Curated OER
Introduction to the Visual Thesaurus
Young scholars examine the basic functions of the online Visual Thesaurus, exploring how simple words may sometimes have multiple meanings. In small groups they select words and explore the Visual Thesaurus, and write a short play using...
Curated OER
Chocolate Chaos
Second graders demonstrate the ability to examine the elements of a story (theme, plot, setting, mood) and characters, by discussing and writing about each. They have fun with chocolate related activities and enjoy reading about some...
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Literary Odyssey
Students read and compare excerpts from The Odyssey and The Adventures of Telemachus to create their own story based on a secondary character. In this literary analysis lesson, students read and compare the excerpts from the...
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Early Explorers
Fifth graders explain the reasons why Europeans decided to explore and colonize the world. In this European explorers lesson, 5th graders complete a wall matrix about the explorers and write a summary about the explorer of their choice.
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Fugitive Slaves and the Underground Railroad
Eleventh graders consider the impact of the Underground Railroad. In this slavery activity, 11th graders examine primary documents as they conduct independent research to explore the role of the Underground Railroad during the fight for...
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Comprehension: Understanding "sequence"
Second graders read the story The Broken Bed and then sequence the story in their own words. In this sequencing lesson plan, 2nd graders also write narrative with a specific beginning, middle, and end.
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The Great Chicago Fire Survivors
Young scholars examine documents describing the experiences of survivors of the Great Chicago Fire, and write condolence letters.
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Cinematic Poetry
Eighth graders explore the genre of poetry through the creation of a multimedia presentation. Students write a poem and create an Avid presentation of their poem for the class. The poems and presentations are peer-reviewed.
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Surviving the Struggle: Ruby Bridges, Ryan White, and Anne Frank
Fourth graders develop a deeper understanding of Anne Frank's survival. They select significant subject matter for a family photo album, write photo captions expressing feelings as well as facts, and sequence material in a logical,...
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Social Studies: Manifest Destiny or Bust
Fifth graders explore the westward movement between 1800 and 1861 in the United States. They write narratives from the standpoint of those cultures that were repressed during this period, such as Native Americans, slaves, or Mexicans. ...
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The Second Amendment and the Right to Bear Arms
High schoolers interpret the Second Amendment. In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students examine the right to bear arms as they compare 2 Michigan Supreme Court cases and discuss their personal interpretations of the amendment.
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Urbanization
Students examine the impact of urban change. In this Indiana history instructional activity, students read excerpts of The World Does Move by Booth Tarkington and then research the noted Web sites about the urbanization of Indianapolis....
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Who Were the Dissidents?
Learners discover how Japanese dissidents spoke out against the injustice practiced in Imperial Japan. In this Japanese history lesson plan, students listen to a lecture about the silent dissidents in the nation prior to World War II and...
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The Holocaust: Survival Stories
Students use survival stories as the theme for written assignments and a photography presentation.
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Great Explorations: To the End of the Earth and Beyond
Students analyze the factors that affect exploration such as religion, trade, territorial expansion, and science. In this Great Explorations lesson plan, students determine the names of famous explorers as well as their routes and...
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Fairy Tales
Fourth graders read numerous examples of fairy tales. Using the text, they identify the organization styles and conventions within them and write their own for a class book. They practice using descriptive language and receive...
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If a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...
Fourth graders take three different photographs representing the beginning, middle and end of their story. They use the Tool Factor program Fresco to add elements to enhance their creativity and make their writing come alive. They then...
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Through The Looking Glass
Students examine the time period of westward expansion. In groups, they use the internet to research the reasons why people moved west during the 1800s. They write their own narratives playing the role of a member of a pioneer family...
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How Manduca See
Third graders investigate how manduca sees and they discuss what they think the manduca might be thinking. They write a story about what an insect sees and does from the insect's perspective.
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I am the Walrus
Students research walruses using the library and the Internet, then write an essay from what they find in their research. In this investigative lesson students view a video on walruses then write an essay after researching.
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Fretful Over Fast Food
Fifth graders research fast food options and write an essay on the topic. In this fast food lesson, 5th graders pretend they are a babysitter and research fast food restaurant options to eat at while they are baby-sitting. Students write...
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Attic Hunting
Sixth graders investigate how journal writing helps preserve past, present and future history. They discover how different groups of people keep different types of journals and what the journals show about the lives of the writers.
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The Power of Storytelling
Students are creating their own stories to understand life. The use of history is used to help one to create one's own story. The skill of writing is emphasized as a tool to learn history.
Scholastic
Thanksgiving Lessons Grades PreK-2
A quintessential resource for teaching an elementary unit on the first Thanksgiving addresses a variety of skills, including informational reading, critical thinking, comparing and contrasting facts, technology tools, and historical...