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Illinois Today
Fourth graders research and present information about what the state of Illinois is like today. They create a virtual field trip of the state.
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Modernizing a Traditional Irish Folktale
Students write their own folktales based on "Cathal O'Cruachan and the Cowherd." In discussions they examine the animal symbolism in the story, as well as the characters, events, problems, and solution. With partners, they select...
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"I've Been Working on the Railroad" - Federal Land Grants and the Construction of the Illinois Central Railroad in Mid-nineteenth Century Illinois
Eleventh graders, in groups, design a self-sufficient community. Groups present the communities they've designed. They compare and contrast the communities presented. They research the theories of Johann Heinrich von Thunen online and...
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Globalization's Effects on Indonesian Women
Twelfth graders investiage the status of women in contemporary Indonesian society and the business strategies of companies located there. They create a Web page that explains the effects of globalization on Indonesian women and shows...
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Romeo and Juliet...Unfinished Business?
Students act as characters from Romeo and Juliet to carry on a cross-fire type discussion using contemporary language.
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Roles of Individuals and Groups in Politics
Pupils review the Federalist Paper by James Madison. They discuss the influence of interest groups in contemporary politics.
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Contemporary Chicago 1936-2000
Seventh graders produce stories, poems, and drawings about Weisenborn's 1936 mural and make a comparable collage about Chicago in 2000.
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Vocabulary of Ancient Rome (Grades 6-8)
Young scholars define ancient Roman vocabulary using the dictionary writing sentences. They write sentences for each word that use the words in their original and contemporary contexts.
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Computers and Satellites No Longer Function
They describe the development over time of the relationship between the national economy and the global economy since World War II. They trace the historical forces of continuity and change in the development of the contemporary global...
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Rebirth and Renewal
Young scholars identify and compare ancient Egyptian and contemporary symbols of rebirth and renewal and use artwork and writing to visually illustrate their opinions.
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CANDIDATE COMPARISON
Students identify the names of major contemporary political parties. They explain why a person might choose to vote for one candidate for President of the United States over another candidate. They identify the two major political...
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Modern Day Characters from Children's Literature
Students read several studenT fairy tales, nursery rhymes, or folk tales. They compare themes and narratives in each version. They rewrite a story that they have read, placing the characters in a contemporary setting and include...
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Body Building
Pupils determine whether ancient Egyptian drawing was proportional and in perspective by comparing ancient Egyptian drawings, a mummy's x-ray, and contemporary photographs of people.
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The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858: Interactive Map Activity
Eleventh graders utilize an interactive map to explore the 1858 Senate campaign in Illinois and how factors such as population, transportation, and party strongholds can affect campaign strategies.
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The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858: Interactive Map Activity
Students utilize an interactive map to explore the 1858 Senate campaign in Illinois. They examine how factors such as population, transportation, and party strongholds can affect campaign strategies. Students write an essay discussing...
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Social Studies: Families Today and Yesterday
Students examine past and contemporary family life. Using Venn diagrams, they compare and contrast the two and write short statements about them. Among the areas for consideration are clothing, food, transportation, and traditions.
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Understanding Dialect as Used by Mark Twain
A reading of Mark Twain’s The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County not only offers pupils an opportunity to practice their listening skills but also provides them with examples of dialectic speech. This is the gol’derndest lesson...
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The Newspaper Article
Have your class participate in an interview activity using an informational text about the Amazon. After reading a Cultural Connections story about a person from the Amazon, middle schoolers write interview questions based on the text....
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Mapping the Prairie
Fifth graders study maps of the Chicago area looking at defining characteristics and place names. They investigate settlement patterns by looking at the maps.
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Tony Cragg-Evidence
Students demonstrate an understanding of basic elements and principles of art making such as unity, variety, movement, and meaning found in daily experiences. They also describe the meaning of students¿ own artwork in a written statement.
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From A Different Perspective
Emerging writers create a response to their reading. They read Notes from the Trail and discuss whose perspective the journal entry is written from. Then, they write a response to the journal entry in first person perspective as if they...
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Change of Perspective
After reading an example of a Cultural Connection about a particular person, class members are asked to think about what this person might experience on a daily basis. They then craft a narrative from the subject’s point of view.
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Making a Basic Clay Animal Sculpture In-The-Round
Students create a three dimensional animal sculpture. In this sculpting instructional activity, students use white art clay, gloss glaze, brushes, and wooden tools to create an animal sculpture.
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Amazonian Travel Brochure
Students create a brochure. In this Amazon research lesson, students research a tourist attraction in the Amazon and develop a travel brochure.