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The Best Birthday Present Ever
Students view a PBS "In the Mix" video about smoking and identify cigarette ingredients, the physical effects of smoking and techniques used in tobacco advertising. They compose a letter persuading someone to quit smoking.
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Teen Spirit
Students examine the attributes of teamwork. In this current events activity, students compare and contrast gangs with teams. Students conduct their own school gang audit and discuss the implications of violence.
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What's In the Shopping Bag?
Middle schoolers explore the techniques used by advertisers to sell toys and snack foods, increase awareness of consumer habits and media influences and differentiate between information and selling.
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Recognizing Propaganda - Unreliable Testimony
Students investigate how product endorsements can be a form of propaganda. They analyze various shampoo ads, discuss celebrity endorsements and unreliable testimony, and create a written non-propaganda ad for or against a celebrity...
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Junk Food
Young scholars discover the fat content of takeaway food a variety of other establishments. They consider the risks of a high fat diet and their replications. In addition, they discuss ways in which one can eat less fat daily as well as...
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Let's Build
Students observe and discuss a picture of Curious George building a bridge and discuss what it means to build, plan and design a project. As a class, they list things they need to do in oder to build something and explore how a compass...
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Following Plans
Students learn to follow a specific plan in order to do something or get somewhere. In this following directions activity, students explore key vocabulary related to following plans, complete fun activities that require attention to...
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Haifa Wehbe
In this Haifa Wehbe instructional activity, students read about the life of the model, then complete a variety of comprehension activities. An answer key is included.
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Can You See It?
Students explore the concept of visualization and how it works to help them comprehend what they read. They read 'Tuck Everlasting' and visualize what has happened in the story. They draw a picture of what they visualized and then watch...
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Shapes and Tools
Students learn about both geometric shapes and the importance of tools as key elements in building. In this categorizing and counting lesson, students define geometric shapes and complete a matching activity to practice using their...
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Types of Things
Students explore the differences between man-made and natural objects. In this lesson designed to compare properties of objects, students differentiate between natural and man-made objects and complete an activity designed to show what...
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Bonus Activity: Build a House
Students complete a building activity using their knowledge of geometrical shapes, tools, and how to follow a plan from previous lessons in this unit. In this following directions lesson, students study the basic building process as it...
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Aboriginals
Students are read a book about aboriginal perspectives. They answer questions and practice words with the letter "g". They participate in math drills practicing their counting as well.
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Visit Burma, the Safe Way
Young scholars virtually travel to Burma. In this Burma lesson, students research Burma's history, religion, and current events as they visit selected websites and share their findings.
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Medium Studies
Students consider the evolution of newspapers. In this current events lesson, students investigate changes in newspaper production as they visit selected websites to educate themselves about the topic. Students then discuss...
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A Big Issue
Students examine the issue of childhood obesity. For this current events lesson, students explore the personal health issue as they discuss balanced diets, food diaries, and the 2012 London Olympics. Suggestions for classroom activities...
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Sarah Palin
In this famous leaders learning exercise, students read a passage about Sarah Palin and then complete a variety of in-class and homework activities to support comprehension, including partner interviews, spelling, cloze,...
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Pinwheels for Peace
Young scholars create their own pinwheels to celebrate World Peace Day. They follow directions carefully and discuss what peace means to them. They share their pinwheel with the class.
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Wild Thing!
Sixth graders view several segments of the video, "How Animals Survive." They discuss elements of survival. Students list living and nonliving things found in their backyards and schoolyards. Students work in groups to complete the...
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Shadow Puppetry in South India
Students read a variety of literature from India, including folktales and fables. They then select a scene or story to script, work together to design and craft shadow puppets of characters and scenery, narrate a story, manipulate the...
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Voices of History: Relating Historic Events to Current Events
Students discuss the current events affecting the country today. In groups, they relate a historical event to a current event. They research and present the point of view of a historical figure in an interesting way. They compare and...
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Kafka's Metamorphosis
Students explore the concept of symbolism through reading The Metamorphosis by Kafka. In this literature lesson plan, students discuss the using of symbolism in Kafka's The Metamorphosis and create a composition that details a...
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Alien Visitor's Rewrite
Students role play the role of an alien who analyzes how the media represents the different social groups. In groups, they write their own story in which they add or revise a character to make it non-stereotypical. They share their...
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Designing for the Future
Students analyze the architecture of the United Architects and Ken Yeang. For this architecture analysis lesson, students explore architecture design for its sustainability, safety, and purpose. Students write an article about one of the...