Authentic Lessons for 21st Century Learning
This lesson begins with a discussion of how authors tell great stories. Students will hear two stories about dogs, one told from the first person and the other from the third person point of view. Students will use a Card Sort activity to discover how to tell the difference in point of view and will... Read more »
Created by: K20 Center
Date Updated: August 4th, 2021
Point of View
In this lesson, students learn about the story of the near extermination and subsequent re-introduction of the Gray Wolf of Yellowstone National Park. Through this narrative, students learn about apex predators, keystone species, and ecosystems. They learn to form cause and effect statements, analyze... Read more »
Created by: Jane Baber
Date Updated: May 18th, 2023
Human-Environment Interaction
Students will look at the increase in seismic activity in Oklahoma and around the United States in recent years. Some say the earthquakes are a direct result of an oil and gas process called hydraulic fracturing, while others disagree. Students will investigate this question for themselves and formulate... Read more »
Created by: Cacey Wells
Date Updated: July 10th, 2024
Earthquakes in Oklahoma
In this lesson, students analyze the physiological and psychological factors that promote mental health in teens. They brainstorm potential sources of stress and identify strategies to manage stress. Read more »
Created by: Susan McHale
Date Updated: June 13th, 2023
Mental Health of Teens
In this lesson, students will examine the facts associated with evolution, infer what fossilized remains can inform us about an organism, explore how evolution is influenced by an ever-changing environment, and construct a timeline of an organism change resulting from environmental factors or human... Read more »
Created by: Brittany Bowens
Date Updated: August 5th, 2024
Biology
This lesson focuses on solving literal equations by building on the equation-solving knowledge students developed in Parts 1 and 2 of the Journey of the Isolated Variable series. Students will deepen their understanding of rearranging multi-variable equations to isolate a specific variable. By the end... Read more »
Created by: Amber Stokes
Date Updated: March 7th, 2025
Literal Equations
In this lesson, students will work in groups to annotate and summarize texts about plagiarism and its effect on learning. They will reflect on what they know about plagiarizing and how to avoid it in their writing. By teaching one another through group and class discussions, students will better understand... Read more »
Created by: Daniel Schwarz
Date Updated: November 6th, 2024
Avoiding Plagiarism
In this sixth lesson of the "Lord of the Flies" unit, students will analyze the text for symbols of power. Students will categorize evidence from the novel to support the claim that either the seashell or the glasses were the ultimate symbol of power. Read more »
Created by: Margaret Salesky
Date Updated: June 20th, 2023
I've Got the Power
In this lesson, students explore the theme of tradition by reading Shirley Jackson’s short story, “The Lottery,” and an accompanying article, “The Dangers of Tradition.” As students develop their own beliefs concerning the value and possible dangers of tradition, they share their opinions with their... Read more »
Created by: Margaret Salesky
Date Updated: October 22nd, 2024
The Lottery
Identifying the Difference Between Nonfiction and Fiction texts
In this lesson, students will learn to identify the difference between fiction and nonfiction texts and to determine the importance of knowing the difference between the two types. The students use book sorts, videos, and fun activities to come to their own understanding of fiction and nonfiction texts. Read more »
Created by: Alyssa Sexton
Date Updated: August 22nd, 2024
Identifying the Difference Between Nonfiction and Fiction texts
Werewolves Who Write
“And they called it puppy love…” This lesson will have students falling in love with werewolves from all packs as they explore how mythology and lore has progressed over time, place, and culture. After they discover which pack they belong to, they will work together to design a movie poster that depicts... Read more »
Created by: Margaret Salesky
Date Updated: April 1st, 2025
Werewolves Who Write
Many teenagers and young adults are concerned about life in the “real world” and the adult skills needed to navigate this landscape. In this lesson, students will explore “adulting.” Students will research necessary life skills and create a presentation to be delivered to their classmates. In the process,... Read more »
Created by: Bethany Farley
Date Updated: March 6th, 2025
Researching Life Skills
In this grammar and punctuation lesson, students will explore the proper usage of brackets [ ], parentheses ( ), and ellipses … in writing. From ELA to math, science, and social studies, students will explore how brackets, parentheses, and ellipses are used across the curriculum. This exploration will... Read more »
Created by: Polly Base
Date Updated: March 18th, 2025
Special Grammar Ingredients: Brackets, Parentheses, and Ellipses
Is it really worth it? In this lesson, students will read “The Bet” by Anton Chekhov and view “The Silence,” an episode from the Twilight Zone, analyzing the motives and outcomes of the characters. Students begin by participating in a word cloud listing things they’d be willing to give up. Next, they... Read more »
Created by: Margaret Salesky
Date Updated: January 29th, 2025
Argumentative Writing
In this interactive session, participants will explore a career roadmap and experience a mini-virtual career expo. Participants will leave with a variety of ideas about implementing virtual career experiences in their own GEAR UP programs. Read more »
Created by: Lindsey Link
Date Updated: May 29th, 2024
During this activity, teachers will have an opportunity to explore activities, lessons, and materials the K20 Center has developed. Using these materials, they will find ways to implement the ICAP initiative in their classrooms. They will research new career fields and create their own vision boards... Read more »
Created by: Lindsey Link
Date Updated: September 29th, 2021
Discussions are a natural, common practice in ELA classrooms. It is a daily challenge to engage students face-to-face, but engaging students online can feel especially difficult. This presentation introduces strategies that can effectively spark ideas for both face-to-face and virtual discussions: First... Read more »
Created by: Brandy Hackett
Date Updated: July 9th, 2024
While it is important for students to engage in classroom discourse in their social studies classes in order to develop understanding, purposeful and effective opportunities for students to share their thinking and reasoning do not happen on their own. They require deliberate planning and facilitation... Read more »
Created by: Sarah Brewer
Date Updated: May 21st, 2024
One notable thing the events of recent years have taught us is that what we think we know might not be a holistic truth. This includes the ways in which we think our GEAR UP students perceive career paths. Contexts like culture, background, skills, and interests can have a profound effect on student... Read more »
Created by: Lindsey Link
Date Updated: July 14th, 2022
Meaningful student discussion is an important component of Authentic instruction, but many teachers find it challenging to facilitate effectively. This session explores effective approaches to planning for and facilitating student discussion, common discussion roadblocks, and strategies to support meaningful... Read more »
Created by: Heather Shaffery
Date Updated: July 13th, 2022
During this third day of the Formative Assessment Institute, participants focus on distinguishing Assessment of Learning, Assessment for Learning, and Assessment as Learning. Read more »
Created by: Lindsey Link
Date Updated: June 5th, 2024
Participants consider the benefits of discourse in science and explore three strategies that support discourse in the classroom by role-playing as students. They then discuss the benefits of each of the three strategies for incorporating discourse in their classroom. In small groups, participants discuss... Read more »
Created by: Patricia McDaniels-Gomez
Date Updated: July 12th, 2024
The Leading Educators in Authentic Development (LEAD) workshop is a series of professional learning sessions that develop teachers’ skills in leading professional development at their school sites. This workshop features four sessions over a two-day period. This first session, Leading Educators in Authentic... Read more »
Created by: Mariah Warren
Date Updated: November 11th, 2024
This collection features tech tools and instructional strategies for supporting group awareness of learning. Group-constructed visual representations have been shown to affect knowledge acquisition significantly. When students see their learning and co-constructed knowledge as a group, it builds confidence... Read more »