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Earth's Radiation Budget
Twelfth graders explore the Earth's radiation budget using Earth radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) data archived at the IRI/LDEO Climate Data Library. They use photometers and light sources to work through several hands-on activities...
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Lead Stories about Confederation Lesson 5
Young scholars identify what a lead story is and how to write one, for their simulated newspaper, about Confederation. They use primary-source documents from the "EvidenceWeb" portion of the Learning Centre, on the Library and Archives...
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The Making of a Spy
Students study the life of a woman spy for the Union. They study archival photographs of Pauline Cushman and examine her life. They create a key with
symbols representing her activities (e.g., a baby bottle for her birth in 1833 in New...
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Navigating Nonfiction
Third graders explore the arrangement of nonfiction. In this library skills lesson, 3rd graders examine Dewey Decimal classification as they collaborate to locate nonfiction materials in the library/media center.
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Kirit C. Shah, M.D. v. Stan Harris and Nancy Harris Lesson 1: One Case, Two Sides
Pupils examine how lawyers prepare their arguments. They realize that both sides of a legal case may use the same cases as precedents in their positions. They find decisions of the Indiana Supreme Court and the Indiana Court of Appeals...
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D-Day Message from General Eisenhower to General Marshall
Students use documents in the National Archives of the United States to evaluate the effectiveness of D-Day.
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Cultural Inquiry Lesson 2B: Finding Artifacts and Analysis
Students build on their knowledge of sources, by looking at 2 types of information sources: artifacts or primary sources and analysis or secondary sources. They brainstorm a list of primary and secondary sources connected to one of...
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Photographs of Lewis Hine: Documentation of Child Labor
Young scholars use the Archival Research Catalog to complete assignments and activities about Lewis Hines and the National Child Labor Committee.
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Sow the Seeds of Victory!
Students use the National Archives and Records Administration's records to research the history of the U.S. Food Administation.
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Memorandum Regarding the
Students use the National Archives to research the memorandum regarding the enlistment of Navajo Indians during World War II.
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Memorandum of a Conference with President Eisenhower after Sputnik
Learners use the National Archives to research how the United States and the Soviet Union south to maintain its supremacy after World War II.
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Court Documents Related to
Students use the National Archives to researcj cout coduments related to Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Immigration and Settlement of Ethnic Groups in the Pacific Northwest
Students examine ethnic history of the Pacific Northwest in the period 1850-1950. They research documents and images in digital archives to explore immigration of various ethnic groups that settled in the region during this period.
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Autism - What Is It?
High schoolers investigate the symptoms of autism spectrum disorders, and compare expected child development with development that may indicate a diagnosis of these disorders. The final project for the activity is the creation of posters...
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"The Beaches of Agnes": Planning a Video Self Portrait
Agnes Varda’s autobiographical “The Beaches of Agnes,” models for young filmmakers the cinematic self-portrait. Far from “old and plump,” Varda is a giant of filmmaking and will inspire your pupils. After watching a clip of this famous...
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Recurring Nightmares
Does history really repeat itself? Encourage your middle and high schoolers to answer this age-old question by reading the attached articles on the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 and the Iraq Crisis of 2002. How similar or different are...
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Putting History in its Place
Examine ways in which historic places and landmarks represent significant themes and events in American history. Then create theme-based travel guides for related historic locations. This lesson requires informational reference materials...
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Short and Sweet Science
Readers learn how to summarize scientific text and evaluate the advantages, disadvantages, and challenges in writing summaries. They select science-related articles you've pulled and collected from the New York Times and, with a partner,...
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"Golden" Years?
The Golden Years? Upper graders may think retirement is a long way off, but in life everything is just around the corner. They consider what it means to retire and the current trend of parents working for their Students. They research...
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Superhero Science
Young scientist explore the various positions in the debate on stem cell research and then discuss these perspectives before formulating their own positions. They must research the topic and beliefs that others have. They will also look...
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Is That a Fact?
Investigate popular scientific claims and gather evidence to defend or argue against an author's stance. Writers synthesize information and compose their own "Really?" columns modeled after those found in the weekly "Science Times"...
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Organ Music
Middle and high schoolers solve a riddle about the appendix, and explore the paradox surrounding this organ. They research other human body organs to create a paper model of the human body, and write riddles highlighting identifying...
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1920s Variety Show
To better understand the cultural achievements of the Harlem Renaissance and become familiar with its major figures, class members examine a painting by Aaron Douglas and a poem by Langston Hughes and compare how the artists develop...
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Pay to Play?
Lead your class in a discussion about how they believe money influences politics. After reading "Go Ahead, Try to Stop K Street" from the New York Times, they evaluate the claims in the article about the current lobbyist scandal in...