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William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar: Fate Versus Free Will
Pupils relate legends of lucky objects such as a rabbit's foot and principles of Feng Shui to fate and free will concepts that are expressed in Shakespeare's play, "Julius Casear". In small groups, they redesign the palace of Casear to...
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Library Curriculum: What Would a Wonderful Library Be Like?
Second graders complete a KWL chart about libraries. They create a book using writing patterns of a particular author. Students decide criteria for awarding the Second Grade Librarian Award to books in the classroom library, and use a...
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Classroom Constitutional Convention
Students investigate the eight phrases that comprise the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution to determine its principles and purpose. Their own Constitutional Convention is convened to craft a preamble for their school's governance.
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Many Uses of Plants
Students research and discuss non-food plant products that are in common use, and mark on a world map the name of the country where the plant is grown.
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Language Arts: Plotting Stories
Second graders read the story, "The Foolish, Timid Rabbit," as part of a unit on appearances. After reading with partners, they write their own stories that include elements about some forms of matter from their science studies. Students...
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All Fired Up
Students brainstorm images and themes associated with the American Fourth of July holiday. They create illustrated posters to explain the processes or history behind these themes.
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Remembering to Never Forget
Students discover how the history of a place or event affects one's present perceptions of that place or event. They examine the current tensions caused by the decision to make Weimar, Germany Europe's cultural capital.
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A Whale of a Difference
Students research various perspectives on Japan's commercial whaling industry and formulate position papers representing these views. They read the Times article, Yuk! No More Stomach for Whales. Groups present their perspectives on...
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A Different World?
Students share their opinions in a brainstorming session on the factors that contribute to their quality of life. They read the article "Life Is Better; It Isn't Better. Which Is It?," from the NY Times and discuss the article as a...
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Playing With Your Food
Students discover about the form and function of traditional musical instruments, then use this knowledge to create non-traditional instruments that replicate the sounds of traditional instruments. They use vegetables to create their...
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Faces Behind the Guns
Students use the New York Times article profiling ordinary citizens who legally own guns as the basis of a role-playing exercise in which they explore the types of people who own firearms and their personal reasons for doing so.
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Follow the Marx
Students explore communism from historical and theoretical perspectives to present to fellow classmates at a teach-in. Each team of students be responsible for researching and presenting on one of the suggested topics in the lesson.
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The Life You Save...
Students 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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Is There a Doctor in the House?
Students research the answers to their own health-related questions, and evaluate the various sources from which this information comes after read "Teenagers Find Health Answers With a Click."
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Talking 'Bout Regeneration
Students research the regenerative capabilities of certain organisms. They present their findings at a student regeneration symposium aimed at exploring the possibilities of human regeneration.
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Masters of War
Students explore how artists depict wartime historical events. Then students create their own works of art depicting a historical event that has taken place during their own lives. They create a classroom gallery.
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Ice, Ice, Baby
Students explore the causes and effects of the melting ice formations in Antarctica; they then research different aspects of the topic in order to create a news special.
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A World in Transition
Students explore the passing of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1397, which backs plans for the creation of a Palestinian state, as a springboard to investigating the history different countries that have been redefined in the...
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Kabul's Troubles
Learners investigate the many political changes that Afghanistan has endured over the past century in order to better assess the impact of the recent fleeing of the Taliban from the capital of Kabul.
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Gazing Into the Faces of AIDS
Students consider whether or not there are generalizations that can be made about people who are infected with H.I.V. or who have the AIDS virus. They create public service ad campaigns to educate the public and consider other ways to...
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Mad About Madagascar
Students read/discuss "On Madagascar, A Treasury of Fauna and Flora," examining the issues affecting the biodiversity of Madagascar. They present information on issues affecting Madagascar's ecology, and write policy statements on...
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The Sporting Life
Students read and discuss "When the Games Began: Olympic Archaeology," examining the significance of the first Olympic Games in Greece. They research and reenact scenes from these Games and reflect on the Games' original importance.
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My Home is Not Your Home
Students examine tension in Slovakia over issue of the rights of Romas (Gypsies). They compare and contrast situation in Slovakia to other historical examples researched in class.
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Allow Me to Demonstrate…
Students examine the causes, actions and results of different demonstrations from around the world in modern history.