Goal: To help students compare and contrast political personas and positions and recognize media bias Objectives: 1. Students will observe memes of political figures giving opposite views on the same age and being portrayed positively and negatively in the media. 2. Students will answer open-ended questions requiring critical thinking to discuss the differing opinions and images as shown in the media of known political figures. 3. Students will address a point of view attributed to one of two political figures and research ctedible sources to expand on the statement or opinion. Grades 5-7 recommended, also gifted 3-4, special needs High School

Goal: To help students learn how to develop a hypothesis and create an experiment to test it. Ojectives: 1. Students will examine a diagram to try and determine which of 4 cisterns will be filled with water first using pipes that are used to fill them. 2. Based on observation and critical thinking each student will create a hypothesis, then team up with students with the same theory of the problem. 3. Students will work in groups based on their hypotheses to create 3D versions of the drawings to test their hypotheses. 4. Students will discuss their findings with the entire class and share how they came to their conclusion. 5. Students will revise their hypothesis based on the results of their experiments and class discussion. *6. Students will follow up the discussion by following links online to see various approaches to the problem. *7. Students will tackle problems related to the topic to use mathematics to find solutions. *Grades 6 and 7, 4-7 gifted only Materials Needed (Grades K-3, Special Education Middle School): 1. Milk cartons 2. Straws 3. 1 liter bottles half full of water Materials Needed (Grades 4-7, Special Education High School): 1. 1 or 2 liter bottle 2. Straws 4. Plastic water pitchers THIS RESOURCE ALSO INCLUDES A FLIPPED CLASSROOM ACTIVITY

Students learn how literature and history coincide as writers describe and immortalize historical events. The goal of this lesson is for students to understand how media like poetry and drama evoke emotional responses of historical figures, events, and their effect of those event.

This project helps students in grades three and up become pro-active when they are someone else being bullied.

This Language Arts lesson provides students to 'compare and contrast' individual experiences at a Chili's Restaurant using various parts of speech, Students would then 'compare and contast" the experience two police officers had at a Chili's Restaurant in Kansas City, Kansas, to the experience a disabled vet had at a Chili's Restaurant in Dallas, Texas. Emphasize that the negative experience received more media coverage than the positive one. A good follow up to this Language Arts lesson might be to go to lunch at a nearby Chili's Restaurant with parents and see how many parts of speech could be used to describe the ambience, food, and service.

This unit for children in grades 5-7 helps students understand how important it is to support other children whose safety is at risk. Goal: To help students become empathic and able to express empathy by supporting students who are being bullied or feel unsafe by developing strategies to create safe school climates. Objective: Students will increase and/or develop empathy toward peers who are bullied and/or feel unsafe at school through discussion to assess their understanding, awareness, and empathy; interactive role-playing activities; reading and using critical thinking skills to debate whether or not the "safety pin" campaigns are effective in making people that are harassed feel more supported or just another trend that will soon pass; and creating products and activities that go beyond wearing a safety pin that potentially will change the school climate by forming a support network that helps students who are victims of bullies feel safe and empowered. All Graphics Are From Google Images

Goal To improve school and classroom climate by taking proactive measures regarding bullying behavior and victimization of those who are different Objectives 1. Students will participate in activities and discussion regarding their feelings about those different from them which may or may not been exacerbated by recent political rhetoric. 2. Students will be able to feel safe in a non-threatening environment that will protect them from threatening behavior and speech. 3. Students will express their thoughts voluntarily without ridicule, using words and graphics. 4. Students will listen to each other and summarize what they heard a peer say before sharing their thoughts/feelings. 5. Students will make an empathic statement regarding any feelings he/she has in common with another student or students. 6. Students will work with an "empathy partner" or partners to create a graphic that expresses their feelings, including their empathy with each other's feelings. 7. Parents of students exhibiting violent speech and/or behavior will be contacted and apprised of the incident and suggest professional help for her/him.

STEAMLASS/Super Moon Study The study of this year's second and third super moons can start 11/16 or later and end 12/14. In it students will learn about the closest super moon since 1948. STEAMLASS (STEM plus Art, Language Art, and social studies) by reading information about super moons and answering open-ended questions, participating in activities such as creating a Super Moon Anticipation Calendar to mark off the days to the last super moon and locating places where super moons were photographed using U.S. and world maps. Students will also have a flipped classroom assignment that will require them to create their own simple language using various types of graphics that they display on their own Rosetta Stone and bring to school for other students to try to decipher. Goal: Working together in pairs, groups, and individually, students will learn about Super Moons investigating STEAMLASS concepts. Objective: Students will use mathematical, science, engineering, language arts, history, technology, and observation/photography to study and engage in activities to learn what super moons are, their history, and why they appear in the sky. This unit is for Upper Elementary and Middle School students, but can be adapted for lower and higher grades.

This interactive activity demonstrates the Electoral College to students from primary grades to middle school students, as well as students with special needs. Students create their own election with or without teacher assistance based on their questions regarding our most recent election in which one candidate won the popular vote and the other one won the election by winning the most electoral votes. The goal of this activity is to help students understand how this happened and why, as well as who created this system and when. An activity involving three rounds of voting to help students understand what happens when the votes in states with smaller populations are given the same weight as states with larger populations in the Electoral College, giving all states equal powers to choose the President. This activity can be individualized to address questions asked during inquiry. Or the activities can be used to create inquiry following each cycle of voting, or all of the questions can be asked at the end of all three voting cycles. Links to two videos explaining how the Electoral College works that can be used to help explain the process to middle students or gifted students in lower grades are also included. Hopefully, these activities will help students understand the confusion after our recent election about who won and why, as well as the importance of voting to have their voices heard.

We Often Review Key Operations Using Technology We Often Review Key Operations Using Technology Instead of collecting students cell phones (and other technology), use those cell phones to get kids excited about math.

A.C.T.S. (Assessing Content in Theatrical Scenes) for Zombie Apocalypse Brainiac Smorgasbord Goal Students use theatre to identify scientific concepts Objectives: 1. Students divide into groups of five to read-through and perform scene as readers' theatre. 2. Students complete assessment following their performances, then check answers with script. 3. Students will research science to find the one premise mentioned in the script that is not valid. 4. Student group that identifies the invalid premise first will learn lines and perform the scene as a roving drama group performing in other classes/schools. 5. Student group with the highest scores on the assessment given to each group will understudy the actors while the remaining groups will also go to other classes with to set up the set and props. 6. Students in other classes will complete assessment individually or in groups. 7. Students in other classes will rate performance and scene using a survey. SCRIPT PROPS LIST Pizza box Plastic flower pots Bag of Sand Tealight containers (used) Cheesecloth or thin white or brige scarf Generator Small plastic bottle with yellow water Simulated trap

Goal: To create interest in/understanding of geography through exploration and mapping Objective: 1. Students will work in pairs to locate pokemon go figures on or within walking distance of school in search of hidden treasure ("gold coins"), following longitudinal/latitudinal clues using compasses to help locate each "gold coin." (for prek-second year students, use alphabetical mathematical problems, riddles, or simple code.) Note: more than one coin tin be placed at each stop according to the "value" of each pokemon character. multiple coins should be placed in individual plastic bags - enough for each pair. perhaps any not claimed tin be awarded to pairs that a. finish first; b. collect the most coins; c. collect the most Pokemon; d. have the highest scores, etc.) 2. Students will retrace their steps and take note (draw, videotape, vocally record, write, etc.) information individually, and as a class create a "thought map" of the area explored as a collaborative enquiry discussion of following: a. area covered from point a (school ) to point b b. (farthest parameter) c. number of steps, feet, yards, fractions of mile, miles, etc. covered 3. Students will also identify visual markers: a. street signs b. other markers (alleys, parks, houses, etc.) 4. Students will measure area after consensus of how it is to be measured, then create map scale - how many feet, yards, miles - and map equivalent: one inch = one mile. 5. Students will individually create treasure map games on Scratch or as Board Match , etc.

Goal: To broaden students' awareness of the world and where specific continents or located, as well as countries on specific continents, by researching host countries for the olympic games. Objectives: 1. Students will be assigned to a group using the name of a continent and will research countries that have hosted olympic games, the year(s) each country hosted the games, and where it is located on the continent. 2. Students will individually or collaboratively create a map of one of the countries on their continent that hosted Olympic Games. 3. Each student will create a poster providing a look at the Olympic Games the year(s) his/her country hosted the olympics using multimedia. 4. Students will share poster in a variety of media with various audiences.

Goal: To increase physical activity in schools Objective: Students will participate in activities supervised by school staff whilst following all instructions given, observing safety rules set by school and written into the curriculum, and reflecting good sportsmanship. Read each fairy tale (or a synopsis) from a picture book for grades PreK-K-1. Give synopsis for each one to higher grades to remind them of details of each story. Note: challenge students in grades 1-12 to come up with other physical activities based on other fairy tales, using clever names; mother goose poems; super heroes, film villains, etc. individually or in groups. There will be a competition for the best idea and prizes for individual classrooms. Each activity should be recorded using graphs in ppt. or tables in google docs, etc. Help students create their own individual charts online (if possible) or offline (if school does not have the technology). Instruct students to learn how to record their scores and assist each student that needs more guidance individually and/or pair them with a student that's proficient. The five fitness games (5 points each possible)

"Cater Pillars" and "Butter Flies:" Language, Science, Math, and Art Plus Any Other Subjects That Can Be Added to This Fun Unit to Start the School Year Introducing Specific Skills, Collaborating with Peers, Investigating and Researching Online, and Including Family in Creating an Artifact for Display Goal: Students will learn how to investigate a topic that involves multiple subject areas and gain understanding about the topic and how the various subjects covered relate to each other. Objectives: 1. Students will learn how to research, investigate a topic using available resources individually, in pairs, and in groups. 2. Students will use skills in various subject areas to problem-solve, explain, calculate, and present materials to ask or answer questions or verify information. 3. Students will observe caterpillars and record changes as they go through metamorphosis. 4. Students will learn how to treat animals ethically during scientific observation and follow rules regarding the ethical treatment of animals involved in scientific experimentation. 5. Students will learn how to record and interpret scientific data. 6. Students will learn how to test scientific data and ask scientific questions about results and possibly create hypotheses for future study. 7. Students will learn how to create presentations of scientific study using technology, if possible. introduce this unit by having students read the following article on their tablets, laptops, or smart phones or in pairs or groups on school computers or smartboards. Note: if there's no available technology, create a power point presentation covering all of the points in the article and include the illustrations.

Students in eighth year are facing the end of middle or junior high school and in the not-so-distant future the start of high school. between then and now they have a great deal of academics to learn, tests to pass, and the pressures of being adolescents. So why not start the year celebrating their final year in middle or junior high school in classic Hollywood fashion? This first week of 8th year English-Language Arts unit does just that! Show your students just how special they are whilst assessing basic language and writing skills. Roll out the red carpet, notify the paparazzi, and let your students have a great time watching film trailers, writing reviews, looking back at summer, and getting the star treatment; whilst introducing collaborative learning and project-based activities. Start the school year with high expectations and watch your students soar.

Goal: Start the new school year establishing a relationship with each students' parents. Send a short text or email introducing your students' family to the teacher and permission to send or drop by with a short list of things students can do to get ready to start the school year, each of which relates to the nine activities planned for the first week of school. Objectives: 1. Students and parental figuers will get acquainted with teacher, expectations for students and PF's participation in class activities. 2. Students and PF's will learn things about each other and establish a rapport. 3. Students will be asked to complete specific simple tasks and to be sure to bring very specific items to them the first day of school. 4. Students and parents will be introduced to and experience flipped classroom activities right from the start of school, using fun activities for children and adults. 5. Students will engage in several mysterious activities that will have them anticipating the first day eagerly. 6. Parents will be provided with contact information and told they will be contacted by text or email regarding their children's progress and/or any issues that may arise. 7. Students will also have an opportunity to communicate with teacher before the first day of school.

Language, Science, Math, and Art Plus Any Other Subjects That Can Be Added to This Fun Unit to Start the School Year Introducing Specific Skills, Collaborating with Peers, Investigating and Researching Online, and Including Family in Creating an Artifact for Display Students will learn how to investigate a topic that involves multiple subject areas and gain understanding about the topic and how the various subjects covered relate to each other.

Inspired by Pokémon Go's use of maps, this curriculum gets students coming back to school this fall outside observing nature. The curriculum activities can be used at all grade levels and for all abilities. It includes school activities, as well as flipped classroom activities at home. Goal To teach observation, investigation, and presentation skills using integrated curricula to become more aware of natural phenomena in neighborhood and school environments and how to use science, math, geography, and oral/written descriptive language to study, record, and share environmental information and understanding. Objectives: 1. Students will observe natural phenomena (birds, trees, and in SchoolZone and MyZone). 2. Students will record information collected and synthesize through scientific thinking based on observation, research, inquiry, and presentation. 3. Students will work in pairs/groups to record, assess, and synthesize data, using research and observations made during investigations of their natural environments.