Smithsonian Institution
For Land's Sake: George Washington as Land Surveyor
Students discuss the importance of land ownership and the purpose of land surveying in the eighteenth century. They interpret a transcript of an eighteenth-century land survey. They survey and area of land. They create a written or...
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Exploring Heroism
Students examine the concept of heroism in this lesson plan, through personal reflection, group activities and a thoughtful analysis of the documentary, HEROES OF GROUND ZERO. They explore their own understanding of what it means to be a...
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Conflicting Views
Students complete a Venn diagram comparing the United States and Afghanistan. They research the history of the Taliban and how they relate to the United States and its foreign policy. They write a paper on possible solutions.
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Language Arts: Digital Commercials
Learners create commercials using a digital camera. After brainstorming their ideas, they spend three days writing their commercials. Students practice and edit their commercials and then present them for review.
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The Perilous Fight: WWII - Up Close and Personal
High schoolers research World War II primary source documents and write first person historical point of view stories.
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Saving An Endangered Species
Second graders participate in a fundraiser for an endangered species. They evaluate websites for animal adoption/sponsorship, select an endangered species, and develop, advertise, and implement a fund-raising plan for their selected...
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Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: Journals
Like the characters in Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel, class members write frequently with a series of journal topics that form the basis of the final writing assignment about their personal “heavy boots.” Alas, no list of topics is...
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The Write Stuff
Fourth graders share a previously written portfolio piece and the class guesses the genre. Students use tally marks to keep track of how many of each piece there are in class. Once the data collection is complete, 4th graders create a...
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Economic Decisions
Students practice decision-making skills by planning vacation, including all proposed expenses. Students distinguish between needs and wants, identify difference between goods and services, and describe economic resources used in...
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Career Research
Students research a career they are interested in. They explore print and online want ads for job prospects, interview a person currently in that career, and make a class presentation about the career.
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Career Unit
In this career worksheet, students begin to investigate different types of careers and focus upon research and future planning.
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Tall Tales
Students are provided with an opportunity to explore not only the interface but also the variety of scenery and objects available on the program. Younger students may require additional teacher assistance during the computer activity.
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Ugly? Says Who?
Students explore biology by writing animal poetry in class. In this animal characteristics lesson, students research the Internet for facts about an "ugly" animal such as a bug or small critter. Students complete worksheets about animal...
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What's Your State Symbol?
Students explore their state symbols. In this symbolism lesson, students use a variety of resources to research the symbols that represent their state. Students discover the state flower, state flag, and state bird.
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Point of View and Mentor Relationships
Tenth graders analyze the role of mentors, point of view, and prejudice using the texts of To Kill a Mockingbird and Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. For this literature analysis lesson, 10th graders review Scout's...
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PowerPoint Presentation of Fudge Comic Strips
Fourth graders create comic strips for presentation to the class. They make drawings, record them digitally, transfer them to a KidPix program and then arrange them in a PowerPoint presentation in a comic strip format.
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My Favorite Things
Students identify "masterpieces" and mass-produced objects. They explain why they value a given object and determine what physical materials were used to create the objects. They create a class book featuring objects that they value.
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Creating Life Maps (Elementary, Reading/Writing)
Students create a personal life timeline to better explain how a historical timeline is effective in studying history. They also write a poem about themselves.
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Herstory in Michigan -- Women's History in Our Great State
Celebrate Women's History month in March by teaching your students
about the struggles and achievements of women throughout Michigan's history, the changes that have taken place in women's roles, and the difference one person can make.
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Color My World
Students identify colors created by mixing primary colors and describe the process. They then design a book using the colors of a given season entitled "Colors of the Season".
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Animal and People Habitats
Students examine how animals create a unique space in which they can live. Students read a poem about animals' habitats discuss the habitats. They draw a space of their own and write a poem that describes their habitat.
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Adventures in Alice
Students create a haiku and illustrate it on the computer. For this haiku lesson plan, students review the history of the haiku while they are outside and then write their own. Students then use a computer program to illustrate their poem.
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Kids Are Consumers Too
Students investigate a chosen product. They use television, radio, print, and internet sources to investigate how the product is advertised. Students create a market research survey to determine which brand is preferred by their peers...
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Solution Concentration
Students determine differences in concentrations. They have to state the problem they feel exists, consider possible solutions, and develop a plan to come up with for containers whose labels have fallen off. Students base this off the...