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I Wonder How the Manduca Life Cycle Compares To the Human Life Cycle...
Students study life cycles including developing their understanding of the human life cycle. They decide where they are in the human life cycle and provide reasons for that placement. They compare the human life cycle to that of the...
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Half Math Quilt
Help your third graders become familiar with equivalent fractions for one-half by having them create a quilt. They will use triangles to create a quilt of equivalent fractions over a period of 6 days. As they create the quilt pieces they...
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Remembrance of Things Past
Engage critical and social thinking by exploring the value of language and word choice. The class considers the article "The Silence of the Historic Present" and analyzes several presidential speeches. They engage in class discussion,...
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Understanding and Fighting Stereotypes through Words and Images
Use some provocative modern art to get your class considering stereotypes and the impact they have on us all. Your class will discuss the print art Indian Look-Alike by Melanie Yazzie and stereotypes in general before conducting research...
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The Student Cafateria as the "Leafy Chestnut Tree"
High schoolers examine the difference between "news" of earlier periods, and "news" as we know it today. They then go out into the school common areas and analyze news from the perspective of word-of-mouth storys and discuss what they...
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"Whose (Is)land is This?": topics in Immigration and The Tempest
Class members compare the ways the subject of immigration is treated in The Tempest, Act I, scene ii, Act II, scene i and Act III, scene ii with patterns in American history. After tracing their own family’s journey, a series of...
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Topical Discussions
Engaging in topical discussions can be a great way to teach kids how to build strong arguments and support their opinions with concrete evidence. High schoolers choose a controversial topic, build an argument for or against that topic,...
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Four Corners Debate
Should the student population wear uniforms to school? Pupils express whether they strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with a controversial statement, moving to a designated corner of the room to indicate their stance....
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Bead It!
Fourth graders use colored beads in two problems and explore the use of proportional reasoning as a problem solving method. Working Students, in groups, explain their reasoning strategies orally, and through drawings.
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Multicultural Math Project
Sixth graders examine where mathematics came from. In this Math History lesson, 6th graders complete various activities to understand mathematical reasoning. Students complete critical thinking questions.
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Math: Reasoning and Problem Solving using Voyages
Learners plan a voyage as the captain of a tall ship in the early days of exploration and merchant trading. They choose 2 ships and 3 voyages for a total of 6 possibilities. They calculate the number of days and distance of their...
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Defining Division
Upper graders explore division through fair-shares. They will review fair shares and fractions as a segway into division. They start by playing "Share Fairly" game and create mathematical arguments for solving problems. Manipulatives and...
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Papier-Mache Masks
Read about, and then make culturally inspired masks. Learners watch the video, "Masks and Face Coverings," then design and make a mask with cultural significance out of papier mache. Tip: Have small groups research, write about, and make...
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Step into the Painting: Social Studies, Literature, and Art
Travel back in American history to the era of slavery and abolition. After reading about the Underground Railroad, young historians examine a painting depicting the event, and write a narrative from the point of view of a person in the...
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All About Nicknames: New Mexico quarter reverse
Most of the states in the union have a nickname. Using the New Mexico state quarter as an example, pupils try to figure out why particular states have particular nicknames. They think about all the reasons New Mexico might be called...
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Hula How?
Third graders start writing papers with much more regularity than they did in the previous grades. They are starting to differentiate between the styles of writing and know why each is important. This activity gives the them a chance to...
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Town Growth and Immigration
Fourth graders describe how Michigan has changed and stayed the same over time. They explain reasons why people settled/settle in Michigan, then explain the role of geography on the settlement of Michigan.
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Taxed Tempers Toss Tea To Tides
Engage learners in persuasive writing, research, and creative thinking. They research the series of events that led to the Boston Tea Party and create brochures that include propaganda intended to rally Patriot support or dissuade...
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Manifest Destiny
Students explore the Manifest Destiny. They interpret quotations, study point of view in writing, research English words that derived from Mexico, and analyze reasons why settlers moved west. After writing journal entries in first-person...
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Compare/Contrast San Francisco Transportation from the 1850s to Today
Students examine the evolution of transportation systems. In this San Francisco history instructional activity, students compare and contrast the transportation provided in the city in the 1850s to today. Students use their findings to...
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Performing a Play
Students discover logical deduction by participating in a play. In this reasoning instructional activity, students act as characters from a play who's words must be analyzed to see if they are true or not. Students perform parts of the...
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African Clothing
Students explore African clothing. In this African culture social studies instructional activity, students brainstorm types of clothing they wear for different occasions. Students view photographs of Africans wearing Western clothing and...
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Ad Awareness
Students review advertisements. In this advertising lesson, students define advertising and determine the main reason ads are created. Students define what it means to be a consumer and advertiser. Students are divided into groups and...
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Art to Zoo
Students learn about the process of inventing and discover that inventions are the end result of problem solving process which often stem from imagination or wishful thinking. In this lesson, students read, write and discuss inventions...