Curated OER
Closing the Gaps
Young scholars examine the defining characteristics of their own generation. They apply their analysis to learning about previous generations, and synthesize their learning by creating improvisational skits and writing creative essays.
Curated OER
Where the Spirit Moves You
Students explore the spiritual significance of locations throughout the world. After studying the historical and mystical importance of these places, students write about a spiritual place that is special to them.
Curated OER
A (Class)Room of One's Own
Students assess the educational and social issues of boys and girls in school as a springboard to interviewing women in the fields of science, in order to study of their early interests and experiences in these typically male-dominated...
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The Dawn of Humanity
Students investigate recent archaeological challenges to theories of human origins. They research the history and geography of various African regions to create proposals for future excavations.
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Defining Issues
Students work on a 'campaign committee' to define civic issues that are important to them and their community. They write letters to city officials with proposals for how to address these issues.
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For Better Or For Worse
Students explore personal and public responsibility in dealing with social inequality. They conduct research and participate in a discussion about the effect of Hurricane Katrina in regard to racial and economic equality in the United...
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Dissidents Delicately Democratize
Students read and discuss the article, 'Chinese Dissidents Issue a Sharp Challenge to the Government' on pro-democratic manifestos that were recently written in China, write a journal entry on what human rights means to them.
Curated OER
Papa's Got A Brand New Bag
Students design and promote technological devices for Father's Day gifts that reflect evolving social trends. They consider the new image of dads cast by today's media and advertisements and its influence.
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Candid Cameras
Students read a New York Times article associated with the use of photography as a tool to depict social issues in order to provoke action. They create a Social Issues display.
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Treasure Hunt - Geography and Cultural Diversity along the Journey to the West
Students work in groups and use treasure cards and maps to go on a treasure hunt to several regions in China. They prepare a presentation on the geography and culture of the area that they are assigned to.
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Kids These Days!
Students create a scrapbook of college student life during the 1960's using digital archives and Internet research. They read and discuss the article "What's the Matter With College?" and then compare college experience of today with...
American Documentary
The Benefits and Drawbacks of Plea Bargains
The outcome of 90 percent of criminal cases in the US is determined by plea bargains. Clips from the documentary Better This World create the backdrop for an investigation of the benefits and drawbacks of the plea bargaining process....
Curated OER
That's the Spirit
Is, as Walt Whitman contends, America’s “almost maniacal appetite for wealth,” the heart of the American dream? Class members grapple with this question as they read David Brooks’ article “The Commercial Republic,” and quotes that...
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The Nesting Habits of Folders
Students create an organized web of nested grade level folers. Within each grade level folder, they create a Language Arts/Social Studies folder and a Math/Science folder. All folders be color coded.
Curated OER
Police Arrest MySpace Users
Young scholars research the background of websites, MySpace and FaceBook. In groups, they interview local experts about Internet crimes. They investigate what their school's policy is and write a news feature how local schools are...
Curated OER
What's the Hold-Up?
Learners explore the current plan by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to retain underperforming third graders in public schools. They research and debate social promotion versus retention.
Curated OER
Progressive Story Using the Internet for Research
Students explore Internet sites about Egypt and use them as background for a progressive story using Kid Pix, import grafics from the Internet to include in their story, and collect sites visited into group of "Hot Links" using...
Curated OER
The Great American Melting Pot
Students scan a family photo into a computer and write a narrative about their family's immigration to to the United States. They parrticipate in one-to-one conferences with a teacher regarding drafts of their writing. They analyze and...
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What Makes the Writer Write?
Students study Charles Dickens's Great Expectations to gain insight into a classical piece of fiction and to explain how writers respond to social conditions. They also consider how that response is important today.
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Bang for Your Buck
Students explore reasons for making a particular purchase and examine one strategy Wal-Mart stores used to keep prices low. They research and compare two companies that make similar products using different business philosophies.
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Jingles Sell
Students explore the different persuasive techniques used in commercial and print advertisements. Students then analyze a variety of print ads and discuss the effects of a country's political, economic, and social climates on its...
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Tolerating Diversity
Students examine the meanings of tolerance and intolerance and participate in a "town hall meeting". They analyze quotations about tolerance and connect them to their personal experiences.
Curated OER
Using Southeast Asian Folktales to Teach Reading and Writing
Students use maps to locate the countries of Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. In groups, they compare and contrast the three countries in regard to their culture, morals and values. They read various examples of folktales and write their...
Curated OER
The Keys To Higher Learning
Students discuss the validity of using the internet for learning. They compare and contrast the various strategies for learning when done online and in class. Students prepare a lesson plan for an online class and write a paper...