Curated OER
Number Line Snacks: Compare Numbers to 10
Kindergarteners put Cheerios or cheddar fish on two number lines (up to 10 each) and identify which number the snack pieces indicate. They compare numbers after eating a few of each snack, and get an introduction to addition and...
Curated OER
8th Grade Writing - Motivation, Organization and Emotion
Using relevant, current events with historic literature makes for great writing.
University of Kansas
Newspaper in the Classroom
Newspapers aren't only for reading—they're for learning skills, too! A journalism unit provides three lessons each for primary, intermediate, and secondary grades. Lessons include objectives, materials, vocabulary, and procedure, and...
Curated OER
Harnessing the Olympic Spirit
Use the energy and excitement of the 2014 Winter Olympics to motivate your class to research and write.
Curated OER
Pre-Columbian Cultures in the Americas
Native American studies is fun, educational, and highly motivating. Fifth graders will gain a deeper understanding of the six major pre-Columbian culture areas on the North American continent. They will choose one group and conduct...
Curated OER
The Roots of Prohibition: Examining the Effort to Prohibit Alcohol in America
Five segements from Ken Burns' documentary series Prohibition, easily accessed on the PBS website, are at the center of a terrific short unit on the roots of America's ambivalent relationship with alcohol. Engage your secondary...
Curated OER
Rainforest (Elementary, Social Studies)
Explore the rainforest with your class. Learners study the meaning of the word endangered, choose an animal to study, gather data, and discuss why the animal is in danger of extinction. This is a motivating way to have your class discuss...
Curated OER
Articles of Confederation Game
Why did the Articles of Confederation fail? Your historians will find out firsthand through this simulation activity, during which they will use money (consider using extra credit) to demonstrate the inherent flaws. It's simple: each...
Curated OER
How to Make Homework Meaningful
Enrich classroom experiences and engage young learners by assigning purposeful, student-centered homework activities.
Curated OER
1,000 Cranes with a Pal
Students write a letter to a pen pal about the book they read 1,000 Cranes in Hiroshima. In this writing lesson plan, students write about the conflicts and events that occurred in the book.
Curated OER
Symbols of America
Third graders choose an American symbol and write a poem about it. In this American symbols lesson plan, 3rd graders view and discuss the purpose of some American symbols and then write at least 5 lines in a poem about it.
Curated OER
Social Studies: Bridging the Gap Between Cultures
Have you special education class examine multiculturalism. By exploring the cultures of Israel and Greece, they discover the holidays, cuisine, arts, andgeography of the countries. During this twelve-week unit, students develop a...
National Geographic
Mapping the Shape of Everest
With Mount Everest as the motivator, your earth science class learns about topographic maps. Begin by showing a film clip from The Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest, featuring fearsome virtual imagery of a path up world's tallest...
West Jefferson High School
The Novel — Honor
For classes tackling To Kill a Mockingbird, this lesson plan sets readers up for discussions or essay writing with questions and prompts. The prompts encourage individuals to explore beyond the novel itself, looking at...
Curated OER
An Elementary School Day in Korea
Students study the similarities and differences between their school and a school in Korea. In this culture study lesson, students discuss and list their classroom's weekly schedule. Students then read about a Korean class schedule and...
Curated OER
Projecting the Image -- What Can One Person Do?
Students research individuals who have received the Nobel Peace Prize. They identify the importance of their actions for the common good. They make note of their background, motivations and values.
Curated OER
The One in the Middle
Students review and reinforce the concepts of mean, median, and mode based on the number of siblings the students have. They use Post-it notes to organize and re-organize the data.
Curated OER
Which One Doesn't Belong?
Third graders identify words that are related with 80% accuracy. Given a list of four vocabulary words, 3rd graders identify specific relationships between three of the four words. They also identify which of the four words are not...
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Sequence of Events
Are you in need of a new way to teach learners sequence of events and how to interpret a character's external motivations? Why not engage them in dramatic play? The class will use tableaux to convey the sequence of events in a familiar...
Maryland Department of Education
The Concept of Identity Lesson 6: Kohlberg's Levels of Moral Reasoning
How does our moral reasoning shape our identity? After a study of Kohlberg's Levels of Moral Reasoning, readers use Kohlberg's theories to analyze the speech, thoughts, and decisions of a character in A Separate Peace. They then...
Curated OER
The Art of Science: Glitter Bottles and Oobleck
After having a class discussion on the three states of matter, young scientists utilize the wonderful substance, Oobleck in order to experience something that changes states of matter. They also create "sparkle jars" which...
Curated OER
Run/Walk Across America
Walk, jog, or run across America. Maps of individual states, visual progress, competition, and rewards, seem to be great motivational ideas. Make sure that the distances that each class has to walk or run are the same, because getting...
Curated OER
Eco-Healthy Lunch
Students plan healthy lunches and how to dispose of their lunch waste. In this pre-field trip lesson plan, students and teachers plan healthy, nutritious lunches to bring on a field trip. They also discuss how to sort their garbage into...
Curated OER
Kids Making News
Fifth graders correspond with one another regarding interesting global topics. They swap interview questions and collaborate in the publishing of an online newspaper. This should be a highly motivating lesson which get kids writing!