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Writing a Letter to the Editor
Students identify the main elements/structure of a letter to the editor. They brainstorm for thoughts and opinions on a specific topic and write a first draft of a letter to an editor of a newspaper. They give each other preliminary...
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Youth Leading the Way
Students share opinions about groups or activities that give meaning to their lives. They read and discuss the article "Challenging Tradition, Young Jews Worship on Their Terms". Afterward, they investigate and write news articles about...
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Standards And Science
Students study how standards are established in Science. They also look at the value of different perspectives with questions about ecological standards. The class creates its own standards for ecology with the help of a survey to obtain...
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Tragedy at Sea
Learners explore the recent Russian submarine tragedy. They examine the facts related to the vessel's sinking, then research the opinions of others regarding this event. They explore the impact this event has on their world.
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Unsettling Plans
Students consider words that reflect their knowledge and opinions about Israel, Palestinian Authority and the Gaza Strip. They develop annotated timelines about the history of the region in the 20th century and create collages that...
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Mandatory Sentencing
Pupils review mandatory sentencing and brainstorm opinions based on Measure 11. They work in groups, hear case study then determine significan facts, the correct charge and the sentencing for the case. They discuss actual outcomes of...
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Justice Is Blind, Colorblind That Is
It's so interesting to see kids respond to articles about education. To start the day, prompt learners to discuss the words colorblindness and diversity. Then, split your class in two and have one side read an article from 2007 and...
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A Leader's Lifetime and Legacy
In this lesson, students consider their prior knowledge about Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat and consider the immediate events surrounding his death. They then create timelines and write papers examining his political career.
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Strong Convictions
How can the rhetorical structure of an editorial help to develop its argument? Use this New York Times editorial to emphasize the importance of structure in a piece of informational text. Adolescent writers then use the editorial as a...
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Standards and Measures
Students conduct a "one-question interview" about standardized tests. They assess two sections of a standardized test that they took or will take this year and write an article for their school newspaper that consolidates their test...
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A Long Way Home
Students examine the difference between hard news and editorial writing by considering several pieces written about the Elian Gonzalez custody battle. They then craft their own hard news and editorials on the case.
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Are We Safer?
Students discuss the meaning of feeling safe in their environment after September 11th. After reading National Intelligence reports and news articles summarizing the findings about national security, they write letters to their...
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American Media: Addicted to Scandal?
Learners examine media coverage of George W. Bush's refusal to answer questions regarding past illegal drug usage in the 1999 campaign. They consider the role of rumor, scandal, audience and relevance in political media coverage.
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Good For You?
Students discuss nutrition and compare nutritional values of a snack product claiming health benefits with a candy product.
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A Delicate Balance
Students reflect on racial balance in their own schools, debate merits of policies that seek to create and maintain school racial diversity, and write essays on whether their school should promote racial balance.
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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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Star Politics
Students discuss the advantages of a celebrity running for a public office. After reading an article, they examine the results of the California governor recall vote. In groups, they research the aspirations and career of a celebrity...
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Writing a Letter to the Editor
Students examine the structure and elements of a letter to the editor. They identify letter elements, read and discuss newspaper letters, and write and submit a letter to a local newspaper.
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Inference Lesson Plan
Students practice assessing graphics to infer and identify an author's implicit and explicit meaning in a piece of text. They evaluate the effectiveness of information found in maps, charts, tables, graphs, diagrams, cutaways and through...
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This Land is Your Land? This Land is My Land!
Students research the various territory acquisitions in United States history and create an annotated map that tells the history of U.S. expansion. Working in small groups, students outline the land acquisitions and purchases made by...
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Breaking News English: Podcast is 2005 Word of the Year
For this English worksheet, students read "Podcast is 2005 Word of the Year," and then respond to 47 fill in the blank, 7 short answer, 20 matching, and 8 true or false questions about the selection.
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The Dialogues of Difference
Students research the 1067 Newark riots and examine photographs of the riots for clues as to when they were taken and what was going on. They view different historical perspectives on the riots and then write dialogues based on the...
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The Philippines-U.S. Involvement
Students research and discuss the rational for U.S. involvement in the Philippines. They discuss overall foreign and domestic policies of the U.S. Then they create a timeline that highlights this impact.