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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Is That a Fact?

For Teachers 5th - 12th Standards
Investigate popular scientific claims and gather evidence to defend or argue against an author's stance. Writers synthesize information and compose their own "Really?" columns modeled after those found in the weekly "Science Times"...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Arti-Factual Evidence

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Practice responding to controversial information with the New York Times lesson provided here. Middle schoolers watch a video interview with the director of The Lost Tomb of Jesus. After reading a companion article, they identify the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Campaign Trailblazers

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Explore the backgrounds, qualifications, and platforms of the presidential candidates for the 2000 election. Though the lesson is outdated, the activities within the informational text could be good practice for your young learners as...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pay to Play?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Lead your class in a discussion about how they believe money influences politics. After reading "Go Ahead, Try to Stop K Street" from the New York Times, they evaluate the claims in the article about the current lobbyist scandal in...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Don't Believe the Hype

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Are hand sanitizers good for you? What about the environment? Research the science behind commonly used cold medicines. The class reads an article, creates a product poster, and conducts independent research on product claims made by...
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Lesson Plan
2
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Curated OER

A Way with Words

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
How do facts and opinions impact the news? After reading "How to Cover a War" from the New York Times, middle schoolers evaluate the claims in the article. They also consider the media's responsibilities in reporting during wartime....
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Lesson Plan
2
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Curated OER

Search Warranted?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Young readers work on evaluating claims in a piece of informational text with the article "In New York, It's Open Bag or Find Exits" from the New York Times. They analyze current search procedures implemented to fight terrorism and...
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Lesson Plan
National Woman's History Museum

Creating a Historical Thesis Statement

For Teachers 7th - 10th Standards
A strong thesis statement not only identifies the subject of an essay but also presents a claim that must be supported with evidence. After researching how nursing has evolved in the United States since the Colonial era, young writers...
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Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Human Impacts on Biodiversity

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Have you always wanted to take your science class on an amazing field trip they will never forget? Now you can! Observe the wildlife in an African savanna through trail cameras with a five-part data analysis activity. Learners analyze...
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Assessment
Fluence Learning

Writing Informative Text: Did Shakespeare Write Shakespeare?

For Students 7th Standards
William Shakespeare penned some of the richest and most fascinating works of literature—or did he? Middle schoolers read three brief informative passages and conduct additional research to evaluate the claim that Shakespeare did not...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Curated OER

Showdown in the New Wild West

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
What is the root of the conflict between ranchers and environmentalists? Middle schoolers write their impressions of what an environmentalist is and does. They read the New York Times article "In New Wild West, It's Cowboys vs. Radical...
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Lesson Plan
The New York Times

Evaluating Sources in a ‘Post-Truth’ World: Ideas for Teaching and Learning about Fake News

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
The framers of the United States Constitution felt a free press was so essential to a democracy that they granted the press the protection it needed to hold the powerful to account in the First Amendment. Today, digital natives need to...
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Unit Plan
Tumblehome

Resisting Scientific Misinformation

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
How do scholars determine if a scientific claim is true? Learners investigate scientific misinformation by watching video clips and reading false advertising claims. They engage in discussion in both class and small group settings to...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Grade 9 ELA Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 19

For Teachers 9th Standards
Building on the previous discussion of the supplemental reading article "Where Sweatshops Are a Dream," class members use the provided Evaluating Argument and Evidence Tool to identify the claims and evidence Nicholas Kristof uses to...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Alienstock: Analyzing Information, Media, And Validity

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
One only has to watch MSMBC and FOX News to realize that media can present the same story in very different ways. Middle schoolers have an opportunity to test their ability to determine the validity and trustworthiness of information by...
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Unit Plan
C3 Teachers

Reparations: Why Are Reparations Controversial?

For Teachers 8th
To understand why the topic of reparations is controversial, young scholars gather background information by reading articles, watching videos, and examining cases where reparations were made. Learners consider the lasting repercussions...
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Curated OER

American Dream and The Great Gatsby

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Is the American Dream alive and well or has it dried up and died? As part of a study of The Great Gatsby, class members search for articles on the state of the American Dream, analyze the arguments presented in those articles, and then...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Persuasive Elements

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Investigate letters to the editor and their persuasive qualities. Break your class into reading groups and give each one a different article. As they read, they complete a graphic organizer to record their thoughts and opinions. There is...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Claiming Land

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students examine several European maps with conflicting representations of the same geographic region. They uncover why different European nations produced different maps. In addition, they determine the role maps played in helping...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Toulmin Argument Essay

For Teachers 11th - 12th
After viewing a Prezi presentation on Toulmin’s argument, (claim, reason, warrant, backing, grounds, qualifiers, rebuttals), groups re-examine the format, and then individuals craft an argument essay in response to Lord Chesterfields...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Denial on Trial

For Teachers 6th - 12th
What is the "Faurisson Affair”? What is “Holocaust Revisionism”? What does freedom of speech entail? Do revisionists have a right to voice their ideas? Such questions are at the heart of a richly detailed, thought provoking lesson...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What a Relief!

For Teachers 6th - 12th
How are disasters addressed by the Federal Government? This New York Times lesson, based on the article "Disaster Aid: The Mix of Mercy and Politics," prompts middle schoolers to discuss the idea of using a disaster declaration as a...
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Activity
Mr. Roughton

The Maya Files

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Class members adopt the role of Law and Order history investigators and examine primary source documents to determine the legitimacy of Marco Polo's claim that he traveled to and traded in China. A cleverly crafted activity that deserves...
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Lesson Plan
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K20 LEARN

To Ban or Not to Ban? Intellectual Rights and Responsibilities: Banned Books, Censorship Part 2

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
After examining different perspectives on book banning, scholars select a book from a list of frequently banned books and research the controversies surrounding it. They then craft an argument about their chosen book, including arguments...

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