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Front Page History
Students consider how current events are directly and intricately tied to past events, decisions and other influences. The island of Guam is used as a case study as the events of WWII have continued to affect the people of Guam today.
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Exodus History Writ Large
Students view the video Exodus: History Writ Large. They review facts about Moses and his role in the story of Exodus. Students create a list of signifcant events in the life of Moses. They are explained that Moses and the story of...
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Technology of Colonial America
By learning about the technology of Colonial America, students can gain a greater appreciation of history.
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Undercurrents Of Currency
Students investigate the currencies used by different countries, and explore the principles of currency trading by exchanging currencies at current market rates. They, in groups, access websites which give them current rates.
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Talk to the Hand
Students explore the significance of various body parts in artistic and social expression. They research a body part and create a museum installation depicting the artistic and social significance of the body part throughout history.
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On the Air
Young scholars explore the issue of race in television since the 1950's, focusing specifically on African-American entertainers. After researching important issues, events, and television personalities of specific decades, students...
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Stateside Slavery
Students read "Slavery's Past, Paved Over or Forgotten" from The New York Times and discuss as a class. This activity is the introduction for researching a topic on the history of slavery in the U.S. Student groups present their...
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The Uniter, Divided
Students write about and discuss Presidential duties. They study the two competing foreign policy camps in the Bush administration by reading and discussing the article "Bush Team's Counsel Is Divided on Foreign Policy."
In groups,...
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If These Walls Could Speak...
High schoolers examine the relationship between history, the use of a given space, and its design. They research the relationship between technology and design while exploring a variety of sources. They study what scale models are and...
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Gorillas In The Midst
Students consider the idea of the eco-tour, and examine different aspects of the Mountain Gorilla Project eco-tour in Rwanda. They synthesize their understanding by acting as expert panelists on a morning news show that focuses on the...
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Manifestations of the Manifesto
Students explore the workings of FARC, a Marxist guerilla group in Colombia, as well as study the basics of Marxism. They examine the discrepancies between Marxist theory and Marxism as it is actually realized in Colombia and other parts...
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What Artifacts Reveal About The Past
Middle schoolers take a closer look at artifacts to learn about the people who used them. For this colonial America lesson, students examine photographs of everyday items used in colonial times and determine what the uses of the...
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Declarations of Independence
Students examine what they know about American Indians past and present, then research key issues facing American Indian tribes today. To synthesize their learning, students write letters taking the perspective of an American Indian.
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Changing of the Guard
Students reflect on their knowledge of democracy. After reading an article, they examine current plans for the placement of a democracy in Iraq. In groups, they research past regime changes and democratization attempts and discuss the...
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Its All In The Delivery
Students investigate the concept of different words and how they are used in specific texts. They develop scripts based upon readings and then design props and costumes to act out the new text. Students read to one another using the...
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Clash of Civilizations?
Students identify common misconceptions people have about cultures different than their own. After reading an article, they discover how the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations was founded. They research the misconceptions of the...
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A City Lost and Found
Students hypothesize about the origins of the Incan lost city of Machu Picchu. They examine archaeological methodologies used by researchers to piece together the history of the site and create an audio tour of the location for visitors...
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The Roots of American Culture
Students explore the notion of culture and the influence of Latino culture on the U.S. They work in small groups to identify ways that Latino and non-Latino U.S. cultures have engaged in cultural 'cross-fertilization.'
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Spreading the Word
Students analyze the use of propaganda in the war against terrorism, focusing specifically on the attacks in Afghanistan, exploring the distinction between ideas spread to benefit a cause and those spread to damage an opposing cause.
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Let Me Tell You About My State
State reports can be a lot of fun, especially when the learners get to choose the state they study. This research and writing-focused social studies lesson engages learners in collecting information, essay structure, research, and...
The New York Times
Revolt! Comparing Historical Revolutions
What elements are needed to have a revolution? How do historical revolutions from across the globe and generations compare with one another? This is an excellent activity that incorporates group work, source analysis, and an engaging...
Teach Engineering
Will It Fly?
Go fly a kite, then fly a plane! The 19th part of a 22-part unit on aviation looks at the way kites and gliders help aid in the understanding of flight. Pupils discuss how engineers used kites to influence airplane designs.
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Mexican Metal Tooling
Metal work can be a wonderful way to expose learners to Mexican folk art. This resource provides all the necessary steps for creating Mexican metal tooling with your art class. Images, web links, recommended books and products make...
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The Geometry of Indigenous Art
Students examine the concepts of symmetry, rotations, reflections, translation, dialations, and tessellations and apply them to indigenous art. They also do Internet research and create artwork (painting, pottery, computer graphic design).