Curated OER
Can I Get A Witness?
Students consider difficulties involved in students testifying in criminal trials. Through first-hand experience in the position of either a witness to a crime or an investigator, students explain how various factors shape a person's...
Curated OER
Muppets as Mediators
Students explore current social issues in the Middle East to create their own student television programs for Palestinian and Israeli Students.
Curated OER
Safety Up in the Air
Students explore the controversy over a bill giving pilots the option to become armed federal law enforcement officers. They brainstorm other possible security measures for airplanes and airports.
The New York Times
Kidding Around Down Under
After reading an article, "From an Alternate to a 'Miracle Kid' in a Flash," youngsters discuss the kind of commitment required for a teenager to become an Olympic athlete. A variety of activities is suggested, and the popular topic...
Curated OER
Comic Renditions
Students explore the intersection between popular and high art by recreating comic strips in various artistic styles and then famous works of art as comics. Through this exploration, students come to conclusions about what art is and...
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Where the Wild Things Are
Students explore the role of gargoyles in New York City architecture as a starting point to considering architectural structures in their city. They create designs that illustrate ways in which those local structures may be enhanced by...
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Dangerous Waters (and Lands)
Students investigate the dangers of various geographical locations and the threat they pose to humans and other living things. They, in groups, research dangerous geographical locations and create a group "front page" highlighting these...
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Popular Mechanics
Students explore the five essential parts of every robot and design their own robots to perform everyday tasks. They explore robots created for fighting competitions by reading and discussing "When Nerds Collide: Robots at War."
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Working It Out
Learners participate in a simulation in which they are arbitrarily assigned different work roles and compare their experiences to those discussed in a New York Times article about the racial divisions in a pork production plant.
Curated OER
Same Old Story
Students relate their favorite childhood stories to their lives today. Through personal interviews, students discover the connections between their favorite stories and their own choices and characters, as well as connections to the...
Curated OER
Nutrients by the Numbers
Students read and discuss an article on the amount of sugar in various food products. They compare the nutritional values of food products, calculate their daily intake of nutrients, analyze serving sizes, and compare/contrast their own...
Curated OER
You Bet!
Young scholars explore the mathematical probabilities involved in gambling and how these factors affect people's behavior. They work in pairs and conduct and experiment pertaining to blackjack. The class creates a graph showing the...
Curated OER
Treasure in the Trash
Students decode archaeological artifacts in order to recreate an event, using discarded objects as a model for real-life artifacts. They apply this model to reconstructing historical or literary events from artifacts they create.
Curated OER
Casting a Ballot for New Freedoms
Students use a New York Times article about the first free election in Indonesia in over four decades as a tool for learning about the government and politics, economy, religion, international relations, and people of Indonesia in the...
Curated OER
Doing Things the Wright Way
Students investigate 20th century inventions in order to examine how inventions reflect the historical events during which they were developed an
Curated OER
Look on the Bright Side!
Students explore solar eclipses by participating in a number of hands-on activities. In class, students work in teams using tennis balls, grapes and flashlights to model partial and total solar eclipses.
Curated OER
More Than Meets the Eye
Students use the Archimedes method to demonstrate scientific principles behind observations.
Curated OER
Capitol Gains
Learners use a variety of Web sites to obtain specific information about the campaign finances of different Presidential hopefuls. They create graphs that illustrate all of the aspects of campaign finances researched,
Curated OER
Eating Over the Rainbow
Young scholars examine their own diets, and then redesign the USDA's Food Pyramid to reflect nutrition experts' latest advice. They read and discuss The Color of Nutrition: Fruits and Vegetables, which is an article imbedded in this plan.
Curated OER
Defining Issues
Young scholars work on a 'campaign committee' to define civic issues that are important to them and their community. They write letters to city officials with proposals for how to address these issues.
Curated OER
Stop Signs
Students research the positions of different interested parties regarding the current escalation of violence in Israel and the Occupied Territories. They formulate proposals to take part in a "Stop All Violence" emergency intervention.
Curated OER
Ice, Ice, Baby
Students explore the causes and effects of the melting ice formations in Antarctica; they then research different aspects of the topic in order to create a news special.
Curated OER
A World in Transition
Students explore the passing of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1397, which backs plans for the creation of a Palestinian state, as a springboard to investigating the history different countries that have been redefined in the...
Curated OER
Weathering the Odds
Learners explore the limitations of weather forecasting and how consumer-driven weather forecasting companies attempt to meet the demand for accurate, long-term weather forecasting. They act as meteorologists, researching the weather.