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Turn Down Music to Save Hearing
Young scholars participate in a informal survey of their listening habits, then read a news article about the possibility of portable music players harming kids hearing. In this current events instructional activity, the teacher...
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Iraq In-Depth
Students examine public opinion about the war in Iraq. They read and discuss an article, participate in a poll, analyze statistics, create annotated scales demonstrating their findings, and write a reaction paper.
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2003: A Space Tragedy
Young scholars examine the facts and logistics connected to the space shuttle Columbia tragedy and present at a teach-in on the incident. February 3, 2003)
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Mining Riches
Students research and map how various mining ventures have changed local geographies and populations. First they read the article provided--Examining the Environmental and Social Impact of the Mining Industry.
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Picking Up the Pieces
Students recall and write about a time in which they felt helpless, focusing on how they coped with the situation then and now.
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Space: NASA's Frontier
Young scholars research the history and accomplishments of the American space program and ponder its role in the future. They gather research on NASA and make small group presentations to the class on their findings and assessments.
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Whose "Truth" Is Out There?
Young scholars read article It's a Fact: Faith and Theory Collide Over Evolution, and examine different ways people arrive at what 'the truth' is, focusing on the evolution vs creationism debate that has been a hot topic throughout the...
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Titanic Disasters
Students contemplate the worst man-made disasters in history, focusing on the Titanic, read/discuss the article 'The Titanic's Mystique in Digital Packages,' and create an 'Internet scavenger hunt' - Web sites and related questions about...
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Alarm as the Clock Ticks Toward 2000
Students explore how various people and businesses are reacting to the potential technological problems that may occur when the year 2000 arrives. They read and compare two related New York Times articles and share their own views of the...
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Through the Eyes of a Child
Students explore how documentaries can present realistic and sometimes difficult perspectives on events in our world. They choose current issues that interest them and create their own documentaries.
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Music Makers
Students explore distinct styles that have characterized famous musicians and conductors. By studying one musician or conductor in-depth, students become experts on this person's musical style and are given the opportunity to share.
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Getting the Message Across
Students discover the emergence of e-mail as a popular communication tool and explore its impact on society. They consider the advantages and disadvantages of different types of communication tools in various creative contexts.
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Working It Out
Students 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.
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State of the Art
Learners watch and discuss a scene from 'Cool Hand Luke,' then read the actor Kevin Costner's commentary on it. Then, each identifies one work of art that he or she loves and prepares a similar commentary on the details of that work's...
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All Mixed Up
Students explore the emergence of bootlegs, also known as 'mash-ups' (the combination of two songs into one), on the Internet. By researching the musical origins of songs and creating and performing their own bootlegs, students gain a...
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Amidst the Rubble of Ruined Cities
Students, in committees, develop and propose solutions to rebuild various elements of Colombia's infrastructure in the wake of the January 25, 1999 earthquake, as well as compare and contrast the earthquake's affects on Colombia to an...
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A Nation in Mourning
Students reflect on what the deaths of John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and Lauren Bessette mean to them. They then work to compose and read aloud found poems from The Times' coverage of the burial and memorial services.
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Crisis in Kosovo
Students discuss the current crisis in Kosovo, Yugoslavia and express their views on whether the U.S. should get involved in this foreign conflict. They write a journal entry about whether
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Mathematical Metaphors in Art
Learners investigate the role of mathematics in their everyday lives. They discover, through reading a Times article and through analyzing a specific example of art, that mathematics exists on a deeper 'metaphoric' level in art.
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Oh, What a Tangled Web!
Students research how different World Wide Web search engines work and navigate these engines to find information on a specific topic. They write a reflective journal entry about the in-class topic search on the World Wide Web.
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The Big "Why"
Students examine the Q.& A. article found each week in the Science Times, focusing on how the answers present scientific data in a clear and logical manner. They write their own questions and answer other classmates' questions in the...
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Making Prehistory
Learners create mock fossil records based on current scientific theories about prehistory. By learning about what fossil records teach us about different prehistoric time periods, students gain a greater understanding of theories of...
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Grade Expectations
Students explore how the ten percent plan and other education initiatives promote diversity, as well as about their practical effects on students from different types of educational and economic backgrounds. They discuss college...
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Civil Services
Students investigate important themes, figures, and events of the Civil Rights Movement. They create a class mural that demonstrates their understanding of the continuing impact of the movement on American society.