Curated OER
Giants of the Century
Middle and high schoolers study significant people who shaped the 20th-century history and are introduced to database tools. Researchers use the Internet to research five 20th century history makers. They write a short biography of five...
Curated OER
The Constitutional Convention: Four Founding Fathers You May Never Have Met
Students study the biographies of Ellsworth, Hamilton, Paterson, and Randolph. They study roles of these men during the Constitutional Convention.
Teaching for Change
Stepping into Selma
The 1964 Selma to Montgomery, Alabama voting rights marches are the focus of a lesson plan designed to introduce learners to people who took part in the Civil Rights Movement. Class members set into the role of one of the participants,...
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
A Half DNA Ladder Is a Template for Copying the Whole
The experiment known as one of the most beautiful experiments in biology changed the way we think about DNA. Learn about the experiment and the scientists who designed it—as well as the scientists who built on the results—with an online...
Curated OER
Landscapes of the Mind
Students review Emily Dickinson's biography and examine themes and forms of some of her poems. They measure ways Graham integrates aspects of Dickinson's life and the themes and forms of her poetry into Letters to the World.
Curated OER
Creative Writing: Children's Building Blocks
Your class can participate in a writing program involving four building blocks. By exploring words, sentences, writing forms, and story organization, they improve their creative writing skills throughout this year-long unit. Early in the...
State Library of Ohio
Tuck Everlasting
A great toolbox of ideas for any teacher preparing to teach the novel Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt, this resource includes a short biography of Natalie Babbitt, several discussion questions that could double as writing prompts,...
PBS
Lesson Plan: “Seeing the Way: A Brief History of Cataract Surgery”
After looking at the history of cataract surgery techniques, your high schoolers will have a new perspective on medical and scientific advances. Kids alternate between watching short video clips, class discussion, and computer research....
National Endowment for the Arts
Reader Resources: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A handy guide offers high schoolers support as they read the American novel, The Great Gatsby. Complete with a biography of F. Scott Fitzgerald, a timeline of the Roaring Twenties, discussion questions about the novel, and more, this...
Secondary Solutions
Of Mice and Men: A Literature Guide
Whether you are planning on using Of Mice and Men for whole-class reading or as a selection for literature circles; whether you are new to John Steinbeck's novel, or it has long been a part of your curriculum, you will find a wealth of...
Smithsonian Institution
George Washington: A National Treasure
Uncover the answer to a specific clue in a portrait of George Washington with a spyglass in an Internet-based interactive. Learners read a clue to an item hidden in a portrait of the First President of the United States in the last years...
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Mutations Are Changes in Genetic Information
A red delicious apple tree with a simple mutation means we now benefit from the existence of golden delicious apples. Learn how simple mutations change genetic information in DNA sequences. Using biographies, videos, and animations,...
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Living Things Share Common Genes
Everything evolved from a common ancestor, but how did modern plants and animals develop so many more genes? Scholars use an online interactive to learn about the process. They begin to understand common genes with an animation, multiple...
Women in World History Curriculum
Women and Confucianism
Young historians consider the far-reaching effects of traditional teachings on the debates about the current attitudes toward women in society. The discussion begins with a list of New-Confucian sayings and expands to a global perspective.
EngageNY
Presentation of Events: Comparing Two Authors
Give a little clue! Readers learn how context clues can help them determine the meaning of words by viewing a Context Clues Resource sheet then completing a Context Clues
practice sheet. They then compare events presented by two...
Weber County Library
Weber Reads: The Adventures of Huckleberry FInn
A 32-page instructional pack contains eight lesson plans for use with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Lessons include an examination of the role of superstition in the novel, Twain's use of satire, and a discussion of the...
Anti-Defamation League
Shirley Chisholm: Unbought, Unbossed and Unforgotten
A 13-page packet introduces high schoolers to a lady of amazing firsts. Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to Congress, the first Black woman to run for President of the United States, and a leader of the Women's Rights...
Curated OER
Alexander The Great
Students investigate the historical person of Alexander The Great. They view a video in order to create the context for the lesson. They read some biographies and conduct research using a variety of resources. Then students create their...
Curated OER
Household Names
Students explore the accomplishments of famous New Yorkers in the 19th century. In small groups, students read biographies and match them with a corresponding primary source document. The group that is most accurate in matching the...
Curated OER
Samuel Langhorne Clemens
In this biography activity, students read a factual biography of Samuel Clemens, also known as Mark Twain. The students then answer 14 questions. Note: there is a grammar/spelling error in the title on this page.
Curated OER
Good Brother, Bad Brother
Studetns study how biographers create characters and history of individuals in biographies. They complete a variety of writting activities to demonstrate understanding.
Curated OER
Exploration--Widening Our Horizons
Students examine the difficulties of exploration and some of the motivations for exploration. They investigate various types of explorers and identify the difficulties faced by the New World explorers. Students create a journal of...
Curated OER
The All About Me Poster
Students write about themselves and create a poster to illustrate who they are.
Curated OER
New York City: Passionate About Shakespeare
Students explore Shakespeare as part of American culture. For this Shakespearean culture lesson, students view video clips about modern theater. Students read excerpts from Shakespearean plays and other commentaries.