This site created by Primary Source provides teachers with a key event in African American history for every day of February. For each key event, the site provides links to websites which may include primary sources and lesson ideas.
The following 90 minute lessons are a culminating project for a novel unit on Children of the River by Linda Crew. The book shares the struggles of Sundara, a Cambodian teenager who escapes from the Khmer Rouge and ends up in an American high school in Oregon. Once in the USA, Sundara faces new struggles of trying to fit in with her classmates while honoring her familyŐs Cambodian traditions. Before reading this novel, students read and discuss conflicts/genocides around the world that took place prior to the Khmer Rouge era in Cambodia. The conflicts discussed were: the Colonists and the Native Americans, the Armenian Genocide, and the Holocaust. After reading the novel, a survivor of the Cambodian Genocide spoke with the students. Classes also watched the movie "New Year Baby."
These three lessons are part of an interdisciplinary unit entitled "Cambodia: Past and Present" that focuses on the history of Cambodia beginning in the Funan Period extending to modern time. Through Cambodian literature, written reflections, slide shows and film, this integrated unit is targeted for grade eight students who will learn about Cambodia in their English, social studies, and writing classes. The essential understanding for this unit of study is that the importance of people's life journeys is to integrate their pasts with their present.
This 3-lesson unit is intended for upper-elementary students (grades 2- 4) in general music classes. Students will explore themes and methods of celebration that are common in many cultures while learning to sing and play an instrumental accompaniment for a Cambodian song, and explore formal and informal dance traditions of the Cambodian culture. At the Murkland School, in Lowell, Massachusetts, this unit is part of a school-wide project that culminates in a celebration of Cambodian New Year in April to which families are invited. The celebration includes modeling of traditional and modern Cambodian dance, music, instruments, clothing, cuisine, and folklore.
The authors of this unit define the characteristics of "civilization" and present Chinese culture and history in light of these characteristics. The original eight-week unit is available in the Primary Source library; four lessons are presented here: an introduction to the elements of civilization, Chinese dynasties, Chinese philosophy and the importance of silk to China's economic history.
A Curriculum Unit Developed to Support the Grade 4 Gifted and Talented Program. This web unit includes several lessons, classroom activities, a slide show, as well as web and bibliographic links. It uses the motif of the dragon in Chinese folklore to discuss aspects of Chinese literature, mythology and political history. This unit was designed by a librarian to be used by classroom teachers in cooperation with library-media specialists.
This unit of social history examines Traditional Chinese Family Values, Revolutionary Chinese Family Values (1950-1980) and Modern Chinese Family Values (1980-present).Length: The entire unit can fill seven weeks (35 days) if every activity is completed, but teachers can easily omit or add activities.Target grades: 11th /12th (many activities appropriate for 9th/10th grades)Teaching activities utilize Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences theory (linguistic, logical, spatial, kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal).Topics: Confucianism, Cultural Revolution, Tian'anmen Square Demonstrations, one-child policy, economic reforms
This form of painting became popular during the Cultural Revolution in China (1966-1976). Images depicting people's every day lives became a natural focus under the regime of Chairman Mao. Artists in places like Hu County in Shaanxi Province (near Xi'an), where these painting were made, were discovered and became popular. This particular series of Peasant Paintings, by a mature, female artist named Dong, were done in a studio production method.The peasant paintings depict festivals and daily routines: preparing food, doing laundry, traditional parades (lanterns, dragons), animals and fish. Some tell stories with symbolism. This curriculum resource will provide potential lesson topics and areas of discovery and a set of images for teachers of art, Chinese culture & history at elementary, middle and high school levels. The paintings may serve as supplementary visuals for K-8 teachers of science, and geography.
Sushi, anime, Hello Kitty Đ these are a few of the most well-known products that have become symbolic of Japan. However, sushi is a delicacy and therefore not something that most Japanese eat daily, the popularity of anime varies across the country, and not everyone is a zealous Hello Kitty fan. The purpose of these activities, then, is to go beyond the stereotypes often associated with these popular products and examine aspects of Japanese culture that reveal fundamental values in Japanese society. Specifically, the primary sources chosen here all reflect careful attention to detail and presentation as well as efficient, thoughtful, and creative use of limited time and space. The classroom activities that go along with the primary sources have been designed to help young students recognize similarities and differences between Japanese culture and their own.
Using an inquiry-based model for learning, this interactive resource will increase students’ understanding of food security and explore the opportunities that exist in the Saskatchewan agriculture industry for feeding our growing world. The resource features multiple components to enhance the learning experience for students, including a four-part video, an interactive SMART Board game, and classroom activities. Note: This resource can be used even if you don't have a SMART Board. Available in French (SMART board game only).
General OneFile is a cross-disciplinary research database (science, literature, history, etc.). Access to more than 14,000 periodicals, newspapers, reference books, and multimedia sources, along with over 163,000 images, 6,400 audio files, and 1.3 million videos.
High School Edition is designed for middle- and high-school students and provides access to age-appropriate, authoritative digital content for classroom assignments. Learners can research magazines, journals, newspapers, and reference books covering a wide range of subjects, from science, history, and literature to political science, sports, and environmental studies.
This unit is inquiry based and works best with outcomes IN8.2, DR8.1, DR8.3, PA8.1, RW8.2, RW8.3.
Covering both U.S. and world history topics, History Reference Source (formerly the History Reference Center) is a full-text database featuring historical reference books, magazines, journals and thousands of primary source documents.
These three lessons are part of the overall unit called, "How does my Cambodian Culture Affect Who I Am as a Student?" In the lessons, students will compare their Cambodian school culture to that of the United States. They will address the similarities and differences and will discuss the preconceived notions they had about school in America and how their culture affects who they are as students in the American school system.The lessons are geared for newcomers (ESL students) from Cambodia to the United States, grades 5-8. Their language proficiency is at various levels so instruction should be differentiated.
In the media and in the classroom, much emphasis has been placed on India's stunning economic growth since the 1990s. Less attention has been paid, however, to the consequences of the country's rapid industrialization on the nation's people and natural environment. Like many other developing societies throughout history, India's economic progress has resulted in environmental degradation, natural resource depletion, and increased consumption and waste, thereby threatening people's health, access to resources, and traditional ways of life. Using case studies on pollution in the Ganges River, coal mining in Jharkhand, and data comparing the country's total and per capita energy consumption, this cluster explores, and places within a global context, the pressing environmental and human challenges brought by India's industrialization.
Students choose a question to explore, research it using a variety of resources, organize their information on a TCF chart, and then collaboratively write a class scientific explanation.
>> Media Description | 5 minutes
For millennia, the Haíɫzaqv have depended on the seasonal cycles that bring ocean resources to the coast. Every generation learns to harvest in a sustainable way. But now these resources are dwindling. And it's up to us—all of us—to work together to put things back in balance. If you like this content you can see all of the available resources in the Harvest module in the Ocean School Help Centre (https://help.oceanschool.nfb.ca/educational-resources/module-guides/the-harvest-module-guide).
>> Activity Description | 45 minutes
Balancing act "c̓isḷa" comic activity. Students learn more about c̓isḷa—the act of looking after and taking care of something important. Students then create a comic that illustrates people taking care of and giving back to nature.
>>Get the activity
Here is a Google template link of the activity: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1RTA7LqU6EkCdlMngDHlQL4O6h5SVRtMYIKo8Or-6Fr4/template/preview
>> About the Indigenous content
This content was filmed and developed on unceded Haíɫzaqv homelands and waterways in direct collaboration with members of the Haíɫzaqv Nation. The Haíɫzaqv are an Indigenous Nation living in (what is currently) Canada's province of British Columbia (http://www.heiltsuknation.ca/about-2/territory/). We are sincerely grateful to the Haíɫzaqv Nation for allowing Ocean School to be guests in their territory, for sharing their stories and knowledge, and for collaborating with us for this module. All Haíɫzaqv language use in Ocean School content is overseen by the Heiltsuk Integrated Resource Management Department (https://www.hirmd.ca/).
>> About Ocean School
Ocean School is a free educational resource from the Canadian Government about the ocean, through Dalhousie University, Ingenium - Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation, and the National Film Board of Canada. Ocean School is inquiry-based, entirely online, available in English and French, and for students in grades 5-9. Learn more about the Ocean School project at our What is Ocean School page.
>> Available in French
This same media is available in French here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MdRoCy8AZw
This same activity is available in French here (Google Template): https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/11XZeCZu0ICsb18DzBzUe1Kc-VcPYwMIZDm5mjf34nM8/template/preview
>> Accessibility
Captions and Transcripts are available for Ocean School content. Captions are within the Ocean School platform (or on YouTube) and transcripts can be found in the module guides: https://help.oceanschool.nfb.ca/educational-resources/module-guides
>> Please note: Ocean School activities are not stand-alone lessons (they do not cover all aspects of one topic or subject) but instead supplement learning through dynamic and engaging experiences.
This educator toolkit offers a general road map with a collection of tools and resources for developing and implementing a successful STEM-based project.
The detailed steps in Inquiry-Based Learning Educator Toolkit are outlined as follows:
STEP 1: Identify and Clarify Your Project Idea
STEP 2: Craft the Focus Question
STEP 3: Plan the Assessment
STEP 4: Launch the Project
STEP 5: Manage the Project
Conclusion, Appendix and References
I have decided to use the Inquiry process in my unit on rocks and
minerals. Since my students are familiar with the inquiry process and I
have already had some success with this style of teaching and learning, I
have decided to use a blended inquiry. It was be a blend of open and
guided inquiry where I was able to assist students as needed although
they had the freedom of posing their own questions and also had the
freedom to choose their own form of formal assessment such as a
written paper, a poster with an oral presentation, or a Power Point
presentation. I allowed the students to pose their own question in the
hope of sparking their curiosity and sense of wonder.