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Photographs of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study the details of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake including the fires that lasted for three days. They participate in discussion describing what they feel the city looked like after the earthquake and fires. They...
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Evolutionary Exchange

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students discuss the difference between designed and natural elements. After reading an article, they discover information about current controversies in evolutionary science. In groups, they research and write dialogues between two...
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Plasma 101

For Teachers 6th - 12th
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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Endangered Species... It's Not Too Late

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students choose an endangered species to research and report on. In this endangered species instructional activity, students complete a worksheet to gather information about their endangered animal and then use to write a book about the...
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Twentieth Century Entertainment: When Work is Done

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students determine how Americans enjoy leisure time. For this 20th century America lesson, students research primary sources to study how Americans gained leisure time during the century and what they did with it.
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Bootleg Bytes

For Teachers 6th - 12th
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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Reason to Celebrate!

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students consider the importance of secular holidays celebrated around the world, researching holidays in various countries and creating patchwork quilts to illustrate their findings.
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Use Or Abuse?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars explain the meaning of "use value" of nature's resources by researching and writing studenT books personifying an aspect of nature. They produce public service announcements regarding use value for their local community.
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Hero vs. Claudio: A Case of Slander

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research marriage customs of the Renaissance, discuss and debate the issues raised by Claudio repudiating Hero at the altar in the Shakespearean play Much Ado About Nothing, and then stage a mock trial accusing Claudio of...
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You Be the Coach

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students brainstorm their favorite sports with one another. They work together in small groups based on their interests in sports. They research the coaching of that sport by reviewing different resources. They demonstrate their sport to...
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Heightening Awareness

For Teachers 6th - 12th
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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We Are One World

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students access prior knowledge to choose a country and research the living conditions in that country. In this living conditions activity, students recognize the differences and similarities of conditions of another country to ours....
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Civil War Photographs: The Mathew Brady Bunch

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed
Students examine the photographs of Mathew Brady. In this Civil War activity, students analyse primary source photographs from the Civil War. Students will be able to describe specific events and what life might be like during the Civil...
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Magnetism

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study magnetism and how certain materials can be attracted.  In this magnetism lesson students research magnetism on the Internet. 
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Big Cats

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students study what a niche is and its role in a community.  In this cats lesson students research the Internet for information on big cat species. 
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Savanna Hands-On Biome Building

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders participate in an interdisciplinary project related to the Savanna biome.  In this biome building activity, 5th graders display the elements of the Savanna biome such as the geography, animals and plants, and...
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The Science of Aging

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students reflect on the lives of older people they know, then research and debate the key issues surrounding scientific experimentation in anti-aging. They write a short story that reflects their own philosophical beliefs on aging and...
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That Was Then, This is Now

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students read about the effect of strict fur trading laws on the lives of the Inuit people in Canada, then use print and digital resources to compare past and present-day ways of life of several indigenous peoples around the world.
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Deep Thoughts

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine what lies within the Earth. They research and create scale models illustrating the layers of the Earth and write skits advocating a travel plan to send a probe into the Earth's mantle.
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The Life You Save...

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers identify common warning signs of depression that, if not addressed, could lead to suicidal behavior. They write skits and create booklets in which they document appropriate suicide prevention techniques.
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Debating for Land

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discover about the varying attitudes and definitions of land ownership held by Native and European Americans. They study a variety of primary documents from the nineteenth century.
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Author of the Month

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders research authors on the Web each month in based on the themes in their reading book. They create an author booklet which includes a picture and biographical information.
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Antebellum North Carolina

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine pictures & documents relating to the Hayes Plantation (Edenton, NC). They also use various maps of North Carolina to help them analyze how James Cathcart Johnston used, modified and adapted to the physical...
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The Salem Witchcraft Trials

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research the Salem Witchcraft Trials and conduct a mock trial.