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Breezy, Chilly, or Freezing?
Students assess the factors which influence the sensation of being "cold" in a particular situation. They study the complexities in measuring temperature by reading and discussing the article "Beyond Brrr: The Elusive Science of...
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Plasma 101
Students examine the definitions and characteristics of plasma. After reading an article, they analyze new technologies to study plasma. In groups, they create a poster on how the different types of plasma work and write letters to their...
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Archaeologists Reveal King Tut's Mummy
Students look at pictures of a sarcophagus, then read a news article about King Tut's mummy. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion, pictures, and a vocabulary activity, then students read the...
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True Admissions
Students examine affirmative action and study the diversity of their own classrooms and communities, then of a particular college or university. They write essays examining how colleges should increase the diversity of their student bodies.
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Bootleg Bytes
Students conduct background research to explore the positions of different groups involved in the digital piracy debate, then participate in a fishbowl discussion that seeks to find a consensus on the issue.
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Performance Poppers
Students examine the controversies surrounding the use of performance-enhancing supplements in sports by interviewing athletes and writing feature articles that compare the skills required to compete in different sports.
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Hall Monitors
Students investigate the incidence of different types of violence that occurs in their schools through reading, discussion and interviews. They question local authorities about the best ways to reduce school violence.
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In Search of Truce
Students explore the relationship between a country's political and social history and its position today. They study 8 African countries immersed in the present conflict in Congo. They present their findings.
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Safety First
Students explore safety issues and challenges related to various modes of transportation through readings and discussion. They create blueprints for technological methods to make those modes of transportation safer.
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The Story of an Old Piano
Students read excerpts from The Story of an Old Piano. They choose a personal object and write paragraphs from the object's point of view. Their stories can be bound for the class library.
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Come Visit My School
Students practice basic camera skills. They create several panoramic movies. They create a virtual tour of their school.
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Exploring Symmetry
Students use a software program to create artwork and to manipulate images to study mirror and rotational symmetry. They take pictures of items in their environment in which they identify symmetry.
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Exploring the Galapagos
Learners explore the species found in the Galapagos Islands and practice descriptive writing skills by creating a sample journal. They create a fictional journal that documents the places they visit and the species they encounter.
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The Fight to End "Separate but Equal" in American Schools
Students study the court cases related to Brown v. Board of Education and the "separate but equal" standard established by Plessy v. Ferguson. They create an informational display that can be used to teach others the particulars of the...
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Let's Sleep on It
Students research sleep following a class discussion on an article in The New York Times. Students use their research information to create a health and wellness exhibit that addresses topics related to sleep.
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Heightening Awareness
Students review their prior knowledge about Haiti. They examine violence in Haiti by reading and discussing "HAITIAN FORCES BATTLING UPRISING REPORT RETAKING 3 TOWNS." In groups, students research specific time periods of Haitian history...
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Global Intelligence
Students discuss the war in Afghanistan and the conditions surrounding the hunt for Osama bin Laden after reading the article "Bin Laden and Omar: Far Harder to Find" from The New York Times. After the class discussion, students...
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Objects of Memory
Students consider the importance of individual artifacts in memorializing important historic events. They read and evaluate an article discussing the removal of the last steel beam from the World Trade Center site.
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Ocean Expedition with Jacques Cousteau
Students role play that they are on an ocean voyage with Jacques Cousteau as they study plant, and animal species and adaptation. They write a five page journal, create artwork of the expedition.
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Make your Garden Grow
Fourth graders role play as certified horticulturists as they study the biology of plants and gardening. They design a garden for their school based on what they researched and a given budget.
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Song Dynasty Traditional Landscape Paintings
Students study new ideas and art concepts, while reinforcing others, through a Chinese cultural tradition. They determine how cultural differences differences affect painting processes.
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Balobbyland City Planners
Students create a mini city using proportions that fit a model human they construct using tin foil. They plan the city including a library, sports arena, living spaces, parks and businesses. When constructing the paper buildings, they...
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Mapmaker, Mapmaker, Make Me a Map!
Students evaluate the different types of historical and geographical information that one can gather through close study of historical maps from the 16th through the 19th centuries. They create their own maps.
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THE LIGHT HOUSE KEEPER
Ninth graders interpret historic images to develop empathy with individuals who lived in the past. They imagine what life in coastal Alabama was like at the beginning of the twentieth century and work on writing skills.