Lesson Plans

Reflect on Judgment and Responsibility

December 5, 2012

On November 20, 1945, 24 high-ranking Nazis went on trial for atrocities committed during World War II. TheNuremberg Trials, held from 1945 to 1949, were a galvanizing moment in history, international law and human rights. Nuremberg Remembered is a free 12-minute documentary about the Nuremberg Trials. It combines both archival footage and modern-day interviews with trial participants who served in a variety of roles, including members of the legal team for the prosecution and a journalist reporting on the events for the press. A set of three lessons, along with the documentary, introduces teachers and students to the essential questions of judgment and responsibility that were initially…

Help Students Become Better Searchers

December 5, 2012

Google has created a series of lessons to help teachers guide their students to use web searches meaningfully in their schoolwork and beyond. Google Search Education provides free Search Literacy Lesson Plans and “A Google a Day” Challenges. The search literacy lessons help teachers meet the new Common Core State Standards and are grouped based on level of search expertise: Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced. “A Google a Day” Challenges help students put their search skills to the test as they use technology to discover the world around them. The challenges are organized into the following categories: Culture, Geography, History, Science. Click Here to Access Free Search Resources…

Head to the Closet, Discover Interdependence

December 5, 2012

The Global Closet Calculator, from National Geographic Education, is a two-part interactive lesson on interdependence for elementary students. The first part of the lesson asks students to identify the origins of objects from their closets at home. Students enter the names of those items into the calculator to see a map of the origins of their closet items. Students can also see a map of the items entered by others using the Global Closet Calculator. The second part of the lesson asks students to make decisions about the manufacturing of MP3 players and jeans, including the sourcing of materials and labor practices. A short…

Separate Thanksgiving Fact from Myth

November 16, 2012

At the Plimoth Plantation’s You Are the Historian website, students become history detectives as they investigate the first Thanksgiving. (Some historians think that “The First Thanksgiving” wasn’t really a thanksgiving. They call it “The 1621 Harvest Celebration” because it was more like a harvest festival.) On this website, students use clues to try to figure out what really happened at the 1621 harvest celebration. They are guided by Dancing Hawk, a Wampanoag whose ancestors were at the harvest celebration, and by Sarah, whose ancestor, Remember Allerton, was at the celebration too. If students don’t know the meaning of a word they encounter, they…

Provide Mathematical Experiences Aligned to Standards

November 16, 2012

Illustrative Mathematics is a free resource for K–12 mathematics teachers. On the Illustrative Mathematics website, teachers can find lesson activities aligned to standards for every grade level. When appropriate, the activities include drawings and diagrams. Anyone may access the activities posted on the website. You can rate activities and share your own activities if you register for an Illustrative Mathematics account. Illustrative Mathematics is an initiative of the Institute for Mathematics & Education funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Click Here to Visit Website

Engage Students in Modern Biology-Related Scenarios

November 16, 2012

The Partnership for Biotechnology and Genomics Education (PBGE) project on theUniversity of California Davis campus involves components of secondary education focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) concepts. The components include the development and distribution of innovative 3-D virtual reality software. InSTEMware: Zombie Plague, students explore a 3-D world where they are responsible for identifying the pathogenic microorganism causing a deadly outbreak and implementing a cure. Although the symptoms of the fictional disease is zombieism, the science content embedded in the software deals with diagnosis, treatment strategies and career connections that are applicable to any disease caused by viruses, bacteria or fungi. Interactions with…

Learn About a Range of Scientific Subjects

November 16, 2012

Scitable, created by NatureEducation, is an online collaborative space for science learning. Visitors to the site can browse or search through science articles and ebooks, ask experts science-related questions, build an online classroom and even share their own content. Currently, Scitable’s materials focus on the life sciences; however, Scitable also offers resources for the budding scientist, with advice about effective science communication and career paths. Click Here to Visit Website

Use Modern-Day Sleuthing Skills

November 16, 2012

Murder at the Met: An American Art Mystery is a free web-based application that guides users of smartphones and tablets through the galleries of American paintings, sculpture and decorative arts at The Metropolitan Museum of Art to solve a murder mystery. The fictional plot transports players back to an evening gala in 1899 and revolves around the murder of beautiful Virginie Gautreau, who was immortalized by John Singer Sargent in the portrait Madame X, one of the museum’s best-known paintings. Players use their mobile devices to travel through the galleries, where the art has come to life and everyone has secrets to share. By learning to look more closely at…

Create Meaningful Learning Experiences with Mobile Devices

November 16, 2012

Mobile Learning Reflections is a free ebook intended for anyone interested in using mobile devices as instructional tools. The 80-page ebook is full of detailed examples of leveraging mobile devices to create meaningful learning experiences for students. You can read the ebook online or download a free copy for yourself from this Issuu website. Click Here to Visit Website Click Here to Download Free Ebook

Piece Together the History of the Civil War

November 16, 2012

In 2011, TeachingHistory.org released an interactive poster and companion website about the United States Civil War. The 24″ x 36″ poster, entitled “How Do You Piece Together the History of the Civil War?”, features a collage of primary sources and related questions that get students thinking about how we know what we know about the past, especially in relation to our country’s most devastating conflict, the Civil War. The question, “How can geography impact a battle?” accompanies a map of Gettysburg, while a slave receipt prompts students to think about the laws, economics and people involved in the institution of…