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Painting Faces
Young scholars study Robert Harris and his work. They examine his portraits and self-portraits and create their own self- portraits. They discuss the life of the artist and write a short biography.
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What is Canadian?
Students explore how artworks can become symbols of national identity. They examine and analyze Song of the Nations, a site specific sculpture by Quebecois artist Armand Vaillancourt that expresses his views of Quebec's position...
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Causes of World War I
Ninth graders identify and explain the six major causes of World War I. They explore the events leading up to WWI, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and why they were the culmination of everything. Students discuss the...
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Walk in My Shoes
Students discover how culture, geography and history affect how someone views an area of the world. They role play the role of a Palestinian, Jew or Briton and examine how they felt about Israel during its formation. To end the lesson,...
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Geography, Ecology, and Folklife
Students identify how do geography and ecology influence a region's folklife. Then they investigate this question and consider how an outsider might view their own region in this lesson plan. Students also identify how the natural world,...
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Using Primary Sources to Discover Reconstruction
Fifth graders discover how reconstruction had an impact on racial issues in the United States. In this Reconstruction lesson, 5th graders are introduced to primary vs. secondary resources and then rotate through stations to view...
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Twentieth Century Entertainment: When Work is Done
Students determine how Americans enjoy leisure time. For this 20th century America lesson, students research primary sources to study how Americans gained leisure time during the century and what they did with it.
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Early Champlain Valley History
Class members use primary sources to craft an essay about early Champlain Valley History. I would use this as a homework assignment.
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Whitewashing History
Students revisit issues of civil rights in the U.S. They use the recent national discussion of retiring Senator Strom Thurmond's 1948 Dixiecrat Presidential campaign as a starting point.
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Speaking in Grave Tones
Fourth graders examine how a change in attitudes about death took place from the late eighteenth to the early nineteenth century and was embodied in gravestones, literature, and art.
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Jewish Assimilation In Contemporary American Literature
Young scholars form groups to help each other read, analyze, and conduct research on important background information about Jews and their assimilation into modern American society. They write their own stories of assimilation.
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Roots of Religious Liberty
Students examine the First Amendment and consider the contributions of James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. They review conflicts between the rights of Church and State and write a Madisonian argument on the issue.
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A Right to Bear Arms - One Patriot's View
Students research Samuel Adams' role in the crafting of the Second Amendment. They consider how Adams' views evolved with time and write a one-page response linking their research to current events.
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What would you do if faced with this problem?
Students determine how and why an individual from each of four disciplines - Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Legalism - might respond to the same problem.
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The Ethics of the Bomb: What Would You Do?
Students research the use of the atomic bomb in WWII, analyze the human costs of dropping the bomb and identify the pros and cons. They develop a PowerPoint presentation on the effects of an atomic bomb dropped on their hometown.
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Rollin' on The River - the Hudson River!
Students examine how the Hudson River was important to the development of the United States. They examine the role of steamboats played in the development of the Hudson River Valley.
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The Game of Life
Students describe what it means for a marine animal or fish to be threatened or endangered after playing game simulating extinction.
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Who Wants To Be A "Globalnaire"?
Tenth graders research geography and the process of creating a Powerpoint presentation. In pairs, they design their own game show, writing geography questions, and creating a Powerpoint presentation for other students to play their game.
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The Road to California - A Journey to Freedom
Students complete a Web quest about Biddy Mason's journey Westward to California as a slave and her ultimate rise to one of the wealthiest and generous woman of the Westward Movement. They present an exhibit of their research.
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European Expansion in America
Students explore human settlement in America - from the 1500s to about the turn of the 20th Century. They follow the relationships and changes beginning in the east, then head west to witness the final battles of this era.
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Lewis and clark...and Jodie, Freddi, and Samantha
Students practice descriptive language when one student describes an object to another student who cannot see it. They guess what the object is and relate the experience to that of the Lewis and Clark expeditionary journals.
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Analysis of Atmospheric Conditions for a High Mountain Retreat
Students examine the relationship between altitude, atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity at a particular location. They practice science and math in real world applications. They write reports detailing their scientific...
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Literature: Isabel Allende
Students watch and respond to a Bill Moyers Now video on the Chilean author, Isabel Allende. They brainstorm a list of recent events that might inspire writers and choose one to write about in poetic, diary, or short story form.
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The Texas Cowboy: Myth and Reality
Students create "cowboy ballads" in this interactive, multi-day lesson. The cowboy is researched using various sources and class discussions. Students evaluate individual work at the end of the lesson.