Authentic Lessons for 21st Century Learning
This lesson engages students in exploring, assessing, and drawing conclusions about the validity of various media sources through exploration of the 2019 "Alienstock" phenomenon. Students will work independently and in groups to compare and analyze different media sources and evaluate the validity and... Read more »
Created by: Margaret Salesky
Date Updated: June 9th, 2026
Analyzing Information, Media, and Validity
This middle school lesson is adapted from the high school lesson "How Does Your Garden Grow?" Students will explore principles of soil health, soil chemistry, and nutrient cycles by testing and analyzing soil samples. Students will also explore humanity's impact on soil health and create public service... Read more »
Created by: Heather Shaffery
Date Updated: October 26th, 2026
Conservation, Ecosystems, and Soil Health
This lesson will introduce students to the Second Red Scare (also known as the era of McCarthyism), the House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), and the public fear of communism that ran rampant in the 1940s and 1950s. Students will analyze a political cartoon that addresses the public fear... Read more »
Created by: Daniel Schwarz
Date Updated: November 7th, 2025
The Impact of the Second Red Scare
Designing YouTube Content Using World Languages
Students discuss their favorite content creators on YouTube. They explore different content creators on a Wakelet and consider what it is about the video that makes it intriguing. Students learn from a YouTube content creator that creating YouTube videos is "kind of like an octopus"—you need a lot of... Read more »
Created by: James Doyle
Date Updated: November 12th, 2025
Designing YouTube Content Using World Languages
This lesson asks students to consider the impact of the Holocaust and why people should remember it. Students discuss myths surrounding the Holocaust, investigate the events of the Holocaust, and read testimonies from those who experienced it. Students then research the experiences of victims, survivors,... Read more »
Created by: Daniel Schwarz
Date Updated: October 6th, 2026
Stories of the Holocaust
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: November 12th, 2025
Werewolves Who Write
Swimming in your local lake, you feel what you think is seaweed. But is it? When there's something strange in your local habitat, who ya gonna call? Mulder & Scully! In this third lesson of the Monster Monday series, students examine informational texts for examples to model and craft their own informative... Read more »
Created by: Margaret Salesky
Date Updated: June 3rd, 2025
Writing with Water Cryptids
In this lesson, students begin by considering what items are essential for soldiers to bring with them to war. Students then compare what they read from the novel, "The Things They Carried" by Tim O’Brien, with information about the Vietnam War using an H-Chart. To extend their learning, students research... Read more »
Created by: Tanner Lusher
Date Updated: April 5th, 2023
Vietnam Era
Fire Ecology as a Management Tool for a Tallgrass Prairie Ecosystem
In this lesson, students explore the Tallgrass Prairie ecosystem and fire ecology as a management tool. They evaluate the prairie ecosystem's response to the impact of burning. Read more »
Created by: Teresa Randall
Date Updated: April 8th, 2026
Fire Ecology as a Management Tool for a Tallgrass Prairie Ecosystem
In this lesson, students gather information about traditional native homes before learning about the design of the First Americans Museum (FAM). Students next work in groups to create a design for a community center for a tribe. They write press releases to advertise their community center's design... Read more »
Created by: Patricia McDaniels-Gomez
Date Updated: November 7th, 2025
Traditional Tribal Architecture
In this lesson, students will learn the basic formatting guidelines needed to follow for writing a script. They will also listen to a film professor talk about careers in television and movies. This is also adaptable for ELA using books that are commonly assigned. Read more »
Created by: James Doyle
Date Updated: January 11th, 2024
Screenwriting and other careers in the film industry
Students will activate and build their background knowledge so that they are better able to comprehend Beowulf and draw connections to crucial parts of the story. This lesson is intended to be taught just before students read Beowulf. Read more »
Created by: Margaret Salesky
Date Updated: October 6th, 2023
Introductory Material on Beowulf
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: March 3rd, 2026
Examining Stereotypes in Hispanic Cuisine
This lesson introduces students to the emotions of anxiety and anxiety disorders. Students identify the causes and symptoms of certain anxiety disorders, including Social Anxiety Disorder, phobias, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Students then have an opportunity to explore different coping strategies... Read more »
Created by: Daniel Schwarz
Date Updated: January 18th, 2024
Causes, Symptoms, and Coping Strategies
In this lesson, students will be examining the practices associated with rituals and festivals that honor the dead around the world. They will design anchor charts and participate in a Detective Board activity in order to identify similarities between the various rituals. As they read a handout and... Read more »
Created by: Mariana DeLoera
Date Updated: March 3rd, 2026
Día de los Muertos and Other Occasions Honoring the Dead
In this lesson students will begin with an analysis of the popular image, “The Ultimate Confrontation,” and move into an exploration of lyrics that are found in popular protest music of the time. Students will learn about a variety of foreign and domestic events. As they learn about the artists’ backgrounds... Read more »
Created by: Kyra Carroll
Date Updated: November 14th, 2025
Exploring the influence of protest music on social change
This companion lesson to "Screaming into the Void" explores the idea of nihilism and what it can teach us about the search for meaning and purpose in our lives, how we can reconcile existential questions with our own values and beliefs, and how one finds meaning, purpose, and value in a world seemingly... Read more »
Created by: Margaret Salesky
Date Updated: September 17th, 2025
In this lesson, students analyze Pride and Prejudice by conducting character analyses and using textual evidence to explore societal norms of the 19th century and their broader historical and social contexts. They compare these norms to those of the 21st century, constructing critical analyses that... Read more »
Created by: Amanda Reeves
Date Updated: April 1st, 2025
Character Analysis
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 lesson, students will Jigsaw an article covering four different types of dragons in literature or mythology. Students will evaluate how the cultural and historical meaning of these dragons impact their use in literature. Students will then apply their knowledge of the historical meaning of these... Read more »
Created by: Polly Base
Date Updated: March 25th, 2026
Historical Analysis
Students will analyze the text of Beowulf in order to look objectively at the plot in order to create, in teams or individually, a case to defend a character who has been assigned crimes based on the text. Students will look at context as well as use diction and ethos, pathos, and logos to argue that... Read more »
Created by: Ms. Krissy Valentine
Date Updated: November 4th, 2025
Diction/Ethos, Logos, and Pathos
In this technology lesson, students will explore the science of laser cutters. Students will view a variety of videos on lasers, work in stations to develop Frayer Models, and build a shared definition of how a laser functions. The lesson concludes with students developing a product pitch for something... Read more »
Created by: Kelsey Willems
Date Updated: March 6th, 2025
Introduction to Lasers and Laser Cutters
Students will be immersed in the world of manga and Comic Con by exploring key concepts and analyzing an ICAP interview with a local comic book store owner. They will be introduced to the history, cultural impact, and fan engagement aspects of both manga and conventions (cons). Finally, students will... Read more »
Created by: Jessica Armstrong
Date Updated: November 14th, 2025
Manga Comic Convention
In this lesson, students use linear equations to compare and contrast living wage and minimum wage in their community. Through collaborative brainstorming, graphing linear equations, and analyzing local data from the MIT Living Wage Calculator, students apply algebraic concepts to understand financial... Read more »
Created by: Lydia Baker
Date Updated: November 18th, 2025
Comparing linear equations using income
5E Lesson Writing Session 1: Authenticity and 5E Lessons focuses on building relationships with participants, examining different 5E lesson frameworks, and aligning 5E snapshots with the authentic teaching tool. Read more »
Created by: Daniel Schwarz
Date Updated: January 30th, 2026