Curated OER
Let Me Tell You About My State
State reports can be a lot of fun, especially when the learners get to choose the state they study. This research and writing-focused social studies lesson engages learners in collecting information, essay structure, research, and...
Curated OER
Salmon Stories
Work on author's purpose with this lesson, which focuses on sequence of events and audience as well. Middle and high schoolers describe the 50 State Quarters Program for background information. After discussing the images on the...
Curated OER
Mural Mania
Learn about your home state. After listening to stories about your state, identifying symbols, and discussing what makes your region special, your class creates a mural.
Curated OER
Where in the United States Are We?
High schoolers spend the lesson identifying the location of the fifty states and the capitals. Using a software program, they retrace te outline of each state numerous times. To end the lesson, they write a story about a state and city...
US Mint
Rename That State!
As Shakespeare famously wrote, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet," but can the same be said for a state? In this elementary geography lesson plan, students are assigned specific states to research using the...
Curated OER
Spy the Flycatcher
Explore the symbols and special features of Oklahoma. By focusing on Oklahoma's state bird, the flycatcher, learners identify similes, write metaphors, and answer questions about this famous state symbol.
Curated OER
Making Cents of Independence
Have your class explore the history of Texas using this comprehensive lesson! They read about Texas' march toward statehood, the Alamo, and more. There is a series of worksheets, graphic organizers, and a rubric which make this activity...
ReadWriteThink
Dear Librarian: Writing a Persuasive Letter
Everyone deserves to read a great book! Here, pupils write a persuasive letter to the school's librarian detailing their favorite story and why it should be found on the shelves. Class members' persuasive reading passages are shared with...
Curated OER
The Great States Race
Here is another in the interesting series of lessons that use the special State Quarters as a learning tool. This one uses the Indiana State Quarter. During this activity, utilize a brilliantly-designed board game that is embedded in the...
Curated OER
Let Me Tell You About My State
Fifth graders research one of the 50 U.S. States that they were unfamiliar with. In this U.S. Geography lesson, 5th graders utilize encyclopedias as well as the Internet to research a chosen U.S. State in order to write a report....
Curated OER
Describe That State
Young scholars broaden knowledge about all the 50 states. They combine their knowledge about states with their knowledge about parts of speech to create grammatically correct sentences that describe the characteristics of the states.
Curated OER
Statistics with State Names
Students analyze the number of times each letter in the alphabet is used in the names of the states. For this statistics lesson, students create a stem and leaf plot, box and whisker plot and a histogram to analyze their data.
Curated OER
Indiana Travel Guide
Fourth graders share their information about their home state. For this research lesson, 4th graders use graphic organizers to make a travel guide about the state of Indiana. This lesson could be modified for use with any state, it also...
Curated OER
State Your Business
Second graders conduct research on a selected state in the United States. They read a book and write down interesting facts, conduct Internet research, and create a brochure using Microsoft Office Publisher.
Digital Writing and Research Lab's – Lesson Plans
Teaching Close Reading through Short Composition/Revision
This activity may have writers evaluate short compositions, but their subjects are quite tall: great Americans. Pupils read one another's compositions and closely examine how specific phrases and diction contribute to shaping American...
Curated OER
Along the Banks of the Mississippi
Students write a report about one of the states along the Mississippi River.
Curated OER
The Nifty Fifty- Facts and Figures
Students explore an assigned state. In this United States geography lesson, students identify facts and figures related to a particular state. Students use the Internet for research and create a PowerPoint presentation displaying these...
Curated OER
The Pearl: Problematic Situation
Is money the root of all evil, or the answer to everyone's dreams? Analyze the role of money in John Steinbeck's The Pearl with a writing prompt where kids imagine that they have won the lottery, and must think about the ways it will...
Curated OER
United States Map Lesson
Students explore basic map skills. In this United States geography instructional activity, students define "country" and "state," locate their state on a United States map, and identify and trace state boundaries defining their state...
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Our Classroom Constitution
Develop a system of classroom rules created by the kids, for the kids with this three-part lesson series on the US Constitution. After learning about the structure of the Constitution and the government it established, young...
Curated OER
Dear Miss Florence: Writing Letters To the Boardinghouse for Artists
Imagine being one of the painters in 1910 at the Lyme Art Colony in Connecticut. Using the Florence Griswold Museum's on-line resources to gather information about the daily life of artists at the boardinghouse, learners write a letter...
The New York Times
Investigating the Heroin and Prescription Opioid Epidemic
How bad is the opioid crisis in America? Has it gotten worse in the last few decades? Why? High schoolers delve into these questions with a thorough and thoughtful lesson from The New York Times on heroin prescription opioids....
Curated OER
Heartsongs Poetry by Mattie Stepanek
Use Mattie Stepanek’s Heartsongs book of poetry to inspire young poets to write about their own lives, experiences, and feelings. After reading the introduction to Mattie’s book, in which he talks about himself and his reasons for...
Curated OER
United States Map - Lesson 4: States
Students use a United States Map to locate their state and use map symbols to determine the boundaries of a state. In this states lesson plan, students learn the definition of a state and identify their own on a map.