California Department of Education
Roadmap to Success
Life is a highway ... where will yours lead? Scholars pave the way toward success in the fourth of five college and career readiness lesson plans. Using the SMART system, individuals begin mapping out the steps they will follow to...
California Department of Education
Transitioning to High School
How do scholars prepare to take their next big step? The second in a series of six career and college readiness activities focuses on making a smooth transition from middle to high school. Groups research the resources available at their...
Curated OER
Archeology of the Future
Students are introduced to the basic vocabulary of archeology. Using the vocabulary, they classify artifacts and make inferences about their uses. In groups, they create a chart for the criteria needed to analyze artifacts and share...
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Needs of the Homeless
Students explore the needs of the homeless. In this philanthropy lesson plan student read chapter 1 of Trevor's Place and discuss facts regarding homelessness. Students write their impressions about homelessness in journals.
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Renewable Energy and
Students identify and explore renewable energy options and then research, develop and install a renewable energy system in their school or community. Students identify the use of renewable energy sources in the north, demonstrate their...
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"Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters"
Fifth graders read and analyze the books "Snow White in New York" and "Mufaro's Beautiful Daughter." They analyze the characteristics of the characters in each story, write thoughts of characters in speech bubbles, and write a letter to...
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All About Penguins
Second graders research penguins. In this all about penguins lesson, 2nd graders identify facts from their readings and write an expository paper using proper capitalization and punctuation.
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THE PEANUT WIZARD
Students read information about George Washington Carver and outline the information. They are given peanuts in the shell, students examine them and eat them. Students discuss the following questions: Why did George Washington Carver...
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Ethan Frome
High schoolers can earn up to 50 points in Section I "C" Level. They can earn up to 10 points in Section "B" where students can complete only one activity. High schoolers can earn a maximum of 20 points in Section "A" activities.
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Fredrick Douglass...A Digital History
Seventh graders research the life of Fredrick Douglass. In this Fredrick Douglass lesson, 7th graders read about his life and discuss it. They write poetry describing his experience as a slave and create their own monument for Fredrick...
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The History of Scrabble
Learners discover the history and rules to the classic board game, Scrabble. In this spelling instructional activity, students complete a KWL chart on Scrabble and present their findings in an oral report. Learners work in pairs to...
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A Turkey for Thanksgiving - Lesson #2
Second graders investigate realistic fiction, holiday celebrations, making tally charts. In this multi-disciplinary instructional activity, 2nd graders listen to a story about Thanksgiving and one about the Chinese New Year to develop an...
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The Civil War in Art and Literature
Pupils examine art related to the Civil War. They participate in activities that allow them to write poetry and drawings. They create their own journal and collect their work in a binder.
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Life in Ancient India
Students study Ancient India and the vocabulary, language, and everyday life associated with India. They build a time capsule representing their own world for future civilizations to discover. They create labels for each item, giving a...
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Short Story
Seventh graders identify the various elements of a short story. After reading Rudyard Kipling's short story, "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," students identify the author's purpose in writing the story as well as the elements that make it a short...
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Classroom Rules and Procedures
Eighth graders participate in a brief introduction to the classroom rules and procedures. They role play the proper procedures for maintaining a productive classroom atmosphere. Rules and parent letters are distributed and discussed.
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Practical Writing in the Intermediate Grades
Students discuss lists of interesting topics on which to write. They explore those things that interest them, excite them and express themselves freely. They organize the value of their own thoughts and use their individual lists that...
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Covering the Campaign Trail: Technological Progress or Temporary Chaos?
Learners study the changes in reporting and journalism techniques that have evolved due to advances in technology by reading an online transcript. They debate whether the technological advances are positive or negative in the reporting...
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Constitutional Change During the Progressive Era
Students analyze the passage of the 16th through 19th amendments during the Progressive Era around the turn of the century. Using research skills, they write papers and create portfolios supporting and opposing the adoption of each...
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Haiku: Observation and Writing in the Japanese Garden
Young scholars observe a Botanical Gardens. Upon returning to the classroom, students write their own Haiku based on their observations.
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Out of the Dust 2
Students, after reading the novel, Out of the Dust, describe the language used in the novel. They cite examples of words or phrases that are from that time period. Then they are given sentences and must rewrite them in modern-day language.
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Going West
Students examine the lives of early pioneers who traveled west for better opportunities. They listen to story "Josafina and the Story Quilt", and discuss hardships encountered by traveling families. Students then complete research and...
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Which reference book helps most?
Fourth graders utilize various reference materials to find specific types of information. In this library research lesson, 4th graders choose the best source of information from the library's reference collection to answer questions.
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Trucks and Community Workers
First graders identify community helpers and their roles. In this transportation lesson plan, 1st graders complete a series of lessons integrating technology and literacy. Students decode sounds of short u, c/s/ and g/j/ words and...