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Devastation of Indian Quake
Students read an online article at CNNfyi.com to determine what happened in India after an earthquake. They determine the magnitude of this earthquake and address the issue of relief efforts from other countries.
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36 Public Policy Questions to Energize Your Government/History Classroom Debates
Need topics that are sure to engage your debaters? This list of public policy questions includes such topics as school mascots, regulation of major league baseball, physician-assisted suicide, and violence in video games. A great...
Poetry Class
Tackling Climate Change
Get your kids thinking about climate change with a series of activities that include creating a ditty box poem for the planet, a poem that identifies concepts or objects they would want to preserve.
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Stabilization Wedges Game
Teamwork and critical thinking combine to for a creative lesson on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Ebullient environmental studies learners play a game in which they strategize how to place colorful energy wedges together to create a...
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Why Size Matters
Students examine the concept of body image. For this current events lesson, students research selected websites for information about fashion models, plastic surgery, and advertising. Students share and discuss their findings.
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A Question of Sport
Students explore the controversy surrounding performance-enhancing drugs. In this current events lesson plan, students discuss the prevalence of drug use in the sports world and create poetry about sports. Older students may design a...
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United States v. Thomas Cooper --
Learners compare the Alien and Sedition Act to the First Amendment. They read and analyze a primary document and write a synopsis. They brainstorm challenges to the Government or President of the US.
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Executive Decisions
Students explore the role of judges in Britain. For this current events lesson, students visit selected websites to discover the responsibilities of judges and the justice reform in Britain.
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USA Today: Global Awareness Edition
Bring global awareness into the classroom. Young politically minded learners read an article about the ban on arms sales to China and discuss political concerns about this issue. They research other embargos on foreign trade and use a...
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Putin: 'No way back' from democracy
Imagine a meeting between President Bush and Putin. Get your class thinking about global awareness, democracy, and totalitarian modes of government. They examine how two leaders approach major governmental issues and run their countries...
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A Whaling Voyage
Students plot the track of a whaling voyage and relate it to ocean currents. They need to explain and use latitude and longitude to plot ship positions on the globe.
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Convey Ideas in Writing
Write an unsent letter about a consumer scam, paying attention to the writing conventions of punctuation and spelling. This lesson could be adapted to fit a variety of social issues in which letter writing is appropriate. 4
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Globalisation: Getting an education
Students are reading the story about Dani Harmer. In pairs they write down five things they know about life in Africa. They then are asked why do they think Dani Harmer wants to draw students's attention to the value of education? ...
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What Is That Thing?
Could your class identify an old-fashioned can opener? What about a rotary phone,...
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Current Events Research
Students monitor current events using on-line and traditional resources. They explore issues such as what trends they see developing in specific news issues over time and how different news stories might be interrelated.
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Double Trouble?
Students investigate cloned meat and animal products. In this food safety lesson, students research the noted Web sites in search of information about cloning and food labelling. Students use their findings to create informative...
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Critical Path
Young scholars widen their understanding of the different points of view surrounding current news topics. They research a current controversy on which public opinion is divided and write a concise commentary on the topic expressing a...
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Vietnam Trade Pact
High schoolers explore world trade issues. In this economics instructional activity, students read "Opening Doors to Vietnam," and discuss the trade negotiations between Vietnam and the Untied States. High schoolers conduct further...
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Cartoons for the Classroom: Fair Elections?
Rigged elections make for both intriguing current events and hilarious political cartoons. In this analysis learning exercise, pupils read background information to help them grasp a cartoon about rigged presidential elections in 2007 by...
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Newspapers in the Digital Age
Is journalism more or less reliable with the influx of Internet sources? Learners investigate the issues of freedom of speech, journalistic ethics, and social responsibility in the age of Twitter and Facebook. After examining the...
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Picturing History
Students consider the value of a photograph and the circumstances under which photographs are taken, research the importance of a particular photograph. They create original photographs that illustrate the emotions, events or ideas...
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Cartoons for the Classroom: Who Drew it Best?
Assess the Cash for Clunkers program with your scholars through 3 political cartoons, which they will analyze to determine who drew it best. Background information helps pupils gain context to assess the cartoons, and 3 talking points...
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Cartoons for the Classroom: The Market Roller Coaster
Hop on the stock market rollercoaster! This political cartoon analysis has scholars examine a cartoon about the ups and downs of a volatile market. Background information and a quote provide context for analyzing the cartoon, and 3...
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Cartoons for the Classroom: Presidential Candidates
Build critical analysis skills with this cartoon for the classroom. Upper graders answer three critical thinking questions to help them analyze a political cartoon, which depicts how Presidential Candidates are judged and chosen. Put...