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Easy Access: Creating Annotated Versions of News Articles
How can news coverage be made more accessible for teens? Model for your class how to use technology to annotate news stories containing unfamiliar references that hinder their interest in and understanding of a news story. Use the...
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California Fights Sugar
Scholars read articles and have a class discussion on California's efforts to fight obesity. They will read and discuss the effects of sugar on the body and the soda tax that is being proposed in California.
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Journal Writing in American Studies
Young scholars write their thoughts about political cartoons, photographs, and articles in their journal and then discuss them in class.
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Shasta Dam: How High is Too High?
Research water use in California, environmental protection laws, and the proposition to raise Shasta Dam by 200 feet. Researchers use their findings to build an argument which will be presented at a mock decision panel. Groups then...
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Bird Interdisciplinary Possibilities
Students explore birds, their territory, breeding, and seasonal movement. They research and collect information on birds through writing letters to ornithologists, reading in books, comparing web sites, and observing pictures. Students...
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Making an Argument: Effective use of Transition Words
Work on using transition words in context by prompting elementary and middle schoolers to write their own persuasive essays using transition words. They explore new forms of transition words and examine how they are used in an editorial...
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Drawing Political Cartoons
Young scholars draw political cartoons. In this editorial cartoons activity, students discover the history of the cartoons in America, analyze some cartoons, and then draw their own cartoons that make social statements.
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Climate Change
Students discuss global warming. In this global warming lesson, students read an article about global warming and list five things they learned. Students work in small groups to compare what they wrote. Students illustrate one of the...
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The World's Tallest Building
Learners investigate the world's tallest buildings. In this architecture lesson, students discover how humans change the physical environment. Learners read about and view pictures of famous buildings in the world. Students make lists of...
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The Political Dr. Seuss
Learners discuss the role political cartoons have played in U.S. politics and public affairs since the 1700's. They analyze some of the political cartoons Dr. Seuss drew during World War II and discuss how these cartoons conveyed his...
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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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A Report From the 21st Century - Mark Twain
Students look at Twain, the humorist - considered America's favorite storyteller and the funniest man in the world at the time. Students stretch the truth about a personal experience, and consider how delivery affects impact.
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Interpreting Political Cartoons in the History Classroom
Students analyze political cartoons. For this historical perspectives lesson, students use the provided cartoon analysis worksheet to examine the political cartoons that their instructor shares with them.
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Political Cartoons
Middle schoolers analyze and interpret political cartoons, then use this knowledge to create their own.
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The Secret is Out
Students explore ideas about journalism ethics as they relate to Watergate and discuss various issues related to an anonymous source being revealed. They write letters to the public editor of The NY Times about credibility and anonymous...
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Count The Letters
Students perform activities involving ratios, proportions and percents. Given a newspaper article, groups of students count the number of letters in a given area. They use calculators and data collected to construct a pie chart and bar...
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Energy From Space: The Next Frontier
Middle schoolers investigate ideas for getting energy from space. In this space-based power lesson, students read articles about ideas for alternatives to fossil fuels. Middle schoolers define and give examples of vocabulary words....
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Zhu Zhu
Students read an article about the toy Zhu Zhu and answer comprehension questions about it. In this toy lesson plan, students also create an ad for a new toy that they invent in groups.
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Census Countdown
Pupils read and discuss the census and how the census is used by the government. In this census lesson plan, students use the data collected to compare different census's and their outcomes.
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The Battle to Save Bats
Learners investigate the disease that is causing the global decline of bats. In this animal health lesson, students read an article which discusses white-nose syndrome, the number one killer of bats. Learners discuss ways to...
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Thoughts to the President
Students write a persuassive paragraph to the President stating their opinion on a topic. To do this, they start the message with a topic sentence such as "War is _____." The blank should contain a word or phrase expressing the student's...
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West Climate Change
Students read an internet article about hurricanes. For this hurricane lesson, students explain how they form and the damage they bring. They analyze the article and answer questions about it.
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Fact or Fantasy Writing
First graders see that some written text is for pleasure and enjoyment while some is for relaying information. They get to experience both types during the lesson. They brainstorm ideas for a story about a new kid in school to write about.
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Vietnam Today
Students discover the Vietnam of today. In this research skills lesson, students identify what the country is like today. Students select projects from the provided list to complete and share with their classmates.