This page includes education-related web sites from government agencies which contain lesson plans for use by teachers, home schoolers, and independent learners. It is not an exhaustive list and will be updated periodically. Each entry includes the grade levels and possible subject areas in Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) covered by the lesson plans. It is your responsibility to confirm compliance with TEKS and/or other federal and state codes regarding education.
National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior) Grade Levels: PreK-12 TEKS: [Literacy and Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies]
The Teachers’ National Park Service website provides resources from all 401 national parks. The site includes distance learning resources and is searchable by location, keyword, and more than 125 subjects, from archeology, to biology, to Constitutional law. Teachers will, for the first time, be able to rate NPS-provided content. In addition to park-created content, the site also features educational materials created by NPS national programs like the National Register of Historic Places and its award-winning Teaching with Historic Places series of 147 lesson plans.
Coverdell World Wise Schools (CWWS) is an innovative education program that seeks to engage learners in an inquiry about the world, themselves, and others in order to: broaden perspectives; promote cultural awareness; appreciate global connections; and encourage service. Educators use these materials to teach subjects as varied as language arts, environmental education, and international economics. Teacher-tested lesson plans are organized by grade range (3-5, 6-9, 10-12), geographic region, topic, and publication title. Topics include Cross-cultural Understanding, Environmental Studies, Reading and Writing, Service Learning, and Social Studies.
Curriculum Supplement Series (Office of Science Education. National Institutes of Health) Grade Levels: 9-12 TEKS: Career Orientation; English Language Arts & Reading; Health Education; Health Science Technology Education; Mathematics; Science; Social Studies; Technology Applications
The Teachers Guide under each topic includes a section of lesson plans. Topics: cell biology & cancer, emerging & re-emerging infectious diseases; human genetic variation; the brain: understanding neurobiology through the study of addiction; sleep, sleep disorders, and biological rhythms, and using technology to study cellular and molecular biology. Under the “web version” the curriculum supplement text can be viewed or printed and the optional multimedia activities accessed. Proceed to the teacher’s guide section for complete details on all of the activities. Print copies with accompanying CDs for some titles are also available in the Library (Cell biology and cancer. US Documents: HE 20.3065:C 33; Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. US Documents: HE 20.3065:IN 3; Human genetic variation. US Documents: HE 20.3065:G 28).
EDSITEment! (“The Best of the Humanities on the Web”) (National Endowment for the Humanities and National Trust for the Humanities) Grade Levels: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 TEKS: English Language Arts & Reading; Fine Arts; Languages Other Than English; Social Studies; Spanish Language Arts & Reading
This site includes lesson plans and study activities that can be used to support related lesson plans or as standalone activities in the classroom.
Statistics in Schools (U.S. Bureau of the Census) Grade Levels: K-4, 5-8, 9-12 TEKS: English Language Arts & Reading; Mathematics; Social Studies
Brings school subjects to life using real-world Census Bureau statistics to create materials for use year after year for K-12 students.
The Learning Page. Lesson Plans (The Library of Congress) Grade Levels: 4-12 TEKS: English Language Arts & Reading; Social Studies
This site includes dozens of teacher created, classroom tested lesson plans, on topics from U.S. history to civics to literature. Use American Memory collections for primary source documents. Lesson plans are indexed by Themes, Topics, Disciplines or Eras and Title. “Lessons by Title” include a chart with a “Grades” column, but there is no way to search or limit by grade level.
Lesson Plans from TES (Teaching Environmental Sciences) (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) Grade Levels: K-12 TEKS: English Language Arts & Reading; Mathematics; Science; Social Studies
Teachers who participated in the TCEQ’s Teaching Environmental Sciences (TES) program developed the lesson plans and ideas for field trips and other activities contained in this publication. (TES is a graduate-level course for teachers and non-formal educators interested in integrating environmental topics into their lessons and activities.) Correlations to TEKS is shown on each lesson plan. Chapters cover air, water, and waste. Appendix A is a list of lesson plans by grade level. This is an online version of a TCEQ publication also available in print in the Library. (Texas Documents: N330.5 L566P 2001)
NGA Classroom for Teachers and Students (National Gallery of Art) Grade Levels: K-12 TEKS: English Language Arts & Reading; Fine Arts; Mathematics; Science; Social Studies
A place where teachers and students can connect art and curriculum. Resources can be accessed by curriculum, topics, or artists. “Featured Lessons” include topics such as self-portraits in art (explores identity using self-portraits and creative writing), new angles on art (explores the intersection of art and math concepts such as geometry), and counting on art (using works of art to introduce and practice math concepts).
Smithsonian Lesson Plans (Educators. Smithsonian Education) Grade Levels: PreK-3, 4-8, 9-12 TEKS: English Language Arts & Reading; Fine Arts; Science; Social Studies; Technology Applications
Lesson plans in art & design, science & technology, history & culture, and language arts are available. Browse lesson plans by subject area or search by grade levels and keywords.
