Authentic Lessons for 21st Century Learning
In this professional development session, participants discover how various instructional strategies can be used as authentic tools to create and facilitate student-centered lessons with the 5E Instructional Model. Individually, participants will choose a component of the 5E Instructional Model (Engage,... Read more »
Created by: Lindsay Hawkins
Date Updated: December 15th, 2023
In this session, participants will gain a deeper understanding of meaningful Bell Ringers through the modeling of interdisciplinary instructional strategies. Participants are asked to a) address superficial uses of Bell Ringers and more meaningful uses of Bell Ringers, b) actively engage in authentic... Read more »
Created by: K20 Center
Date Updated: March 11th, 2024
Meeting students where they are can seem like a daunting task, particularly when it comes to the ever-changing world of technology. However, using intentionally designed games can make learning fun, provide opportunities for critical thinking, and enhance knowledge related to mindset. Participants will... Read more »
Created by: Lindsay Hawkins
Date Updated: January 29th, 2024
Productive student conversations are a vital part of deep, flexible understanding of content. During this session, participants will increase their awareness of productive and scaffolded student conversations in the classroom or within a synchronous online learning platform, such as Summit or Odyssey. Read more »
Created by: Lindsey Link
Date Updated: February 22nd, 2024
This activity will dive deep into encouraging inquiry and implementing inquiry-focused instructional strategies in the classroom. Participants will be actively engaged in a variety of strategies as facilitators model the implementation of these strategies. Read more »
Created by: Chelsee Wilson
Date Updated: March 8th, 2024
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
This 120-minute professional development focuses on understanding how virtual reality (VR) can take teaching and learning to a higher level through real-world connections, 21st-century skills, and critical thinking. Participants will explore VR, and then use VR resources to create a lesson or classroom... Read more »
Created by: Mandy Green
Date Updated: February 28th, 2024
A Classroom Framework for Supporting Student Well-Being focuses on creating a common language for safety, connections, and coping strategies in the classroom. Participants will reflect on their teaching practices with an eye towards transforming their classrooms into safe and nurturing spaces. Read more »
Created by: Shayna Pond
Date Updated: February 22nd, 2024
During this second 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
In this session, participants reflect on how they can partner with families to help students succeed in postsecondary education. Participants start with a reflection survey on family engagement, then work through family scenarios that focus on discovering each family's strengths and looking for opportunities... Read more »
Created by: Laura Buxton
Date Updated: August 22nd, 2024
Students will explore climate variation in various environments using EOMF (Earth Observation and Modeling Facility) data, GIS (Geospatial Information Science) data, and weather and climate data. Students will use their observations and data to make predictions about future environmental change and... Read more »
Created by: K20 Center
Date Updated: April 22nd, 2025
Climate Variation
In this lesson, students will explore the dynamics of enzymes by investigating what enzymes do, how they work, and in what types of substances they are found. Prior this lesson, students should have developed a good understanding of cell structure, function, and membrane transport. Read more »
Created by: K20 Center
Date Updated: August 28th, 2023
Enzymes
In this lesson, students will investigate how to use systems of equations to solve real-world problems. This is a great lesson to wrap up a unit on systems of equations, after students have become familiar with solving systems using any method. This lesson will connect solving systems to real-world... Read more »
Created by: K20 Center
Date Updated: October 2nd, 2023
Linear Systems of Equations
In this lesson, students will read two texts that depict the role of women in American society during the 19th Century. Kate Chopin’s fictional, “The Story of an Hour,” and John H. Young’s, “Our Deportment, or the Manners, Conduct, and Dress of Refined Society,” will be used to analyze elements of... Read more »
Created by: K20 Center
Date Updated: August 15th, 2024
Elements of Fiction
In this lesson, students explore the historical period of the Progressive Era through analyzing photos and gain a deeper knowledge of this era by reading primary source documents. They learn about several social reform movements and create speeches and posters in order to rally their peers to support... Read more »
Created by: Susan McHale
Date Updated: August 15th, 2023
Key Periods in U.S. History
Students explore causes for the decline in number of giant catfish of the Mekong River system and interpret a set of data taken from 2003 regarding the size and mass of catfish that were caught and tagged. They will display their knowledge in the form of tables, graphs, and pictures. Read more »
Created by: Danny Mattox
Date Updated: April 3rd, 2025
Tracking Population Decline Using Biology and Algebra
Students will use text analysis strategies to summarize two significant events of the Revolutionary War—the Battle of Saratoga and the French Alliance. Then students, working in collaborative groups, will use their knowledge of these events to annotate the lyrics of the song "Guns and Ships" from the... Read more »
Created by: Sarah Brewer
Date Updated: September 11th, 2024
Battle of Saratoga and the French Alliance
Students will participate in a set of observational experiments, designed to help them come up with "good" evidence to back a claim they present. Students will learn about how to overcome flawed predictions with evidence and design good reasonable explanations. Read more »
Created by: K20 Center
Date Updated: September 16th, 2024
Experimental Design & Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning
Students are introduced to a more holistic view of doing the scientific method by using scientific thinking instead. Students will be challenged to review and revise what they already know about the scientific method. Students will investigate what it means to do science and discover why some science... Read more »
Created by: K20 Center
Date Updated: February 22nd, 2024
Scientific Method vs. Scientific Thinking
In this U.S. history lesson, students are asked to investigate effects of the 9/11 acts of terrorism and the U.S. response. Read more »
Created by: K20 Center
Date Updated: June 22nd, 2023
U.S. History: Historical Impact
Whether they realize it or not, many students love poetry and use it every day. Introducing poetry in a relevant way can positively engage students in the composition of poetry. In this lesson, students will explore song lyrics as they engage in the analysis and creation of poetry. Read more »
Created by: K20 Center
Date Updated: November 13th, 2024
Poetry and Poetic Devices
Before, during, and after reading the play "Antigone" by Sophocles, students will use pre-, during-, and after-reading strategies from Kylene Beers' book "When Kids Can't Read." Students will focus on both comprehension of the play and meaningful and relevant themes. Read more »
Created by: K20 Center
Date Updated: August 20th, 2024
The Greek Drama Antigone
This lesson allows students to reflect on and discuss their perceptions about writing. Shifting the focus from writing from scratch to using words already written as a starting place, students engage in reading and creating blackout poems from newspaper articles. Students also practice listening and... Read more »
Created by: K20 Center
Date Updated: August 7th, 2024
Centered on the phenomenon of the Blue Fugates, students will explore how recessive traits increase in a population using a Punnett square activity, genotype/phenotype ratios and allele frequency calculations, and pedigree analysis. By the end of the lesson they will be able to explain how social, genetic,... Read more »
Created by: K20 Center
Date Updated: June 21st, 2022
Recessive Gene Inheritance
This is an introduction to karyotypes and what uses they have. Prerequisite knowledge would be basic genetic structures, such as chromatids, genes, and alleles. Using this lesson would lead nicely into having a discussion/next lesson about the ethics of gene therapy and CRISPR in humans. Read more »
Created by: K20 Center
Date Updated: August 28th, 2023
Karyotype for Chromosomal Disorders
This lesson uses mathematical manipulatives to engage students in learning how to use the order of operations for finding solutions to simple expressions. Students will explore concepts by playing three games to work with order of operations and to help develop computational fluency. Read more »
Created by: Cacey Wells
Date Updated: February 11th, 2025
Order of Operations
Propaganda often plays a significant role in influencing populations, especially in times of crisis. In this lesson, students will build their knowledge about Paul Revere's role in the American Revolution and how he used propaganda to influence colonists' opinions through his engraving of the Boston... Read more »
Created by: Susan McHale
Date Updated: September 25th, 2024
Propaganda & the American Revolution
This lesson takes students through an exploration of what they already know about slopes and develops their understanding of lines, especially the linear equation, y=mx+b. Students interact with the lesson in an easy-to-do activity that allows students to gather real data and then use those data to... Read more »
Created by: K20 Center
Date Updated: November 22nd, 2022
Linear Functions
Students will listen to a New York Times podcast discussing the contradiction in the Constitution by which it protects both freedom and slavery. Working in collaborative groups, students will summarize four parts of the Constitution—the Three-Fifths Clause, the Fugitive Slave Clause, the Slave Trade... Read more »
Created by: Sarah Brewer
Date Updated: August 6th, 2024
How Did the Constitution Protect the System of Slavery?
The U.S. Constitution can be a daunting document for students to understand. By having students search through the Constitution, connecting numbers to some important information about our government, this scavenger hunt activity provides the students with a non-threatening way to become familiar with... Read more »
Created by: K20 Center
Date Updated: November 10th, 2022
U.S. Government
In this lesson, students will examine the three East Asian religions of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism using the traditional painting "The Vinegar Tasters" as a visual guide. Students will work in groups to read about these religions and teach the class what they learned. After completing a Venn... Read more »
Created by: Chelsee Wilson
Date Updated: July 15th, 2022
East Asian Religions
In this lesson about the Industrial Revolution, students will begin by observing photographs of factory workers and analyzing primary sources to make inferences about working conditions during the Industrial Revolution. Based on the information they gather, students will write a letter protesting working... Read more »
Created by: Sarah Brewer
Date Updated: November 13th, 2024
The Industrial Revolution
This short, introductory lesson is a great way to begin the year in any history class from 8th-12th grade. Each student will create their own definition of history then compare it to quotes about history and the term's dictionary definition. Students then will reexamine their own definitions, modify... Read more »
Created by: Kristen Sublett
Date Updated: September 3rd, 2024
Intro to History
This lesson presents an overview of political maps in general and specifically maps from countries in the Eastern Hemisphere. Students will understand the key features of a political map. They will complete a map of European countries, capital cities, and related political map information. By the end... Read more »
Created by: Susan McHale
Date Updated: September 25th, 2024
European Countries
This lesson, used in conjunction with Ray Bradbury's short story "A Sound of Thunder," guides students to determine their own definitions for cause, effect, and foreshadowing, find examples of these concepts in the text, and create a brochure based on the story's fictional Time Travel, Inc. This lesson... Read more »
Created by: Chelsee Wilson
Date Updated: August 10th, 2023
Analyzing Short Stories
Students will identify the elements of a budget. They will examine how life events and lifestyle affect and change budgeting needs (i.e., personal expenses, emergencies, saving for future goals, family vs. individual). Read more »
Created by: Susan McHale
Date Updated: June 28th, 2023
Standard 1: Fundamentals of Budgeting
In this lesson, students will consider the context and evaluate perspectives while comparing "Story of an Hour" and excerpts from "The Awakening". After reading the stories, students will write a short response from the perspective of the characters. Read more »
Created by: Margaret Salesky
Date Updated: August 10th, 2023
Perspective
This lesson examines the phenomenon of coral bleaching as a context for learning about photosynthesis. Students investigate photosynthesis' inputs and outputs using an online simulation activity and connect these elements to the relationship between coral and their symbiotic algae. Student will also... Read more »
Created by: Heather Shaffery
Date Updated: June 26th, 2023
Photosynthesis and Coral Reef Health
This lesson analyzes the context and setting of the novel "Of Mice and Men." This cross-curricular lesson previews societal issues that were prevalent in John Steinbeck's text. Steinbeck was a young man during the Great Depression, and he wove the background and context of the Great Depression into... Read more »
Created by: Susan McHale
Date Updated: November 14th, 2024
Background & Setting
This lesson focuses on the notation for writing domain and range of a function. Students will recall their knowledge of domain and range then formalize their understanding of algebraic, set, and interval notation. This lesson is designed to be taught at the beginning of an Algebra II course. There are... Read more »
Created by: Brittany VanCleave
Date Updated: August 25th, 2022
Domain and Range Notations
Participating in difficult conversations in a classroom setting gives students a chance to learn how to express ideas and opinions safely. In this lesson, students build trust and respect for each other, building their confidence to speak on difficult topics without fear. Students will engage with complex... Read more »
Created by: Polly Base
Date Updated: July 17th, 2023
Speaking and Listening
Causes and Effects of the Congress of Vienna
This lesson introduces students to the impact of the Congress of Vienna. This lesson is meant to be taught after the French Revolution and Napoleon content has been introduced to students. Using hands-on activities, discussions, and research, students explore the individuals who helped shape the Congress... Read more »
Created by: Kim Press
Date Updated: July 12th, 2022
Causes and Effects of the Congress of Vienna
In this lesson, students will research, analyze, and evaluate the history of the Indian Reorganization Act, individual tribal governments, and their impact on Native Americans. Students will watch a short video describing the purpose of tribal governments. Then, they will choose one of the 39 Oklahoma... Read more »
Created by: Patricia McDaniels-Gomez
Date Updated: April 17th, 2023
Tribal Governments
This lesson connects cultural influences with historical media concepts. Students will use a visual dictionary of Native American pictographs to decode a story, reflect on cultural influences in learning and expression, and create their own story endings using pictographs. Read more »
Created by: Beau Hawkins
Date Updated: August 22nd, 2024
Exploring Cultural Forms of Written Communication
Students will learn that light is formed by waves and can change direction through diffraction. They will use pencils to build a spectroscope and make observations as to the color and size of light. Students will research wave diffraction and use what they learned to build and test a spectroscope. Read more »
Created by: Sherry Franklin
Date Updated: August 2nd, 2022
What Is Diffraction?
In this lesson, students will explore some culinary aspects of French culture to learn about stereotypes and how learning about other cultures affects our conception of others. Students will define the word “stereotype.” After doing so, they will share stereotypes they have regarding French food, watch... Read more »
Created by: Macey Dedmon
Date Updated: April 20th, 2023
Examining Stereotypes in French Cuisine
In this lesson, students observe standing waves in strings, rods, pipes, and hoops through videos and teacher demonstrations. Students investigate the ‘particle in a box’ problem using a PhET simulation, which presents the electron as a wave with discrete wavelengths. Students investigate wave functions... Read more »
Created by: Chris Yohn
Date Updated: August 22nd, 2023
Wave Properties of Particles
Students will define “stereotype.” After doing so, they will share stereotypes they have regarding Hispanic food, watch a few videos that will explain or dispel those stereotypes, and come to a consensus on whether stereotypes are useful. When they have finished the discussion, they will construct a... Read more »
Created by: James Doyle
Date Updated: September 22nd, 2023
Examining Stereotypes in Hispanic Cuisine
Students explore projectile motion using Newton's first law of motion. Read more »
Created by: Brittany Bowens
Date Updated: December 11th, 2024
Newton's First Law of Motion
In this lesson, students will use their knowledge of derivatives and pattern-recognition skills to find antiderivatives. Students will begin with the power rule for integration, evaluate the indefinite integral of basic trigonometric expressions, then learn how to integrate with u-substitution. Students... Read more »
Created by: Michell Eike
Date Updated: August 13th, 2024
Integration by Substitution