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Class Forums: An English Language Arts Lesson for Information Resources
Tenth graders listen to a controversial piece of writing. They with opposing viewpoints face one another. After ground rules are suggested and adopted by the group, 10th graders articulate their positions in successive turns.
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Friday Forum
Learners research controversial issues and formulate their own opinion. They defend their position with supporting data and evaluate arguments from opposing viewpoints. They present their stand both verbally and in the written form.
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Assigning Roles: Becoming Advisors to Individual Nations and Assembling Country Profiles
Students role play the role of advisors to countries on the issue of global warming. In their groups, they identify the main issues affecting their country along with any opposing viewpoints. They use the internet to research the...
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Propaganda Flyer
Fourth graders create a persuasive flyer to sway the opinion of the class on a controversial issue. They read assigned editorials representing the viewpoint that they must defend.
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Colonial New York Slave Codes: Pedro's Walk
Look critically at the slave laws instated in Colonial New York. Your class examines primary source documents, slave laws, a narrative account from a slave's perspective, and Slave Codes. They write diary or journal entries in response...
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Wherefore Art Thou, Art?
Learners analyze various perspectives on the controversial "Sensation: Young British Artists From the Saatchi Collection" art exhibit on display at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
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Words Really Matter: Examining Language at School
Help your students gain sensitivity and become aware of the implications of the words they see, hear, and use about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. After making lists of words or phrases they hear or use in school...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Voting Rights for Alabama Women
What were the arguments put forth by those who opposed the 19th Amendment? For those in favor? Class members examine primary source materials that illustrate the intense debate in Alabama about women's suffrage.
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Foreign Policy: Containment
Students examine opinions regarding the American policy of containment. In this Cold War lesson plan, students read articles by George F. Kennan and Walter Lippmann. Students compare the perspectives of the 2 men on U.S. foreign policy.
Space Awareness
The Big Meltdown
Explore the world (our world) of melting ice caps. Why are these caps melting? What is the effect of melting ice caps? Dive into the ever-present issue of global warming with a resource that has learners looking at data and participating...
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Limiting Trade
Students debate imposing tariffs on imported shoes. In this tariffs lesson, the class is divided into two groups: those that oppose a tariff on imported shoes, and those that support it. Groups read about each position, write position...
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The Union is Perpetual: Lincoln is Elected
Students take a closer look at the election of Abraham Lincoln. In this historical analysis lesson, students analyze letters, political cartoons, and campaign materials from Lincoln's campaign. Analysis worksheets are included.
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Bioterrorism
Students research bioterrorism and then create two political cartoons, one that shows the viewpoint that bioterrorism is not a threat and one that shows the viewpoint that it is.
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Women in United States History
Students identify and explain the significance of key terms, such as: 19th Amendment, Femisnism, Flappers, Immigration and Jobs in Wisconsin. They identify and analyze viewpoints, events, social classes, and people of various years.
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Goals, Interactions and Outcomes
Learners recognize both sides of a dilemma through use of a Human Interaction Outline. For this Goals, Interactions and Outcome lesson, students create a diagram to show opposing views of fishermen and oil companies. Learners evaluate...
Foreign Policy Association
U.S. and Europe Online Lesson Plan
Class groups investigate the economic and political implications of a country's policies on genetically modified foods, craft a position paper detailing that policy, and share their findings with the class. Armed with this information,...
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Cycling Through Controversy
Students research different perspectives and debate environmental issues. They consider different viewpoints when proposing solutions.
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The Conficts of the Founders
Young scholars discuss the often conflicting viewpoints of the framers of the Constitution. One Framer in particular, George Mason, strongly objected to the creation of the Constitution. His objections are explored and the Constitutional...
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Unwind: Discussion Strategy, Chalk Talk
Readers of Neal Shusterman's young adult science fiction novel, Unwind, engage in a silent discussion, posting their responses to a series of statements about characters in the story.
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The Little Prince: Problematic Situation
Your plane has crashed in the Sahara desert. What do you do? Explore the possibilities with a role-playing activity based on Antoine de Saint Éxupery's The Little Prince. In groups, kids decide whether they would walk to find help to try...
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Debate in the Classroom: The Pebble Mine Pundits
Students research and debate the pros and cons of the Pebble Mine in Alaska from a variety of perspectives. They also write a position paper that either supports or opposed Pebble Mine develpoment.
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How Are Boundaries Made, Kept, Broken?
Students examine the different perspectives of Igbo women. They simulate a silent debate in response to the question, "Is the Igbo society sexist?" They write their response to the question and exchange papers with their partner as the...
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Argument
Learners write and discuss opposing points of view. In this argument instructional activity, students learn to understand what an argument is and they get to argue one side of a disagreement. An alternative written assignment is...
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Science of War
Tenth graders, from an environmental perspective, study the pros and cons of war. Distinctions between characteristics of biological, chemical and nuclear threats and the impact of economic development are considered.