Saturday, December 25, 2010

Charlie Chaplin, one of the most important figures in motion-picture history, died on this day in 1977.

Charlie Chaplin (1889 – 1977) was an English comic actor and film director of the silent film era. He became one of the best-known film stars in the world before the end of the First World War. Chaplin used mime, slapstick and other visual comedy routines, and continued well into the era of the talkies, though his films decreased in frequency from the end of the 1920s. His most famous role was that of The Tramp, Charlie Chaplin's most memorable on-screen character, a recognized icon of world cinema.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: The Kid (Produced and Directed by Charlie Chaplin)
Subject: Language Arts / English films
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will:
Acquire cultural awareness and linguistic skills (possible English-Spanish coordinated activity).
Concepts / Vocabulary: Abandoned child, orphane, limousine, a tramp, silent movie, comedy, drama, poverty.
Grade Level: 4-8
Time Needed: One 50-minute class period
Provided by: Teaching English Net
Link: http://www.ten.edu.uy/IMG/pdf/Chaplin-The_Kid.pdf

 

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Slavery was abolished in the United States, on this day, in 1865

Slavery in the United States was a form of unfree labor which existed as a legal institution in North America for more than a century before the founding of the United States in 1776, and continued mostly in the South until the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution on December 18 1865.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Abolishing Slavery in America
Subject: US History
Objectives: Students will:
- Learn what happened aboard the slave vessels Zong and Amistad.
- Consider what each incident reveals about views of slavery in Great Britain and the United States.
Concepts / Vocabulary: John Quincy Adams, Amistad, Cinque, Luke Collingwood, slavery
Grade Level: 9-12
Materials: Abolishing Slavery in America program, computers with access to the Internet.
Time Needed: Three 50-minute class periods
Provided by: Discovery Education
Link: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/abolishingSlavery/

 

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

The United States Bill of Rights came into effect, on this day, 219 years ago

The Bill of Rights is the collective name for the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. They were introduced by James Madison to the First United States Congress in 1789 as a series of legislative articles, and came into effect as Constitutional Amendments on December 15, 1791, through the process of ratification by three-fourths of the States.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Bill of Rights
Subject: Government / US History
Objectives: Students will:
- identify freedoms afforded by the Bill of Rights.
- explain how the government protects individual rights.
- analyze the importance of freedom of the press.
Concepts / Vocabulary: Bill of Rights, amendments, freedom, civics, government
Grade Level: 9-12
Materials: computers with access to the Internet.
Handouts: Worksheet
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: Education World (Author: Adam Burkett, a student at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.)
Year: 2004
Link: http://www.educationworld.com/a_tsl/archives/04-1/lesson012.shtml

 

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

John Lennon, best known as one of the founding members of The Beatles, was fatally shot 30 years ago

John Lennon (1940 – 1980) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Along with fellow Beatle Paul McCartney, he formed one of the most successful songwriting partnerships of the 20th century.

Born and raised in Liverpool, Lennon became involved as a teenager in the skiffle craze; his first band, The Quarrymen, evolved into The Beatles in 1960. As the group disintegrated towards the end of the decade, Lennon embarked on a solo career that produced the critically acclaimed albums John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine, and iconic songs such as Give Peace a Chance and Imagine. He moved to New York City in 1971, where his criticism of the Vietnam War resulted in a lengthy attempt by Richard Nixon's administration to deport him, while his songs were adopted as anthems by the anti-war movement.

Lennon disengaged himself from the music business in 1975 to devote time to his family, but re-emerged in 1980 with a new album, Double Fantasy. He was murdered three weeks after its release, on 8 December 1980.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: John Lennon’s Imagine and the Vietnam War
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will:
- understand to what extent the song Imagine is about the Vietnam War and how strongly John Lennon was opposed to it.
- communicate about Imagine in English.
- enrich English language vocabulary.
Concepts / Vocabulary: Vietnam War
Grade Level: 10-12
Subject: ESL / English / Language Arts
Materials: John Lennon's - Imagine, computers with access to the Internet.
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: Nelly Thomas
Link: http://nellythomas.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/an-example-of-a-lesson-plan.pdf

 

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Mark Twain, best known for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, was born 175 years ago

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835 – 1910) known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist. He is noted for his novels Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), called "the Great American Novel", and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876). Twain was a friend to presidents, artists, industrialists, and European royalty.

Twain was popular, and his wit and satire earned praise from critics and peers. Upon his death he was lauded as the "greatest American humorist of his age", and William Faulkner called Twain "the father of American literature".

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Mark Twain and the American West
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will:
- understand the distinctively American voice of Mark Twain;
- see how Twain's writing was molded by his adventures in the American West and how his work has since shaped our perceptions of the West;
- understand the rapid Westward expansion of America in the 19th century.
Grade Level: 8-12
Subject: Language Arts / History
Materials: Copies of Mark Twain's Roughing It, computers with access to the Internet.
Time Needed: Up to three class periods
Provided by: PBS (Author: Joan Brodsky Schur, Village Community School in New York City)
Link: http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/lesson_plans/lesson02.htm

 

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species Was Published 151 Years Ago

Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882) was an English naturalist who established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection. He published his theory with compelling evidence for evolution in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species. The scientific community and much of the general public came to accept evolution as a fact in his lifetime, but it was not until the emergence of the modern evolutionary synthesis from the 1930s to the 1950s that a broad consensus developed that natural selection was the basic mechanism of evolution. In modified form, Darwin's scientific discovery is the unifying theory of the life sciences, explaining the diversity of life.

Darwin's theory is simply stated in the introduction of his book: "As many more individuals of each species are born than can possibly survive; and as, consequently, there is a frequently recurring struggle for existence, it follows that any being, if it vary however slightly in any manner profitable to itself, under the complex and sometimes varying conditions of life, will have a better chance of surviving, and thus be naturally selected. From the strong principle of inheritance, any selected variety will tend to propagate its new and modified form."

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Evolution
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will understand that:
- Darwin's theory of evolution (1859) has been accepted but also debated.
- Many scientists—botanist, zoologists, geologists, geneticists—have contributed to the study of evolution.
Concepts / Vocabulary: naturalist, evolution, natural selection, heredity, artificial selection, mutate, sociobiology, genetic code, eugenics.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subject: Biology / Animals
Materials: Reference materials about the history of evolution, computers with access to the Internet; roll paper, rulers, index cards.
Time Needed: Two class periods
Provided by: Discovery Education (Author: Lisa Lyle Wu, science teacher, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Virginia.)
Link: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/greatbooks-originofspecies/

 

Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species Was Published 151 Years Ago

Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882) was an English naturalist who established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection. He published his theory with compelling evidence for evolution in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species. The scientific community and much of the general public came to accept evolution as a fact in his lifetime, but it was not until the emergence of the modern evolutionary synthesis from the 1930s to the 1950s that a broad consensus developed that natural selection was the basic mechanism of evolution. In modified form, Darwin's scientific discovery is the unifying theory of the life sciences, explaining the diversity of life.

Darwin's theory is simply stated in the introduction of his book: "As many more individuals of each species are born than can possibly survive; and as, consequently, there is a frequently recurring struggle for existence, it follows that any being, if it vary however slightly in any manner profitable to itself, under the complex and sometimes varying conditions of life, will have a better chance of surviving, and thus be naturally selected. From the strong principle of inheritance, any selected variety will tend to propagate its new and modified form."

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Evolution
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will understand that:
- Darwin's theory of evolution (1859) has been accepted but also debated.
- Many scientists—botanist, zoologists, geologists, geneticists—have contributed to the study of evolution.
Concepts / Vocabulary: naturalist, evolution, natural selection, heredity, artificial selection, mutate, sociobiology, genetic code, eugenics.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subject: Biology / Animals
Materials: Reference materials about the history of evolution, computers with access to the Internet; roll paper, rulers, index cards.
Time Needed: Two class periods
Provided by: Discovery Education (Author: Lisa Lyle Wu, science teacher, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Virginia.)
Link: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/greatbooks-originofspecies/

 

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

The U.S. Congress Held Its First Session in Washington, D.C., 210 Years Ago

A few milestones:

First Continental Congress - September 5, 1774
Second Continental Congress - May 10, 1775
Articles of Confederation - March, 1781
Constitutional Convention - May 25 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia
U.S. Congress held its first session in Washington, D.C. - November 17, 1800

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Congressional Committees and the Legislative Process
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will:
- understand the legislative process of the United States Congress;
- examine the role that Congressional committees play in legislative process.
Concepts / Vocabulary: Standing Committee, Select Committee, Joint Committee, Conference Committee, written comment, hearing, markup, report.
Grade Level: 10-12
Subject: U.S. History - Civics and U.S. Government
Time Needed: Two to three class periods
Provided by: EDSITEment
Year: 2002
Link: http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=284

Thursday, November 4, 2010

The tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen is discovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter

Howard Carter (1874 – 1939) was an English archaeologist and Egyptologist, noted as a primary discoverer of the tomb of Tutankhamun. He was financially backed by Lord Carnarvon.

On 4 November 1922, Carter's water carrier found the steps leading to Tutankhamun's tomb, by far the best preserved and most intact pharaonic tomb ever found in the Valley of the Kings. Carter made the famous "tiny breach in the top left hand corner" of the doorway, and was able to peer in by the light of a candle and see that many of the gold and ebony treasures were still in place. He did not yet know at that point whether it was "a tomb or merely a cache", but he did see a promising sealed doorway between two sentinel statues.

On 16 February 1923, Carter opened the sealed doorway, and found that it did indeed lead to a burial chamber, and he got his first glimpse of the sarcophagus of Tutankhamun.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: King Tut's Treasures
Objectives:
- explore how artifacts found in an ancient Egyptian tombs can be used to paint a picture of daily life in ancient Egypt;
- compare modern "artifacts" to those of ancient Egypt.
Grade Level: K-2
Subject: Geography, world history, anthropology
Materials: Globe or world map or Africa map, computers with Internet access, overhead projector
Handouts: Worksheet
Time Needed: Three to four hours
Provided by: National Geographic Society
Link: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/06/gk2/kingtut.html

 

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Pablo Picasso, the Creator of Guernica, was born in 1881

Pablo Ruiz Picasso (1881 – 1973) was a Spanish painter, draftsman, and sculptor who lived most of his adult life in France. He is best known for co-founding the Cubist movement and for the wide variety of styles embodied in his work. Among his most famous works are the proto-Cubist Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907) and Guernica (1937), his portrayal of the German bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title:Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse: Art and Life.
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will:
- understand how the artwork of Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso evolved throughout their lives.
- compare and contrast the works of the two artists at different periods in their lives.
Concepts / Vocabulary: Abstract Expressionism, Cubism, Impressionist, medium, palette.
Grade Level: 10-12
Subject: Fine Arts
Materials: Masters of Colorvideo, computers with Internet access, color printer.
Time Needed: 2 class periods
Provided by: Discovery Education
Link: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/da_mastersofcolor/

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The Saturday Night Massacre, 1973

The Saturday Night Massacre was the term given by political commentators to U.S. President Richard Nixon's executive dismissal of independent special prosecutor Archibald Cox, and the resignations of Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus on October 20, 1973 during the Watergate scandal.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: The Watergate Crisis
Objectives: Students will:
- discuss the events of the Watergate crisis;
- conduct an interview with a Watergate-era adult and present a summary of the interview.
Concepts / Vocabulary: Watergate, Deep Throat, resign, scandal
Grade Level: 8-12
Subject: Contemporary U.S. History
Materials: Computers with Internet access, print resources about Watergate, audio or video recorder.
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: Discovery Education (Author: Joy Brewster, curriculum writer, editor, and consultant)
Link: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/watergate/

Thursday, October 14, 2010

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2010 was awarded to Robert G. Edwards "for the development of in vitro fertilization".

Robert Geoffrey Edwards (born 1925) is a British biologist and pioneer in reproductive biology and medicine, and in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in particular. Along with surgeon Patrick Steptoe (1913 – 1988), Edwards successfully pioneered conception through IVF, which led to the birth of the first test-tube baby, Louise Brown, on 25 July 1978.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: In Vitro Fertilization
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will:
- understand the in vitro fertilization science
- understand the in vitro fertilization physiological, ethical, and legal implication.
Concepts / Vocabulary: egg, fertility drug, fertilization, hormone, implantation, menstrual cycle, ovary, ovulation, sperm, zygote.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subject: Life Sciences / Contemporary Studies
Materials: Science textbooks on the menstrual cycle, reproduction, infertility, and fertility treatments; computers with Internet access
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: Discovery Education (Author: Donna Clem, biology teacher, Aberdeen High School, Aberdeen, Maryland.)
Link: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/invitro/

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Alfred, Lord Tennyson, The great English poet of the Victorian Age, died 118 years ago

Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809 – 1892) was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom during much of Queen Victoria's reign and remains one of the most popular poets in the English language.

Best known for his short poems In the valley of Cauteretz, Break, Break, Break, The Charge of the Light Brigade, Tears, Idle Tears and Crossing the Bar.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Objectives::
- Critical opinion about the poem
- The use of repetition and metaphor in the poem
- Themes: courage and honor; leaders and followers
Grade Level: 9-12
Subject: English Literature
Materials: The poem: The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: SchoolLink (Author: B. Wu, Murry Bergtraum HS, New York, NY)
Link: http://www.schoollink.org/csd/pages/engl/narrativ.html

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Magna Carta Was Sealed by King John, on this day, in 1215

Magna Carta, is an English legal charter, originally issued in the year 1215 by King John of England. It was written in Latin and is known by its Latin name. The usual English translation of Magna Carta is Great Charter.

Magna Carta required King John of England to proclaim certain rights (pertaining to freemen), respect certain legal procedures, and accept that his will could be bound by the law. It explicitly protected certain rights of the King's subjects, whether free or fettered — and implicitly supported what became the writ of habeas corpus, allowing appeal against unlawful imprisonment.

Magna Carta was the first document forced onto an English King by a group of his subjects (the barons) in an attempt to limit his powers by law and protect their privileges.

Magna Carta was arguably the most significant early influence on the extensive historical process that led to the rule of constitutional law today in the English speaking world. Magna Carta influenced the development of the common law and many constitutional documents, including the United States Constitution.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Magna Carta: Cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will understand:
- why the rule of law is necessary in a free and democratic society.
- the relationship between Magna Carta and the evolution of constitutional government.
- how the Magna Carta was used to justify independence from Great Britain.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subject: U.S. History / Civics
Handouts: Worksheets, activities and background information.
Time Needed: Three class periods
Provided by: EDSITEment (Author: Christine L. Compston, Bellingham, WA)
Year: 2007
Link: http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=737

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Johnny Weissmuller, Best Known as Tarzan, Was Born

Johnny Weissmuller (1904 -1984) was a Romanian-born American swimmer and actor. Weissmuller was one of the world's best swimmers in the 1920s, winning five Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal. He won fifty-two US National Championships and set sixty-seven world records. After his swimming career, he became the sixth actor to portray Tarzan in films, a role he played in twelve motion pictures. Dozens of other actors have also played Tarzan, but Weissmuller is by far the best known. His character's distinctive, ululating Tarzan yell is still often used in films.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Trashin' the Camp, AABA Song Form, with Tarzan
Objectives: Students will demonstrate an understanding of AABA song form through dance and Tarzan yells.
Concepts / Vocabulary: AABA song form
Grade Level: K-12
Subject: Music
Materials: Trashin' the Camp sound recording from Disney's Animated Feature Tarzan
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: Wave Music Studio
Year: 2008
Link: http://www.makingmusicfun.net/htm/f_mmf_music_library/trashin-the-camp-music-classroom-lesson.htm

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the Inventor of Sherlock Holmes, Was Born

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (1859 – 1930) was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered a major innovation in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger. He was a prolific writer whose other works include science fiction stories, historical novels, plays and romances, poetry, and non-fiction.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Sherlock Holmes: Teaching English Through Detective Fiction
Objectives: Teaching English to low level students through the study of Arthur Conan Doyle’s short stories featuring the famous detective, Sherlock Holmes.
Grade Level: 9 (adaptable)
Subject: English / Language Arts/ Literature
Materials: Sherlock Holmes' films
Handouts: Questions for The Adventure of the Speckled Band.
Time Needed: As needed.
Provided by: Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute (Author: Pamela J. Greene)
Link: http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1989/4/89.04.04.x.html

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Salvador Dalí, the Painter of The Persistence of Memory, Was Born

Salvador Dalí (1904 – 1989) was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter. Dalí was a skilled draftsman, best known for the striking and bizarre images in his surrealist work. His painterly skills are often attributed to the influence of Renaissance masters. His best-known work, The Persistence of Memory, was completed in 1931. Dalí's expansive artistic repertoire includes film, sculpture, and photography, in collaboration with a range of artists in a variety of media.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Drawing with Dali - Persistence of Memory
Objectives: Introduce surrealistic art movement through the artwork of Salvador Dali.
Concepts / Vocabulary: Surrealism
Grade Level: 5
Subject: Art history
Materials: Dali's print of The Persistence of Memory, Colored pencils, erasers, markers, white drawing paper.
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: A Lifetime of Color
Link: http://www.alifetimeofcolor.com/main.taf?p=1,7

Friday, April 23, 2010

William Shakespeare Died this Day in 1616

William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His surviving works, including some collaborations, consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: A New Look at Romeo and Juliet
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will learn:
- about the history of the English language and life during Shakespeare's time;
- to use various methods of research to learn about Shakespeare and Romeo and Juliet;
- how Shakespeare's life and times affected his writing;
- how Shakespeare's plays can still apply to our lives and times today.
Grade Level: 9
Subject: English / Language Arts / Literature
Materials: Student copies of Romeo and Juliet; computers with access to the Internet.
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: Louisiana Association of Computer Using Educators (LACUE); author: Tracy Jordan
Link: http://www.lacue.org/conference/lessons/RomeoandJuliet.doc

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Adolf Hitler, the man behind World War II and the Holocaust atrocities, was born on this day, 121 years ago

Lesson Plan Information
Title: The Rise of Adolf Hitler to Power
Objectives: Students will understand how and why Hitler was able to come to power.
Grade Level: 9
Subject: Hitler and Nazi Germany
Materials: Access to the Internet
Handouts: http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/hitler
Time Needed: One class periods
Provided by: SchoolHistory.co.uk
Link: http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/lessons/riseofhitler/teacher_notes.htm

Sunday, April 4, 2010

NATO was formed, this day, 61 years ago

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is an intergovernmental military alliance signed on 4 April 1949.

NATO headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium, and the organization constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its member states agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party.

NATO was founded by the western powers in order to counter the military power of the USSR in general and the Soviet Berlin Blockade in particular.

The twelve founding members of NATO were: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom, United States.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: The Role of NATO
Objectives: students will understand:
- the political atmosphere of post-World War II Europe and the U.S. foreign policy of containment;
- the critical events that occurred prior to the formation of NATO;
- the countries that formed the Warsaw Pact and the NATO alliance.
Concepts / Vocabulary: alliance, arms race, blockade, cold war, containment, occupation
Grade Level: 9-12
Subject: US history / European history
Materials: access to the Internet, a map of post-World War II Europe
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: Discovery Education (Author: George Cassutto)
Link: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/nato/

Monday, March 29, 2010

The British North America Act was signed by Queen Victoria on March 29, 1867

The Constitution Act, 1867 (formerly called the British North America Act, 1867, and still known informally as the BNA Act), is a major part of Canada's Constitution. The Act created a federal dominion and defines much of the operation of the Government of Canada, including its federal structure, the House of Commons, the Senate, the justice system, and the taxation system. The British North America Acts, including this Act, were renamed in 1982 with the patriation of the constitution (originally enacted by the British Parliament), however it is still known by its original name in United Kingdom records. Amendments were also made at this time: section 92A was added, giving provinces greater control over non-renewable natural resources.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Canada's Constitution Challenge
Objectives::
- the differences between the British North America Act of 1867 and the Constitution Act of 1982.
- students design and build a game based on facts about the Canadian government.
Grade Level: 4-6, 7-12
Subject: Canadian history / visual arts
Materials: Colored pencils, markers, scissors
Time Needed: Multiple Sessions
Provided by: Crayola
Link: http://www.crayola.com/lesson-plans/detail/canada's-constitution-challenge-lesson-plan

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Houdini, One of the Greatest Magicians Ever, Was Born

Harry Houdini (1874 - 1926), born Erik Weisz, was a Hungarian American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer. He was also a skeptic who set out to expose frauds purporting to be supernatural phenomena.


- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: The Magician's Apprentice
Objectives: students will:
- follow instructions to perform a magic trick
- assess the instructions with a rubric
- teach a fellow student how to perform the magic trick.
Concepts / Vocabulary: following directions, magic, trick, rubric
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8
Subject: Arts & Humanities
Materials: Internet access, coins, handkerchiefs, straws, construction paper, pencils, scissors, glue, carrots, toothpicks.
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: Education World (Author: Cara Bafile)
Link: http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/02/lp275-03.shtml

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Michelangelo, Who Painted the Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Was Born

Michelangelo (1475 - 1564) was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer. Despite making few forays beyond the arts, his versatility in the disciplines he took up was of such a high order that he is often considered a contender for the title of the archetypal Renaissance man, along with his rival and fellow Italian Leonardo da Vinci.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Michelangelo Art
Objectives: Students will learn about the artist Michelangelo and what it was like to paint the Sistine Chapel.
Grade Level: 2-6
Subject: Art, Social Studies
Materials: Paper, Tape, Crayons, Markers, Paint, Brushes, desks, colored pencils etc.
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: Hotchalk - The Lesson Plans Page (Author: Audrey)
Link: http://www.lessonplanspage.com/ArtSSMichelangeloSistineChapel26.htm

Friday, February 26, 2010

Victor Hugo, the Author of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables, Was Born

Victor-Marie Hugo (1802 – 1885) was the most important writer of the Romantic movement in France.

Best known for the novels Les Misérables and Notre-Dame de Paris (known in English also as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame).

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Martin Luther's Reformation in Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Objectives: Students will:
- Compare Martin Luther’s “95 Theses” to satirical elements in Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
- Demonstrate ways in which modern society reflects the concerns of both Hugo and Luther.
- Write a letter to the editor about contemporary abuse of power.
Grade Level: 9
Subject: English Language Arts / Social Studies
Time Needed: Four 50-minute class periods
Provided by: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Author: Nancy Webber)
Link: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/3490

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Valentine's Day - Conversation Hearts Lesson Plan

Saint Valentine's Day (commonly shortened to Valentine's Day) is an annual holiday held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The holiday is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in AD 496. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines").

Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline (conversation hearts), doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Conversation Hearts Ratio Graphing Activity
Objectives:
- create a tally chart to count the different colors of conversation hearts.
- graph a ratio between two colored hearts.
Concepts / Vocabulary: Valentine's Day, conversation hearts, tally chart, ratio
Grade Level: 5
Subject: Valentine's Day / Math
Materials: Different color conversation hearts.
Time Needed: One 50-minute class periods
Provided by: HotChalk (Author: Patty)
Link: http://www.lessonplanspage.com/OMathValentinesDayConversationHeartRatioGraphingActivity5.htm

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870) Was Born

Charles Dickens is considered by many the greatest Victorian-era novelist - best known for his A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities, and Great Expectations.

- Britannica

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Philanthropy in A Christmas Carol
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will:
- analyze Charles Dickens’ writing as a product of his personal experiences.
- identify and explain the theme of philanthropy in A Christmas Carol.
Concepts / Vocabulary: mood, theme, climax, symbolism.
Grade Level: Middle school, grades 6-8
Subject: Language Arts
Materials: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens; A Christmas Carol (video ) with George C. Scott
Handouts: 7 teacher aids regarding A Christmas Carol
Time Needed: Thirteen Forty-Five Minute Class Periods
Provided by: Learning To Give (Author: Janice Ubels, Hudsonville Christian Schools)
Link: http://learningtogive.org/lessons/unit10/lesson3.html

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Cancer Day 2010

Cancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled growth (division beyond the normal limits), invasion (intrusion on and destruction of adjacent tissues), and sometimes metastasis (spread to other locations in the body via lymph or blood).

These three malignant properties of cancers differentiate them from benign tumors, which are self-limited, and do not invade or metastasize.

Most cancers form a tumor but some, like leukemia, do not. The branch of medicine concerned with the study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer is oncology.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Cancer Research
Objectives: Students will understand:
- current statistics on the incidence of cancer,
- basic information about cancer including types, causes, treatments and prognosis,
- cancer research - the need and the human and financial cost.
Grade Level: High School, Grades 9-12
Subject: Medicine
Materials: Internet access; Power Point software.
Time Needed: Two 90-minute periods
Provided by: PBS & MacNeil-Lehrer Productions
Year: 2002
Link: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/health/cancer.html

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Vietnam War Ended

The Vietnam War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from September 1959 to April 1975 when the last U.S. Marines were evacuated from the US embassy in Saigon by helicopter.

The war was fought between the communist North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the United States and other anti-communist nations.

The Paris Peace Accords on "Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam" were signed on 27 January 1973, officially ending direct U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

The main negotiators of the agreement were United States National Security Advisor Dr. Henry Kissinger and Vietnamese politburo member Le Duc Tho; the two men were awarded the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts, although Tho refused to accept it.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Opposing Views on the Vietnam War
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will understand:

  • Richard Nixon’s policies concerning the Vietnam War,
  • the main arguments of Vietnam veterans against the war,
  • Civilian different opinions regarding the war.

  • Vocabulary: Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, My Lai massacre, precipitate withdrawal, Viet Cong, Vietnamization.
    Grade Level: 9-12
    Subject: U.S. History
    Materials: Access to the Internet; classroom activity sheets: comparing arguments, interview questions
    Time Needed: Two class periods
    Provided by: Lesson Plan Library (Author: Betsy Hedberg, freelance curriculum writer and teacher.)
    Year: 2008
    Link: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/vietnam/

    Tuesday, January 19, 2010

    Edgar Allan Poe, Father of Detective Fiction, Was Born

    Edgar Allan Poe (1809 – 1849) was an American writer. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective-fiction genre.

    - Wikipedia

    Lesson Plan Information
    Title: Edgar Allan Poe - the Father of Detective Fiction
    Objectives: Compare and understand the stories: "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe with "The Second Bullet" by Anna Katharine Green.
    Grade Level: High school
    Subject: Literature
    Materials: Two short passages
    Time Needed: 1 Hour
    Provided by: Local School Directory
    Link: http://www.localschooldirectory.com/lesson-plans/id/60