Curated OER
Running the Road to ABC
Second graders, while reading and discussing the book, "The Best Older Sister," by Sook Nyul Choi, practices predicting the meaning of a passage based on its title and illustrations. They experience determining the main idea from text...
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Lesson 28: Introduction to Illinois Government
Fourth graders research and compare the United States and Illinois Governments. They play the game Who Wans To Be A Millionaire.
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Research Project
After reading books about Black history, complete an outline and research important African Americans in history. Use the included outline to write a report.
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Social Studies Test-Grade 5
In this grade 5 social studies test, 5th graders complete a 27 question multiple choice quiz covering a variety of grade 5 concepts.
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Why Can't I Vote?
Fourth graders take an unannounced test (failure is expected) and the top scores are rewarded with candy bars. They compare this test to the literacy tests given before 1960 and votes to candybars. They journal their responses.
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Minorities in Mainstream American Society
So many people fought for Civil Rights in the United States. Read about the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and discuss what the act guarantees. Then pass out a slew of magazines and encourage them to observe how often minorities appear in...
Judicial Learning Center
State Courts vs. Federal Courts
Popular culture often portrays the Feds as the most fearsome of law enforcement agencies. Yet, someone charged with a crime is considerably more likely to end up in a state court. The lesson, one of six covering the Organization of the...
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Analyzing a Writer's Stance
Should college admissions decisions be based on whether whose family members attended? Secondary students read and respond to a New York Times article on the issue of 'legacy preferences' in college admissions. Following class...
Judicial Learning Center
The Judge and the Jury
Unless you are a lawyer, you might not understand just how unrealistic Law and Order and other legal dramas actually are. Here's a great resource to help scholars of criminology gain a more realistic perspective. The lesson outlines the...
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Navigating The Legal System
Students identify personal rights allowed under the law in the United States. An exploration of the legal process leads students to describe how the American legal system works. This lesson is intended for students acquiring English.
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Cultural America
Seventh graders investigate the cultural differences that can be found in America. They discuss what it means to be called an American. The patterns of migration to America are discussed with the use of maps and geographical terms....
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Wappo Indians of Napa County
Third graders describe the American Indian nation in their local region long ago and in the recent past in terms of national identities, religious beliefs, customs, and various folklore traditions. They synthesize their findings into a...
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3 Branches of Governement
Sixth graders use the "Making the Grade" books, citizenship packets, and the "Ben's Guide" website to create a poster and a report on their assigned government branch. They then present their poster and report to their classmates.
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The American Indian Movement
Twelfth graders examine the civil rights movement of the Native Americans. They read the provided multicultural reading passage and answer the questions that follow. They chart which cultural groups fought for equal rights during the...
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The Inauguration of Barack Obama the 44th President of the United States
Eleventh graders explore the process of inauguration in the United States. Students describe the symbolic and political significance of the ceremony of the inauguration of the President of the United States. Students role...
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Living Under the Illinois Black Codes
Learners use the text of the Illinois Black Codes to examine the laws in place. Using this information, they draw their own conclusions about why the laws existed in a free state. They also identify the purpose of these laws and how they...
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John Jones and the Fight to Repeal the Black Laws
Middle schoolers examine the role of John Jones and his fight to repeal the Black Laws of Illinois. Using the text of the law, they explore his reasoning for repealing the laws and the arguments he used to support his beliefs. They draw...
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Graphs and Transformations of Functions
Is it possible to solve quadratic equations by factoring? It is, and your class will graph quadratic equation and functions too. They perform transformation on their graphs showing increasing and decreasing intervals, domain, and range....
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How We're Connected
Students take a survey in order to find out how they live in relationship to the environment. They take the time to investigate the differences between a need and a want. This is done as part of the self-assessment. Students also study...
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Everyone has a Culture-Everyone is Different
Students explore cultural features. In this multicultural acceptance lesson, students define and discuss "culture," and distinguish the difference between individual characteristics and cultural characteristics. Students...
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Teaching with Poster Art: World War I Posters
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary resources. In this World War I lesson, students examine World War I posters. Students investigate the use of propaganda strategies in the posters and discuss the visual metaphors.
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The Three Branches of Government
Sixth graders discover details about the 3 branches of government. In this primary source analysis instructional activity, 6th graders examine documents and images from the Library of Congress to investigate the structure of the U.S....
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Understanding Criminal Justice
Learners realize that clear values are a resource of behavior in clarifying needs and wants. They clarify feelings and wants and verbalize ways in which they give up freedom and control in their lives by relinquishing decisions to...
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The Role of Affirmative Action in the Civil Rights Movement
Students debate Affirmative Action. In this Civil Rights lesson students examine the development of affirmative action. Students discuss whether affirmative action is advancing equality and civil rights or not.