Curated OER
Sample Lesson on Taking Notes
Have your middle schoolers define the terms outline, summary, paraphrase, plagiarism, citation, reference, and bibliography. They identify the main ideas, topic sentence, supporting ideas in technical writing and create note cards using...
Public Media for Northern California
An Educator’s Guide to Teaching Gun Control Issues | The Lowdown
The topic of gun control is vast, controversial, and difficult to introduce to students. This gem of a resource covers both sides of the issue and provides topic background, various multimedia and print resources, analysis questions, and...
Center for Literacy and Disability Studies
Activities to Support Teaching the Alphabet
Whether or not your class includes kids with significant disabilities, teaching the alphabet to emergent readers and writers can be a challenge. Here's an activity packet designed for all learners.
National Center for Families Learning
The Summer Fun Summer Learning Music Unit
Take note. Soul music. Gospel music. Country music. Summer comes alive with the sounds of music as program participants learn about various genres of music, create instruments, and write and perform songs about the facts and traditions...
Curated OER
Knowledge or Instinct? Jack London's "To Build a Fire"
Students examine the relationship of man and nature in "To Build a Fire" and discuss the juxtaposition of knowledge and instinct. They investigate third person, omniscient point of view.
Curated OER
Nureyev: After Petipa
Students examine dance and choreography in Russian history. In this Russian history lesson, students discover details about Russian ballet and the work of Marius Petipa as they conduct independent research and present their findings to...
Curated OER
The Dance of the Butterfly
Young scholars explore butterfly life cycles and movement. In this integrated fine arts and biology life cycle lesson, students listen to the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and identify the related life cycle...
Curated OER
Discovering Peace
Students explore vocabulary related to peace. In this peace lesson, students define the word "peace" and create a poem about peace. Students create a "peace quilt" as a follow-up activity.
Curated OER
Adapting a Musical
Students transform literature into musical productions. In this integrated arts instructional activity, students discuss how musicals are written and produced. Students then select literature they are familiar with to adapt into musical...
Curated OER
Creating Comic Strips
Students create comic strips to communicate ideas that cannot be expressed through words alone.
Curated OER
Harriet Tubman
Students detect specific characteristics in the paintings of Jacob Lawrence. In this collage lesson, students utilize the style of Jacob Lawrence to create works about Harriet Tubman and her life.
Curated OER
First Rhythmic Composition
Students apply fractions to counting rhythm in music. In this algebra lesson, students interrelate the concept of math into music as they fill out a chart identifying the names and symbols of music notes and their equivalent values in...
S2tem Centers SC
Seasons
Winter, spring, summer, and fall—take the learning of the seasons beyond the elementary level to the middle school classroom. Curious learners begin by watching videos about the seasons and the rotation of planet Earth. Then,...
Curated OER
Historical Fiction Project
Students 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
Twain: Icon and Iconoclast
Learners examine work by Mark Twain in the context of pre- and post-Civil War America. In this cross curricular lesson, students gather biographical information about Twain, use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast him with...
Curated OER
Twain: An American Humorist
Students examine American humor and character through analysis of works by Mark Twain. In this cross curricular lesson, students develop a definition of American humor and determine how and why some consider Twain the 'first truly...
Curated OER
It's Not Just Story Time... It's Learning Time!
Students look at picture books and describe the story elements. In this picture book lesson, students retell a story and begin to understand the story elements of plot, setting, and characters. Students complete graphic organizers to...
Curated OER
How Does Your KinderGarden Grow
Students find forecast and graph weather by using WeatherBug site, create flower books by using Wiggleworks, and plant radish seeds both on KidPix and in class garden.
Curated OER
THE TRAVELS OF BABAR: An Adventure in Scale:Conflict Resolution an Safety
Students research new techniques to solving conflicts without violence. Many new vocabulary words are uncovered within this lesson. They discuss Jean de Brunhoff's The Travels of Babar as an example of how a conflict can be resolved in a...
Curated OER
Book Trailers
Students develop a list of criteria for a book trailer. In this book trailer instructional activity, students review book trailers, create storyboards and use Photo Story 3 to create book trailers. Students create a mini-webquest to...
Curated OER
Immigration Oral History
Students explore oral history and how it is important to historical record. They interview someone who is a U.S. immigrant and create an oral history project/paper based on this interview.
Curated OER
Shake, Rattle and Roll
Sixth graders explore the causes and effects of earthquakes. They also collect and analyze data in graphs. They also use the Internet to research earthquakes
Curated OER
Dr. Seuss For a Day
Second graders brainstorm words to describe Thing One and Thing Two characters from Dr. Seuss computer program, use variety of adjectives to create descriptions, and create new set of characters, Thing Three and Thing Four, by drawing...
Curated OER
Scientific Method
Students conduct an experiment and complete a chart demonstrating some of the basic properties and components of water via the scientific method. They encompass strategies such as questioning, making predictions, comparing/contrasting...