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Out With the Old, in With the New

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the concept of the Soviet Union and compared to the new Democratic Russia. They conduct research using a variety of resources. The information is used in order to create a class project.
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Time and Time Again

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students analyze the effects of time zone differences on how we function as a global community, focusing particularly on the turn of the millennium as a way for students to calculate time zone differences.
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The First North Americans

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify and interpret the different North American Indian groups, by region, and the type and impact of their interaction with Europeans. Then they complete an overview of one main Native American group during the age of...
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American Indians

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders discuss their country of origin and form work groups based on their answers.  In this American Indian lesson, 8th graders locate their country of origin to the lifestyle, products and living arrangements...
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Tracing the Route of Bracero

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers make a map showing the work of a Bracero Worker. In this Bracero lesson, students listen to a worker in an online oral history as he explains his work locations and crops. They use a map to plot the areas he worked and...
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Maps

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Maps, globes, and computer software aid young explorers as they locate state capitols, major cities, geographic features, and attractions for states they are researching. They then use desktop publishing software to create a map to share...
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Making A Proposal

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students work in pairs as global wedding planners to research and propose authentic wedding ceremonies from various cultures around the world. They reflect on their understanding of marriage, and the ways in which it is informed by...
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Cuba On My Mind

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the Cuban society, politics, culture, and economy. As a class, they take a look at the Bush administrations policy on Cuba after reading "Embargo Remains Until Cuba Alters Policy, Bush Says" from The New York Times....
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Learning about Native Americans through Artifact Analysis and Artwork

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders assess how a Native American's environment and the geographic region where they lived influenced their food, clothing, shelter and the overall culture of a tribe. They study the impact of conservation, family, rural life,...
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Taking From the Giving Tree

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the ways in which various American cities negotiate the protection of their "green infrastructure," gaining a broader understanding of proposed and enacted legislation as it relates to preserving and planting trees in...
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Operation Iraqi Democracy

For Teachers 6th - 12th
In this instructional activity, students consider various forms of government and examine the idea of political sovereignty, then prepare outlines for oral presentations on international models of government. For homework, they write...
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Exploring Alternative Energy Sources

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Young scholars research the amount and kinds of energy that are produced and consumed in the United States, including the limitations of this kind of consumption. They research and create a display to teach classmates about a specific...
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Understanding Latitude, Longitude, and Time Zones

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students take an imaginary world tour by locating cities with latitude and longitude. They plan an itinerary and calculate the time zones from which they would call home. Then they construct word problems involving travel across time zones.
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The Human Costs of War

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed
Students explore the concept of civilian cost to armed warfare. They explore the role of the military, civilians and of press coverage during armed conflicts, creating posters illustrating their research on post-WW II military conflicts.
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Valentine City

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students construct a small city on a table in the classroom. Each student is given a lot to develop. They give directions from one location to another, and write letters with correct addresses to their classmates.
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Afghanistan and Its Neighbors: Model Summit

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students examine the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. They discover the role of religion and cultural identity in the war in Afghanistan. They explore the arguments for and and against...
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These Maps are for the Birds

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students identify and study New York State Breeding Bird Atlas maps to learn where different bird species nest and how their distributions have changed over time. They also identify how maps serve as representations of a geographic...
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Hard Times, Soft Sell

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners analyze art to determine themes for the Great Depression Era. In this Great Depression lesson plan, students identify themes for the era and research evidence for the themes to present to the class. Learners interview family...
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Identifying Watersheds with Topographic Maps

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students model a watershed and delineate one using topographic maps. In this hydrology lesson, students use aluminum foil to model a landscape and observe how water moves on it. They also observe the features of a topographic map and use...
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A History of the War of 1812 and The Star-Spangled Banner

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students examine the causes and outcomes of the War of 1812, and determine the chronology of the Star-Spangled Banner. In this War of 1812 lesson, students learn vocabulary and read a narrative about the War of 1812 before participating...
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Sand Travels

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine how sand is formed by erosion and that it can be moved by streams, rivers, and ocean currents in this unit of lessons. They study waves and currents, and structures that change how sand moves by creating story charts,...
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The Gulf Coast Region: Georgraphy, Demographics and the Effects of Hurricane Katrina

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research Hurricane Katrina and create a Cause and Effect graphic organizer or a Chain of Events graphic organizer.
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Jacksonian Democracy

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Young scholars determine how technological advancements have formed history. In this Jacksonian democracy lesson, students research innovations of the era and then compare them to the technological innovations of today. Young scholars...
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A Look at the Population Density of the United States

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students acquire census information and create maps of the population density of the United States on different scales. They role play the roles of workers of a retail company and they use the population data to market to their customers.