Curated OER
Who Stole My Salad?
Eighth graders explain how protein is made in the cell. In this biology lesson, 8th graders translate RNA and DNA using an internet database. They determine the thief based on evidence collected.
Curated OER
History: Fact of Fiction?
Students find a historial novel online and distinguish between fiction and nonfiction books. They research three historical events related to their novel and write a letter to a figure from their novel's time period.
Curated OER
County Butterfly/Moth Poster
Young scholars discover how to identify the butterflies or moths found in their Illinois County. They use the Lepidoptera database list to find the scientific names, searching field guides and the Internet for the common name.
Curated OER
Illinois County Dragonfly Poster
Students identify the dragonflies found in their Illinois County by using the Odonata database list to find the scientific names, searching field guides and the Internet for (1) the common name (2) description (3) life habits and (4) a...
Curated OER
North African and Southwest Asian Architecture
Seventh graders search online for current and historic images of North African and Southwest Asian architecture. They compare North African and Southwest Asian architecture to North American, European, Russian/Eurasian, and South...
Curated OER
Russian and Eurasian Architecture
Seventh graders search online for current and historic images of Russian and Eurasian architecture. They compare current Russian and Eurasian architecture to North American, European, and South American architecture.
Curated OER
Southeast Asian Architecture
Seventh graders search online for current and historic images of Southeast Asian architecture. They compare architecture in Southeast Asia to North American, European, Russian/Eurasian, North African/Southwest Asian and South American...
Curated OER
Weather Wise
Students investigate weather and how to forecast it. They discuss the three types of clouds and the kind of weather they bring. After setting up a database, they reearch weather-related websites to check cloud conditions and weather...
Curated OER
European Architecture
Seventh graders search online for current and historic images of European architecture. They compare current European architecture to North American, and South American architecture.
Curated OER
McLean Train Yard
Students conduct online research and incorporate graphics and maps into a Powerpoint presentation that details life at the McLean train yard in its heyday.
Curated OER
Butterfly/Moth Poster
Students learn how to identify which species of dragonflies or butterflies are found in their County by learning to read the Odonata or Lepidoptera checklist to find the scientific names; they also search field guides and the Internet...
Curated OER
The Rhythm of Life - Episode 2 - Melody
Students complete a unit on melodies from various cultures. They watch an online program, analyze various melodies, write a short original melody, complete a worksheet, and compare/contrast three versions of "Amazing Grace."
Curated OER
Outstanding Women
Research the lives of famous women in this social studies lesson. Middle schoolers use various sources to research a famous woman and create a presentation about the accomplishments of the woman. They can find the central idea throughout...
Curated OER
Historical Fiction Project
Young scholars be engaged in a history project that is combined with Language Arts with the purpose of teaching students how to cite bibliographic information. This is important for doing future research.
Curated OER
Are Your Favorite Rockstars Poets?
Tenth graders decide if the song lyrics that they listen to, could be considered a sonnet or a poem. They are invited to explore lyrics and their meaning. Students write a persuading argument on whatever they decide, but it must be...
Curated OER
From Yosemite to Joshua Tree
Fourth graders discover diversity of plant and animal life in California's parks and compare findings to identify what makes park areas unique. Students then publish their discoveries in picture books of their own design.
Curated OER
Library Orientation
Quidditch anyone? Here's a fun way to introduce your class to the resources available in the library as well as on the Internet. Researchers create an outline of the sources they locate about Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, quidditch, and...
Curated OER
"Living in the Limelight The Universal Dream"
Students, using Leo's Lyrics, investigate common themes in popular music. They create a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that analyzes their findings along with a 200 word paragraph stating their observations, conclusions and hypotheses about...
PBS
1000 Words
A picture really can speak a thousand words—no matter how old! Scholars become history detectives as they learn how to analyze historical photos and evidence to uncover the past. The fun hands-on activity makes history come alive through...
Mississippi Department of Archives and History
Protesting Violence without Violence
The ultimate legacy of Emmett Till's violent death is its role in the non-violent roots of the Civil Rights Movement. A lesson compares contemporaneous articles with the lyrics of Bob Dylan's "The Death of Emmett Till" and prompts...
Federal Reserve Bank
FRED in the Classroom: Debt and Deficit
Here is a hands-on activity where your class members will discover different ways to measure the government's financial situation and work to add data and redraw graphs in order to calculate the ratio of gross federal debt held by the...
Curated OER
Eloquent Words
Logan’s Lament, a speech delivered by Mingo Chief Logan in 1774, provides pupils with an opportunity to not only study the historical events surrounding the battle between Native Americans and the Europeans for the West Virginia...
Curated OER
Ocean Life: A Heavy Subject
Second graders examine The Learning Page Fact Files about ocean life and categorize the data by weight and group. They distinguish between fish, mammals, and invertebrates and which weigh the most and the least. Students record their...
Curated OER
The Wetlands
Complete a comparison of the wetlands found in New York and Louisiana. Using various research methods, gather data on the wetlands found in New York and Louisiana, the animals, conditions, etc. Data is used to create a brief report on...