Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Imaging Animals and Plants

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students participate in a read aloud of, "The Gardener" and "Shelterwood" to practice imaging what it would be like to be a plant or woodland animal. They either write an illustrated story as if they were a plant or animal for a day or...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Birds in Flight

For Teachers 1st
First graders begin a KWL chart about birds and listen to books read aloud by the teacher before accessing Internet sites. They use a hotlist of websites to find information and use software to make a computer based movie.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Winter Olympic Torch Traveling Across Italy

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Learners react to statements about the 2006 Winter Olympics, then read a news article about the Olympic torch's journey through Italy. In this current events lesson (written prior to the 2006 Winter Olympics), the teacher introduces the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oprah Winfrey Opens New School in Africa

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students locate Africa and share their knowledge of the continent, then read a news article about Oprah Winfrey building a school in South Africa. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and...
Lesson Plan
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Beethoven Manuscript Sold at Auction

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students react to a series of statements about Beethoven, then read a news article about the sale of a 179-year-old manuscript by the musical genius. For this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Chicago White Sox Win World Series

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students react to a series of statements about the World Series, then read a news article about the Chicago White Sox winning the 2005 World Series. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

New Supreme Court Justice Sworn In

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students react to a series of statements about the Supreme Court, then read a news article about the confirmation of Chief Justice John Roberts. In this current events instructional activity, the teacher introduces the article with a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Baby Elephant Orphans Get New Home, Families

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students react to a series of statements about elephants, then read a news article about how workers at an elephant orphanage are working to return the animals to the wild. In the animal studies and current events instructional activity,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Return to the Moon

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students react to statements about space exploration, then read a news article about plans to resume manned flights to the moon. In this space science and current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Good Sportsmanship Leads to Home Run

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Pupils share examples of good sportsmanship, then read a news article about a team helping an injured player score a home run. The teacher introduces the article with a discussion and vocabulary activity, then young scholars read the...
Lesson Plan
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Trailers Become Schools After Hurricane Katrina

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students share their thoughts about natural disasters, then read a news article about how life at an elementary school was changed after Hurricane Katrina. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a...
Lesson Plan
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Traveling Cat Flown Home to Family

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students locate Wisconsin and Belgium on a world map, then read a news article about a cat that stowed away on ship from the U.S. to Europe. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with map and vocabulary...
Lesson Plan
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U.S. Mint Releases New Jefferson Nickel

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students share their knowledge of Lewis and Clark, then read a news article about the redesign on the U.S. nickel to commemorate Lewis and Clark's expedition. Introduce the article with a discussion and vocabulary activity, then students...
Lesson Plan
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Exploring the Irish in America Through Found Poetry

For Teachers 7th - 9th
What was life like for Irish immigrants settling in America during the late 1800's? Learners examine primary source documents, such as lyrics, poems, and letters, to understand the immigrant experience. They then use those primary source...
Lesson Plan
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NASA Plans Moon Base

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students react to statements about the moon, then read a news article about NASA's plans to build a permanent base on the moon. In this space science and current events lesson plan, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Putting It Together in Writer's Workshop

For Teachers 9th - 12th
This lesson about writing can be taught in small groups or large group settings. They examine basic writing techniques and practice using them to improve their writing.