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Sports Personalities in Advertising
During a series of four activities, class members examine and deconstruct advertising that features famous athletes. They determine target audiences, analyze ads, explore "emotional climate," and role play a meeting between a sports...
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Iraq's Latest Strategy: Suicide Attacks
This discussion based lesson plan focuses on the sensitive topic of suicide attacks or bombings used throughout history during times of militaristic upheaval. Learners read news stories, compose journal entries, and engage in a class...
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The Learning Network: Reactions to Rating Teachers
Meant to be used in connection with the article "In Teacher Ratings, Good Test Scores Are Sometimes Not Good Enough" also available on The New York Times website, this resource provides 12 short-answer writing prompts that ask both basic...
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Critical Thinking Strategies
Teach your readers to be critical thinkers. A strategy is outlined that can be used to compare and contrast entities. An example lists four states. The learner removes one state that "does not belong" in the list for some reason, and...
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Reading Club: Sex Ed
If you teach health, sociology, ethics, or a class that addresses controversial issues, this resource related to schools' sex education programs may be useful. The New York Times' Learning Network provides a lengthy article on a unique...
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Water Wars
Young scholars investigate the water wars taking place in East Africa. In this global issues lesson, students watch video clips and read selected articles about the water shortages in East Africa. Young scholars estimate their own...
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The U.S. in Afghanistan: Analyzing Political Cartoons
Students take a closer look at the U.S. presence in Afghanistan. In this global issues lesson, students analyze political cartoons related to the War on Terror. Students discuss their impressions of the war and then create their own...
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Symbolic Speech
Ninth graders consider the right of freedom of speech as it is outlined in the U.S. Constitution. They receive background information for the US Supreme Court, the Bill of Rights, and free speech. They discuss a series of actual cases...
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Through Many Lenses: How are Countries Depicted by the Media?
If you plan to utilize the ABC miniseries, "The Path to 9/11" in your classroom, consider incorporating media literacy and research skills. After (or while) learners view the series, they discuss ways information can differ from source...
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Perceptions of German Unification Over Time
Through a series of readings and handouts, learners will study the shifts in perception that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall. The history lesson focuses on periods of change in post WWII German history that led to a changed...
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Examining Primary Sources: The Ten Commandments
Your home-school, Sunday school, or private Christian school students can build critical thinking and textual analysis skills by taking a look at Ten Commandments. They use this worksheet to analyze and break down textual meaning in an...
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Cartoons for the Classroom: Watchdogs
Use this political cartoon as a class warm up or discussion starter. Upper graders examine the role of newspapers as government watchdogs. Items for consideration are available, alongside a vivid cartoon.
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Cartoons for the Classroom: All Eyes on the Iowa Caucus
Explore the primary elections through political cartoons. Three talking points guide deeper thinking as pupils analyze a cartoon, which depicts the 2008 campaigning in Iowa. Analysts identify caricatures, research why winning Iowa is...
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Creating a Bill of Rights
Creating a Bill of Rights isn't easy! Help your scholars experience what the Founding Fathers did by challenging them to write a Bill of Rights. Groups pretend they are a new democratic country and proceed to create that country's Bill...
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Cartoons for the Classroom: General Motors Bailout
Bestow background in big business bailouts on your scholars with this political cartoon analysis handout. Two cartoons focus on the General Motors bankruptcy, and its effect on American taxpayers. Background information gives context for...
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Cartoons for the Classroom: The Future of Newspapers
Are newspapers dying, or fighting to survive? Give your scholars access to this controversial debate using political cartoons. In this analsyis handout, 2 cartoons display the changing role of newspapers in a world of online media....
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Making Connections
In order to maximize reading comprehension levels, young readers must learn to make connections to the content. This worksheet applies to any reading and provides spaces for readers to document relevent personal experiences, prior...
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Leaks and Gossip: Examining WikiLeaks Through Political Cartoons
Use political cartoons to spice up a discussion on national security! Two cartoons, one by Normal Rockwell in 1948, the other a parody of Rockwell's by Chuck Asay in 2010, depict the dangers of leaking information. Background information...
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Olympics and Politics: Let the Games Begin!
Let the games begin! Use political cartoons to analyze current events regarding the Olympic Games. This worksheet includes two cartoons depicting the 2008 Beijing Olympics, background information to help with analysis, and talking points...
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Class Soup
Youngsters identify the ingredients in a can of vegetable soup and record a recipe for the soup. They volunteer to bring in soup ingredients, graph the quantities of each vegetable in the soup, and make the soup with help from parents....
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Survivor Game
Learners discover competition and trickery by participating in a class game. They participate in a role-playing game called "Survivor" in which students utilize critical thinking skills to identify who is the "Bad Guy." Students win the...
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Create a Migrant's Scrapbook from the First Great Migration
Help young historians personally engage in the stories of African Americans during the Great Migration! Assessing a migration route map, learners create a migrant character's experience, adding details while studying primary sources. A...
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Question of the Week
Use this presentation as a means to spark discussion and promote critical-thinking skills in your classroom. Learners read and discuss a series of questions such as whether animals can talk. This presentation provides a good way to have...
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The Aztecs 1200-1521
Here is a cool way to use a slide show presentation. Each slide provides a document or excerpt and a critical-thinking question. Information is focused on the traditions and lifestyle of the Aztecs. A good way to review for a test.