ORC Resource Types

Discipline: English Language Arts

Professional Commentary: In this lesson, students participate in a review of Lord of the Flies by choosing scenes from the novel when the use of today's high-tech methods of contact could have been successful.  An interactive tool is featured at the website to help them create a graphic map of these events. Students then develop a summary of the book...

Discipline: Science

Professional Commentary: Life Has a History is a promising practice resource that provides students with an introduction to the history of life and how it results in the biodiversity of today. During the online tour students learn about geologic time, fossils, ancestral relationships, cladograms, variation, natural selection, and extinction.  These topics are addressed at two different levels in this resource.  Level 1 is appropriate for students in grades K - 4.  Level 2 is appropriate for students in grades 5 - 12.  (author/cb)

Discipline: Social Studies

Professional Commentary: ...

Discipline: Science

Professional Commentary: In this promising practice resource, students use observation skills to analyze the differences between physical and chemical changes in matter.  (cb)

Discipline: Social Studies

Professional Commentary: This lesson deals with the US prior to the Civil War and addresses the social, political and economic effects of industrialization. The numerous primary sources included provide the teacher and student with a variety of documents from which to choose to understand the time period....

Discipline: English Language Arts, Social Studies

Professional Commentary: This web-based lesson focuses on the impact of child labor as one result of the industrialization of the work force in 19th Century America. If students do not have access to computers, the lesson and its accompanying documents could be printed for distribution....

Discipline: Social Studies

Professional Commentary: Students use numerous primary source materials to learn about child labor in America from 1880-1920. Students are placed in 3 person teams and assume specific roles within the group....

Discipline: Social Studies

Professional Commentary: This lesson illuminates factors of industrialization including the role of labor unions and their influence on government policy.Students read passages selected from "The Flivver King", view the films "Modern Times" and "Brave New World" and analyze primary source photographs and documents that focus on the social, political and economic effects of mass production and the influence...

Discipline: Social Studies

Professional Commentary: This website has several excellent lessons on the New Deal. The lessons are very hands-on, and can be used with a variety of age and ability groups....

Discipline: Social Studies

Professional Commentary: This lesson from the  National Archives of the United Kingdom involve students using primary sources to learn about appeasement. Students will be engaged in learning that British Prime Minister Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler were not just trying to avoid war but were using logic in their deliberations....