ProCon
School Vouchers
Do school vouchers for private schools improve public school education, or do they lead to worse academic performance? Scholars read the top four pros and cons to decide if school vouchers are a good idea. They also participate in an...
Marine Institute
Water Pollution
Sixth graders investigate the various types of pollutants found in water and ways to help prevent water pollution. Through a hands-on experiment, students create samples of polluted water by mixing water with vegetable oil, dirt, and...
Curated OER
Glided Age
Eleventh graders will participate to brainstorm on the overhead, characteristics of an "irresponsible" adult and 5 of a "responsible" one? How do these differ if we apply these to businesses? Working in partners--Create a Code of Ethics...
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Credit and Debt: Decisions, Decisions...
Borrowing money seems like a great idea until you are in over your head. High schoolers learn the benefits and risks associated with credit and how to be a responsible borrower. More than just credit cards, they learn trustworthiness is...
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Buying a Home: Mortgage Decisions
High schoolers don't think they need to know about mortgages, but with college and renting soon approaching, fiscal responsibility is necessary. Pupils learn the vocabulary of a mortgage and calculate different home values to determine...
Curated OER
Responsible Stewardship: The Saving of the Great Lakes
Students devise a plan to protect the Great Lakes. In this environmental lesson, students conduct research to identify nonprofit groups that help protect the waterways. Students write letters to the Congressman or a nonprofit...
Curated OER
Becoming A Career Detective (Part 1)
Third graders are reminded of the "investigation" of the world of work that they have been conducting since kindergarten. They are asked: "Where have you gathered information about careers?" and Where else might you obtain information?...
EngageNY
End of Unit Assessment, Part 1: Research and Response
Stay on target. The class reviews the learning targets for the unit and the end of unit assessment. Scholars then begin working on part one of the assessment answering how Canada's natural resources meet the needs of the people and how...
Radford University
PHamily PHeud: An Exploration in Surveys
Get to know the class much better. Scholars brainstorm a topic of interest and then design and conduct a class survey. Using the top responses, they create a game similar to Family Feud and take part in a class competition.
Judicial Branch of California
Faces of Citizenship: Jury Duty
An interesting middle school lesson focuses on the rights and responsibilities of citizens. Academics choose a civic project to complete, such as an oral history or photo essay. They then conduct interviews with members of the community...
Anti-Defamation League
Addressing Hate Online: Countering Cyberhate with Counterspeech
Cyberbullying is the focus of much discussion. Here's a lesson that offers suggestions for addressing cyberhate. After groups examine different examples of cyberhate, the class adds their suggestions to a list of ideas for how to counter...
San Diego Unified School District
On-Demand Persuasive Writing Samples
Young writers complete a timed persuasive writing assignment in which they argue for a club they would like to see established at school, and are then provided with real student samples of responses.
Washoe County School District
Three Skeleton Key
Conduct a close reading of George G. Toudouze's well-known horror story "Three Skeleton Key." This plan breaks up the reading into several steps and provides text-dependent questions to ask along the way. Learners will have the chance to...
University of North Carolina
Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.
After reading the article "Kings Dream Everyday," class members conduct a Socratic seminar discussion of Martin Luther King's contributions to the civil rights movement. They then read and respond to a passage from Michael Eric Dyson's...
EngageNY
Grade 9 ELA Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 5
How does word choice influence the meaning and tone of a text? To answer this question, class members listen to a masterful reading of a passage from David Mitchell's Black Swan Green and then work with a partner to conduct a close...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Family and Friends: English Language Development Lessons (Theme 4)
Family and Friends is the theme of a unit consisting of English language development lessons. Reinforce language proficiency, particularly in family vocabulary, basic needs, feelings, short vowel sounds, blending, reading high frequency...
Macmillan Education
Communication
Especially tricky for language is understanding the line between inappropriate, confrontational, (in)effective, (un)reasonable and diplomatic English. The activities in the resource permit class members to practice communicating using...
Michigan State University
All About Rodents
Get to the know the common house mouse and the Norway rat with an activity that reinforces reading comprehension skills. Scholars read a three-page document detailing key information about mammals, specifically rodents, and use their...
C-SPAN
Polling and Public Opinion
Most people are eager to offer their opinions about topics of interest, but what's the most effective way to collect and assess these opinions as a matter of fact? High schoolers learn about the history of polling, as well as the...
Teach Engineering
Weather Alert
Every time a bell rings ... there is lightning in the area. The activity provides directions to build a model of a lightning detection system. Similar to a system designed by Benjamin Franklin, the system uses static electricity to...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Albedo, Reflectivity, and Absorption
What is reflectivity, and what does it have to do with the Earth's climate? As reflectivity is measured by albedo, scientists can gather information on Earth's energy balances that relate to global warming or climate change. Budding...
Henry County Schools
Ben Franklin Aphorisms
Is a pretend friend worse than an open foe? What benefits come to those who help themselves? Take a look at some of Benjamin Franklin's famous aphorisms, which advise readers to conduct themselves properly throughout the day. Pupils...
Advocates for Youth
What Does Community Mean to Me?
Having a strong and supportive community is key for adolescent success. Teenagers explore the circles of their own communities, including the rights and responsibilities of being in their families, peer relationships, and their country,...
British Council
Twelfth Night
Scholars experience Shakespeare's, Twelfth Night, with an engaging interactive. After watching the story, six activities extend the learning experience. Topics include characters, vocabulary, a sequence of events, comprehension, and...