ITA Lesson Planning & Resources

Creating a consistently creative, stimulating classroom is a challenge for teachers of all grade levels. With time to plan and to design effective lesson plans always a premium, ITA is striving to save its members time by providing a number of resources for lesson plans, most already tried and true. First, though, read the article below that offers tips on how teachers can be more effective with their instructional time.

Note: If you’d like to contribute other resources or lesson plans of your own – please do as they are welcomed! Simply email us your information and/or plans at admin@iteachamerica.org. Thank you!

Lesson Planning Procedures – an article offering tips on how teachers can be more effective by systematically and carefully planning for the productive use of instructional time.

Sample Lesson Plan - Here's a sample of a lesson plan that you can use for your own planning purposes.

Lesson Plan Resources

American Museum of Natural History Education Resources - With age-appropriate content in archaeology, astronomy, bio diversity, genetics, marine biology, paleontology, and physical science, Science learning is made rich and engaging.

Cybersmart Education Company Cybersmart! Education Company provides free curriculum for America’s school children. It is dedicated to teaching secure, responsible and effective Internet and computer use. These lesson plans focus on Internet safety, manners, advertising, research, and communications.

FunLessonPlans - Preschool lesson plans and kindergarten themes for daycare, kindergarten, home school or home activities.

Learning to Give Lesson Plans - Learning to Give’s K-12 lesson plans contain both academic content about philanthropy and skill development activities that engage students in giving and serving in their classrooms, schools and communities.

The Lesson Plans Search Engine - A searchable directory of free online lesson plans and lesson plan resources for all grades and subjects.

NASA Science Files Lesson Plans - NASA’s SciFiles provide activities and worksheets for a variety of topics.

The National Geographic Expeditions Lesson Plans - The lesson plans on this site were written by educators and have been tested in the classroom. Together, they address all of the U.S. National Geography Standards, the five geography skills, and the main geographic perspectives.

National Science Foundation Classroom Resources - A diverse collection of lessons and web resources for classroom teachers (K-12 and higher education), their students, and students’ families. Most of these resources come from the National Science Digital Library (NSDL), the online library of resources for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.

The New York Times On the Web Learning Network - Contains hundreds of free lesson plans for most subject areas in grades 6-12 provided by the New York Times Learning Network.

NOAA's Expedition Education Modules - Expedition Education Modules are designed as an education unit to share the excitement of daily at-sea discoveries and the science behind NOAA’s major ocean exploration expedition.

PBS' Teachersource - Offers over 3000 lesson plans to access for free.

Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies - Smithsonian lesson plans emphasize inquiry-based learning using primary sources and museum collections. Each plan is print-friendly and provides you with all the materials you need—photographs, reproductions, handouts, activities, suggested strategies, standards information, and additional online resources.

Teachers.Net - Lessons, classroom activities and teaching ideas submitted by teachers on Teachers.Net. Free to use and share.

TeacherPlanet - TeacherPlanet was created by teachers, for teachers. Assessement rubrics, lesson plan templates, theme units and resources, as well as educational grant and fundrasing ideas for the classroom are offered on this website. And best of all, it's completely free.

World Wise Schools Supports Geography and Global Issues- The World Wise Schools program offers free cross-cultural educational resources online including podcasts, videos, stories, slide shows, and electronic newsletters. Each resource reflects Peace Corps Volunteer experiences overseas and builds in U.S. children a greater understanding of the world around them. Educational materials produced by the program promote cross-cultural understanding, awareness of global issues, and the ethic of community service. They include writings by Peace Corps Volunteers and returned Peace Corps Volunteers, online narrated slide shows, monthly podcasts, a monthly educational electronic newsletter, and award-winning Destination videos. These resources may be found at http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws.