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Sacred Space
Students consider the two finalists in the contest for architectural designs for the site of the World Trade Center. They create their own designs for a meaningful public space, then critique each other's designs.
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Millennium Superheroes
Young scholars develop an understanding of the qualities that "superheroes," or people who have favorably influenced society, possess. They create a database with questions that pertain to what they want to find out about a hero of...
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Makes Cents to Me: Penny Drive
St that people have wants and must find ways to get them. In this philanthropy lesson, students understand the ways people get things and arrange a penny drive to help others. Students arrange an artistic project to reflect on their fund...
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I Am From Poem
In this poetry worksheet, students create a poem about their memories and upbringing. Students use details and feelings that reflect their life and memories.
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Supplementary Angles
Learners develop an understanding of the journalistic concept of the "news angle," by examining the newspaper coverage of an airplane disaster.
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Newsworthy Fairy Tales
Third graders review common fairy tales and work in teams to rewrite the fairy tales as news articles. They answer questions using the 5 Ws (who, what, where, when, why). Student articles include eye-catching headlines.
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The Chocolate War
Students scrutinize the story, "The chocolate War" by Robert Cormier for examples of nonconformity in the face of power. The nature of the relationship between students in the story is compared to the associations of the reader.
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Effective Literary Analyses
Twelfth graders discuss a fictional text that they are given, they identify passages, which highlight the author's style, language naances and textual ambiguities. Pupils brainstorm possible topics for an analytical essay, they are...
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Engineering Pop-Ups
Young scholars 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?
Students 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. Students write a new...
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Give a Little, Get a Lot
Learners research a specific charitable organization on the Internet, focusing on the organization's history, services, and importance in society. They develop an outline for a charitable organization with a mission statement.
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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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Treasured Comments
Learners write positive comments to classmates. They decorate a box or envelope, write one positive comment to share with each student in the class, and read the comments written to them by the other students.
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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, 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 activity students use the narrative writing format to write about a race car driver's experiences in the Indianapolis 500. The students use a...
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Retell the "Tail" of the Tale
Students explore story structure. In this multicultural literacy lesson, 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 problem and solution...
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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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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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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 plan 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...