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Conditions of City Life in the Late 19th Century
Students examine tenement life. In this lesson on early urbanization, students research the role of journalism for social change in early American cities. Students write a journal article for themselves that demonstrate an understanding...
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Imagine the Food and Imagine a Response
Students experience life in the Secret Annex. In this Holocaust instructional activity, students participate in a simulation. The simulation places them in the Secret Annex for dinner as residents. Students journal about the experience...
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Walking Fast a Sign of Longer Life
In this English activity, students discuss walking. Students conduct a survey about walking, write a short piece on walking, listen to and read an article about walking.
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Relative History
Students explore theories about how the Olmec civilization influenced other Mesoamerican societies. They research the Olmecs to create a museum exhibit of their findings and reflect on how an Olmec person might have understood the...
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The Power Of Words
Students respond, in writing and in discussions, to statements of various world leaders about the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. They keep quotation scrapbooks, responding to various quotations about the...
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Liberty, Equality, Uniformity?
Students examine the French draft law to ban religious symbols from public schools. They research "secularist" and "pluralist" positions regarding this ban, debate the topic in class, and draft a position paper on the ban.
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In King's Words
Students analyze writings of Mr. Martin Luther King Jr. They read and discuss an article, and in pairs, research and analyze a written work or speech by Dr. King, create a mixed media collage to represent the text, and write an artist...
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Discord in Dixieland
Students brainstorm businesses located in their community, and whether or not their community has been affected by the introduction of chain stores. Students debate the effects that chain retailers have on local businesses and...
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Mending the Rift
Learners determine what factors identify a country's political borders. After reading an article, they investigate questions surrounding the Great Rift Valley. On a map, they trace the valley from Asia through Africa and research the...
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Slavery and the Underground Railroad
Third graders discover racism in our country by investigating the Internet. In this abolitionist movement lesson, 3rd graders define the Underground Railroad and participate in an activity by logging on to an on-line History...
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All Rights Reserved?
Students explore, through discussion, research, dramatic skits, and writing, the debate over genetic ownership of biological products and evaluate the economic viewpoints of the countries and companies involved.
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I Will Survive!
Students define and explore the term "survivor" through the study of real-life stories of survival. They interview a person whom he/she considers to be a survivor, and share their interviews with the class.
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Don't Type To Strangers
Students create Web advertisements to protect young people from online predators. For homework, they write letters pitching their ads and analyzing their effect. They discuss their own use of the Internet and how to protect young people.
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Art as Therapy
Learners explore how they connect with artwork on an emotional level through writing and the creation of an original piece of art.
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Urban Legends
Students consider how people of color and minority culture are represented in video games. After debating the issue as representatives of various interest groups, students reflect on their personal feelings regarding this issue.
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Won't You Be My (E-)Neighbor?
Students explore the concepts of community, belonging and human relationships through an Internet application designed to foster neighborly relations and write a persuasive statement to recruit others to join their community.
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At Your Service
Students discuss various volunteer activities and read how New York City organizes its volunteer efforts. They create their own databases compiling volunteer opportunities and write reflective essays on how volunteers help their...
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Rudolfo Anaya
Students read and analyze the Rudolfo Anaya novel Bless Me, Ultima. They discuss passages from the book, watch a video, view and analyze a mural of Mexican American artwork, and write a journal response.
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Funny Business
Students discuss how much they understand of satire and parody. They read an article about an Iraq news parody show. They create and act out their own parody skit. They write an essay about using humor in grave situations.
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A Sense of Place
Students read "Fish Tale: Falling For a Live One" from The New York Times and discuss the methods and techniques the writer uses to create a strong mental image. Students pick a place in their community they wish to write about and...
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Land of the Rising Guns?
Students discuss the decision after World War II of Japan's to follow a policy of pacifism. After reading an article, they identify the ways Japan is strengthening its military. They watch a video to discover how their Constitution was...
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I Had a Hero Lesson
Students examine what it takes to make a hero. The respond in their journals to the following prompts: What did I learn about friendship and heroism from reading and thinking about "I Had a Hero"? What did this story teach me about the...
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Journalism and Responsibility
Students explore the world of journalism. In this media awareness instructional activity, students investigate the roles and responsibilities of journalists. Students watch segments of videos and research websites to inform them prior to...
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Henry's Freedom Box
Third graders create a shipping box from a cardboard material. In this measuring instructional activity, 3rd graders read the book Henry's Freedom Box and discuss the main idea. In the story a slave ships himself to freedom and the...