss what it means to have balance in their lives. Individually, they are given a worksheet in which they list their activities and things they are involved in. To end the instructional activity, they place weights on...
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"Re-Solutioning": Practice Brings Out Our Best
Seventh graders write scripts for scenarios to be "re-solutioned". One re-solution scenario will be role played for whole class. They also identify what personal responsibility means and who is responsible in taking personal...
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Mexican Americans Role In The United States
Students investigate the role of Mexican Americans in the history of the United States. They use the information to answer guided questions. Students conduct class discussion about the varying roles of Mexican Americans. Also they write...
Desert Discoveries
Creating a Garden Journal
Youngsters create science journals which are used to record observations from the school garden. The goal of this activity is to help kids tune into nature by making daily observations on the growth of the plants, and also to take note...
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Classroom Unity Representing a Nation of Immigrants
Investigate national unity in a month-long lesson. After creating "I am from" poems, 5th graders will construct accordion flip books, listing and illustrating reasons for settlement. Choosing illustrations, essays, or Powerpoint...
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Back to School (Elementary)
Learners discover the vocabulary of the Six Pillars of Character and their relation to the school environment. In this character education lesson, students discuss the character pillars and brainstorm about their use in the classroom....
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Solution-Hero
Students analyze the decision-making skills. For this character education lesson, students read a comic book and identify the superhero. Students then analyze the types of decisions the character makes throughout the story and if the...
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Quote Bookmarks
Students make bookmarks of quotes they created themselves based on the characteristics of good leaders. In this character lesson plan, students study the character of role models, read quotes they have said, and come up with their own.