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Must Be Something in the Water
Students research water pollution and create a class guide to raise the public's awareness about this issue. They write papers analyzing the effectiveness of the guide after it is read by members of the community.
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Calling Names
Learners explore how language shapes debate by researching the names and tags both advocates and opponents use when discussing a topical issue. For homework, they create name collages and write prose poems.
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Royal Treatment
Students analyze the Nepalese King's response to pro-democracy demonstrations, and examine existing monarchies around the world. They conduct research, read an article, and present information on various modern-day monarchies.
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Case in Point
Students read about and discuss the re-opening of the Emmett Till murder case. They research and write about a famous civil rights trial and create a poster highlighting the importance of the trial.
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Olympic Continent
Learners read "Team Ethiopia Dazzles in Going the Distance" from The New York Times and discuss the impact these athletes have had on their country. Students work in groups to research different African nations that have participated in...
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Destination Red Planet
Students explore reasons why people are interested in exploring other planets. After reading an article, they identify developments in the mission to Mars. Using the internet, they research the history of exploring Mars and create a...
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Plasma 101
Students examine the definitions and characteristics of plasma. After reading an article, they analyze new technologies to study plasma. In groups, they create a poster on how the different types of plasma work and write letters to their...
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Star Politics
Students discuss the advantages of a celebrity running for a public office. After reading an article, they examine the results of the California governor recall vote. In groups, they research the aspirations and career of a celebrity...
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Develop An Individual Career Plan
Learners research, investigate and develop an individual career plan. They analyze all their career options and goals. Each student fine tunes their interviewing and written skills as they prepare to seek certain jobs out in the work force.
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Cut and Paste Biographies
Learners explore the influence of African-American artists, writers, and musicians on American culture. After researching different figures in these areas, they create collages representing each person's life and legacy.
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Guidebook
Students create a guidebook page about a plant on the school grounds. In this life and plant science lesson, students identify plants around the school, then research the plant and write a narrative about it. Students publish the book...
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Historical Context: Discovering a Painting
Students analyze a work of art. In this historical context lesson, students research the time period in which the art they observed was created. Students consider differing opinions about a work of art.
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Land Use and Lawmaking in California
Students design a plan for a housing development in their city. In this house development lesson plan, students observe pictures of land use, research lawmaking, and develop a plan for an environmentally friendly housing development in...
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A Vacation Expedition: Universal Design and Differentiated Instruction Lesson
Students plan a vacation to either a mountain, deep-sea location, rainforest or to the moon. In this vacation planning lesson, students research information about the location of their choice. They watch video clips on the SMARTBoard,...
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Unmasking the Middle East
Students explore many of the countries in the Middle East, developing research-based posters and a spider web illustrating the relationships among the countries. They write letters to fictional peers in Middle Eastern countries.
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Banking on a Good Turn
Students research the economies of countries in the Group of 8 and present how their economies have changed over the past five years and how the relationships among these countries affect each other in light of world events.
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Imperial Notions
Students research how and why different parts of the world were colonized, considering the pros and cons for both the rulers and the ruled.
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The Great Computer Debates
Students research controversial Internet technology issues concerning security, privacy, and intellectual property. They formulate and present various perspectives on these issues in a mock television panel discussion.
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Reign of Terror?
Students research acts of terrorism around the world over the past thirty years to create a visual timeline of these events for the classroom.
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Searching with Certainty
Students explore ways to determine credibility in sources of information. In small groups, students develop a thesis question for a research paper, then use three different methods to find Internet sites with credible information.
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Monkey See, Monkey Do
Students consider the influence of bullies and map the social ecosystem of their schools. They create lifelines that compare baboon and human development and write an essay that considers the relationship between psychosocial development...
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Reason to Celebrate!
Students consider the importance of secular holidays celebrated around the world, researching holidays in various countries and creating patchwork quilts to illustrate their findings.
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State of the "States"
Students consider indicators that mark a country's progress, examine how last year's State of the Union address has affected U.S. foreign policy, research issues deemed important in that speech, and create report cards assessing the...
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Liberty, Equality, Uniformity?
Students examine the French draft law to ban religious symbols from public schools. They research "secularist" and "pluralist" positions regarding this ban, debate the topic in class, and draft a position paper on the ban.