It’s September. The blazing sun of the hottest summer on record is upon us. Everyone we meet is a little sweaty and a little grouchy. What does this remind us of?
Oh, right – middle school.
Middle school educators, you have a special place in our hearts. So we hope you’ll find some ideas you can use in this second post in our series highlighting free lesson plans from our grantees and NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellows. Middle school educators, what kinds of lessons engage your students in learning? Please share in the comments!
Students combine lyrical analysis with research on social issues to write their own songs. The lesson begins by looking at the meaning of lyrics in popular songs. As students research a global competency issue that’s important to them, they develop their own lyrics that share their discoveries.
- Author: Alina Rozanski, Germany (U.S. Department of Defense)
- Subject: English/Language Arts, Social Studies, Music
- Grade: 6-8
- Length: 7-9 class periods
Students learn how much water they use in a week using an online tool. They compare their own water consumption with that of people around the world and learn about water access in different regions. Finally, they plan ways to reduce their own water consumption.
- Author: Bradley Rhew, North Carolina
- Subject: English/Language Arts, Science, Social Studies
- Grade: 7-9
- Length: 2-3 days
Through experiential learning, students discover the sources of electricity used in the US and how they work. They compare US electricity sources with those in other countries.
- Author: Kristen Record, Connecticut
- Subject: Science
- Grade: 7-12
- Length: 3+ days
Watch out for our third set of globally minded lessons from NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellows – this one for high school. (Did you miss the first?) And don’t forget to tell us your favorite lesson ideas in the comments or on Facebook and Twitter!
