Facing History and Ourselves
The Nazis in Power: Propaganda and Conformity
The Nazis used the power of propaganda to encourage confirmative views and the discrimination of Jews. A social studies resource illustrates these issues through discussion, image analysis, and a writing exercise.
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Great Expectations
Students examine how Pip's inner thoughts are portrayed through the medium of film in "Great Expectations." After viewing the film, they answer discussion questions, and compare and contrast the differences between the portrayal of...
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Knock, Knock, or Whose Line is it Anyway?
Students compare two versions of Macbeth and participate in improvisational acting. In this improvisational lesson, students read and discuss the text before watching two different versions of the film. Students roleplay a scenario and...
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Anger, Aggression and Adolescents
Learners examine the relationship between anger, aggression and teenagers. As a class, they share a difficult situation in their own lives and review the techniques to properly deal with it. In groups, they discuss how they feel about...
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What Difference Does A Name Make?
Students view the film The Persuaders that discuss the perspective and spin of language use for a variety of issues. They discuss the career of Frank Luntz, a man that runs focus groups to determine how to advantageously phrase issues in...
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What Do You Do With An Orphaned Cheetah?
Learners brainstorm techniques for teaching baby cheetahs survival skills. In this science lesson plan, students view an episode of "Cheetah Orphans" and work together to analyze the situation and develop a plan to teach the baby...
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The Persuaders
Have your upper graders watch the documentary, "The Persuaders" as they explore how advertisers try to gain potential customers. The video is followed by a discussion and close examination of new marketing trends and strategies.
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"Getting Away with Torture?"
Students discuss what they know about the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib. They research policy memos and assess their influence on military personnel. They identify the Geneva Conventions rule on the treatment of prisoners as well.
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Heroes and Legends
Students use print and nonprint sources of different heroic myths to generate a definition of the word "hero." They conduct a character study on three mythological heroes and formulate a definition of the word "hero" based on...
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Night of the Twister
Students use reading strategies for Night of the Twister. In this reading strategies lesson, students name five major catastrophes and books about each. Students complete a vocabulary section, make inferences and predictions, read the...
Shakespeare in American Life
"We Few, We Happy Few": Motivational Speech in Henry V
Class members may "think themselves accurs'd" when they first hear of an assignment that asks them to create a motivational speech. After studying the Saint Crispin's Day speech from Shakespeare's Henry V; however, they will count...
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Deconstructing Disney
Tenth graders analyze animated Disney movies. They demonstrate their awareness of how the artful use of language can affect and influence others. They evaluate how both genders and cultures are portrayed in mass media.
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Cubism - David Hockney
Identify Cubist works (namely the works of Picasso and the Cubist-inspired works of David Hockney), then express or create a work showing a time frame.
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Tolerance: Words that Hurt/Words that Heal
Students "role-play" the part of a person who says unkind things and are photographed while doing so. They then act out a story about making friends. They practice saying kind things and are photographed. Word bubbles are added...
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Close Reading
Eleventh graders read and study Hamlet. Then they are introduced to close reading as a means of understanding what is being read--not only understanding the printed word, but also the nuances and connotations of language as it is used by...
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Counting Crows
Young scholars discuss the fable, The Crow and the Pitcher. In this literature instructional activity, students read the fable and create a crow sock puppet. Young scholars use their puppets to dramatize the fable.
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Macbeth - Analyzing Characterization in Drama
The writing activity in this lesson plan could be used to assess student understanding of previously taught concepts of how language reveals character.
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Service Learning/Then and Now
Eighth graders explore service learning projects. They work, in groups, to choose a video project. Students collect information and present it in a storyboard. Next, they use music, video clips, and still pictures to create their video...
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Posing for Rembrandt
Students consider the elements of costuming and posing in Rembrandt's work. They collect various costumes and experiment with poses in the theme of the painting "Night Watch". Students take photographs of poses and write accompanying...
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Animation
Studnets comprehend the elements of value, perspective and color schemes. They comprehend the principles of contrast, emphasis and unity, and the expressive qualities of thematic development and sequence. Young scholars are asked about...
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Farmworkers and the Union: A Lesson from Viva La Causa
Students examine the role of labor unions. In this labor union lesson plan, students watch "Viva la Causa" and discuss the working conditions that led farm workers to strike. Students also read a handout regarding labor unions and share...
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Twain: Icon and Iconoclast
Students examine work by Mark Twain in the context of pre- and post-Civil War America. In this cross curricular lesson, students gather biographical information about Twain, use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast him with Lincoln and...