Main Memory Network
Longfellow's "The Village Blacksmith" and Whitman's "Song of Myself"
Although the work Americans do has changed over time, the plight of the American worker has largely remained the same. Facilitate a class discussion aboutAmerican workers using Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "The Village Blacksmith" and...
Earth Day Network
Conserving Water Through Art!
Having fresh, clean drinking water is a privilege many people take for granted. Help raise awareness about the scarcity of water and the importance of conservation by discussing different ways water is used in everyday life. Brainstorm...
Curated OER
Who is Mark Zuckerberg?: Reading Informational Text
This New York Times "Learning Network" exercise provides 10 questions that apply to an article about Mark Zuckerberg. It poses key journalistic questions like, who, what, why, where, how, and when. This resource provides a nice, short...
Curated OER
Retelling the African Folktale Abiyoyo
Act out the African folktale Abiyoyo. Kindergartners listen to the tale and discuss the characters, dressing as their favorite characters in order to retell and perform Abiyoyo using props. They will gain an understanding of...
Michigan State University
Researching and Compiling Survey Information
Bring Internet research and social issues to your language arts class in this activity. After investigating the topic "Media Violence and How It Affects Teenagers" on the Internet, middle schoolers work in groups to compile their...
Curated OER
Primary and Secondary Sources - 7th
A link to a beautiful Animoto presentation is included, giving examples of primary sources that a student might want to contact when doing research. Using the Topaz Internment Camp in Utah as a sample topic, middle schoolers view a slide...
Pulitzer Center
Extractive Industries
Here is a chance for environmental studies classes to take a critical look at crises occurring around the globe by reading articles and viewing video clips. The human activities under scrutiny are the extraction of oil, logging, and...
Curated OER
Ports in the Storm
Learners explore national security issues related to the possibility of a Dubai-owned company operating an American port. Opinions are solicited and debated.
Curated OER
Voting in Violence
Students create K/W/L (Know/Want to Know/Learned) charts to study the political violence following Kenya's 2008 presidential elections. They draw connections between this and other events currently taking place around the world.
Curated OER
Anger and Aggravation in Asia
Students examine current disputes between nations, and then, after learning about current tensions among Japan, China and South Korea, research and create timelines outlining the development of relationships among these nations.
Curated OER
In the Eye of the Storm
Students share opinions about what information the public needs about an impending hurricane. They research and report on a major U.S. hurricane and compare different reports about Hurricane Katrina.
Curated OER
Native American Indians
Fourth graders identify Native-American groups in Texas before European exploration and describe the regions in which they lived. They list Native American Indian tribes from Texas, describe them, and evaluate how the environment...
Curated OER
What's the Hold-Up?
Students explore the current plan by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to retain underperforming third graders in public schools. They research and debate social promotion versus retention.
Curated OER
The Aesthetics of Activism
Students explore ways in which artistic expression has been used to promote awareness of AIDS. They create their own designs to promote awareness of a social, political, or economic issue of importance to their age group and community.
Curated OER
Afghan I Stand
Students explore the history of ethnic groups, leadership, internal and external conflicts, social and economic conditions, and geographical boundaries of Afghanistan to present to fellow classmates at a teach-in.
Curated OER
Discriminating Issues
Students examine how U.S. Law Defines Discrimination In this lesson. They research the issues surrounding a variety of types of discrimination, and then write editorials analyzing legal and social positions on discrimination in the...
Curated OER
Virtual Connections
Students use prior knowledge to develop a survey on their peers' habits and preferences regarding video games and online gaming. They examine the social aspect of online gaming by discussing "Where Warriors and Ogres Lock Arms Instead of...
Curated OER
Using Your Community as a Learning Resource
Young scholars define what a community is, identify the different aspects/resources of their community, and research topics using the various resources in their community.
Curated OER
Forceful Persuasion
Students investigate U.S. foreign policy in Middle Eastern countries, and rank their level of support for American military and diplomatic actions.
Curated OER
Data Processing
Young scholars explore the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in a variety of businesses and organizations. They present proposals, representing different businesses and organizations, that support how GIS technology...
Curated OER
The Browning of Britian
Students examine the changes Britain has faced as a result of immigration. Using a map, they identify migration patterns in Britain and legislation that has passed to deal with issues. They use the Internet to gather information on how...
Curated OER
Modern Messages
Students explore the aims of artists working in various contemporary art movements, then create works in a similar art style to convey
Curated OER
Between a Rock and A Hard Place
Students identify what information they would need to make a decision about the breaching of a dam in order to save wild salmon. They evaluate the scenario in depth focusing on the economic impact on the community, and the salmon.
Curated OER
Making Conventions Unconventional
Students discover how Internet altered the public's involvement in the 2000 Democratic and Republican conventions, and synthesize their evaluations of convention sites to design their own pages for a convention-related Web site.