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Engineering Pop-Ups
Students explore the art of paper engineering and pop-up-books. They listen to a teacher-led lecture on pop-up books, discuss the process of paper engineering, and plan, design and construct an original pop-up book.
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Marc Brown's Author Study: Arthur's Nose
Student's read Arthur's Nose and view the changes in Arthur's nose. In this Arthur lesson, students define difficult vocabulary, discuss choices and sing to the tune of Old MacDonald had a Farm. Students create a new nose for Arthur.
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Can We Switch Genders of Story Characters?
Learners read and review the main elements of a story. In this language arts lesson, students predict what the story read to them would have been like if the genders of the characters had been different. Learners write a new...
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Tackling Hunger on "Souper Bowl" Sunday
Students envelop basic plans, in small groups, for fundraising projects that they could actually organize and execute.
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Where the Wild Things Are
Students explore the role of gargoyles in New York City architecture as a starting point to considering architectural structures in their city. They create designs that illustrate ways in which those local structures may be enhanced by...
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A Different World?
Students share their opinions in a brainstorming session on the factors that contribute to their quality of life. They read the article "Life Is Better; It Isn't Better. Which Is It?," from the NY Times and discuss the article as a...
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Don't Touch That Dial!
Students explore the affects, both positive and negative, that television has had on society in the past half-century. They read the article "Inside the Soap Opera of Television's Early Days."
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Stellar Resorts
Students explore the future of "orbital vacations" and create fanciful tours of the Milky Way Galaxy. Students respond to the following prompt in their journals "Entrepreneurs are currently designing concepts for accommodating tourists...
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Marvelous Mysteries
Fifth graders explore mystery stories. In this reading and writing lesson plan, 5th graders complete a planning guide for an original mystery. Students use the writing process to create a mystery story.
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Indianapolis 500 Unit -- Writing
Fourth graders write a narrative from a race car driver's point of view. In this narratives instructional activity students use the narrative writing format to write about a race car driver's experiences in the Indianapolis 500. The...
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Growing Like Dr. King
Students explore American History by reading biographical material. In this civil rights lesson, students read information about Martin Luther King Jr. and his successful demonstrations which led to equal rights for African Americans....
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Retell the "Tail" of the Tale
Students explore story structure. In this multicultural literacy instructional activity, students discuss common elements of folk tales and then listen to the story Tiger and the Big Wind: A Tale from Africa. Students identify the...
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Diagramming Annabelle Lee
Eighth graders examine the parts of the Edgar Allan Poe poem, "Annabelle Lee." After listening to the poem, 8th graders utilize a study guide imbedded in this plan to help them diagram the poem. A great lesson on poetry!
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The Powers That Be
Students investigate past energy legislation, then write letters to Congress from the perspective of citizens trying to influence the original passage of these bills. Each small group does their research using a website imbedded in this...
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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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Word Play
Students define the steps of the formal writing process, consider the value and quality of the work done by Anne Frank in her personal diary, and create their own diary entries using the writing process outlined in class.
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Let the Truth Be Known
Learners explore authenticity in written works and the responsibilities of the media. They read two Holocaust accounts, one that is factual and one that was fabricated. They further examine, the importance of authenticity in the media.
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A (Class)Room of One's Own
Students assess the educational and social issues of boys and girls in school as a springboard to interviewing women in the fields of science, in order to study of their early interests and experiences in these typically male-dominated...
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When Students Don't Clique
Students explore the roles of cliques in schools and ways in which schools can foster tolerance among diverse groups by reading and discussing "Alma Maters: Two Words Behind the Massacre."
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Life of a Stage Man
Students analyze Arthur Miller's views about his works, characterizations as played out on the stage, and the role of theater in today's society. They act as casting directors for a
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Jingles All the Way
Students explore various tactics used in advertising by studying the advertising campaigns of well-known companies. They earn about methods of political advertising in China by reading and discussing Political Power Grows From the Point...
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Home Bound
Students consider the detainment of students by the Immigration and Naturalization Service and, imagining that they are detained Students, compare and contrast what life as a child is like in their homelands versus in I.N.S. custody.
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User Friendly
Students explore how consumers have become as proficient in computer technology as specialists were a decade ago. They create and conduct a test to determine the proficiencies of people in their school community.
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The Writing's on the Wall
Students examine a job-training/violence reduction program that removes gang graffiti in East Los Angeles. They discuss issues confronting their own communities and propose community service programs to address these issues.