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Concealed Weapons Law Editorials: A Study of Persuasive Writing
Students research Ohio's concealed gun legislation using provided resource links, read editorials and commentaries from Ohio's daily and weekly newspapers, and analyze these opinion pieces.
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Issue 1 - Designed to Add Technology Jobs
Students research the statewide initiative on the Ohio ballot of 2003. They form teams to debate the issue of using bond proceeds to encourage technology research. The class votes on which individual/team presented the best argument, and...
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Commemorating a Tragedy
Students read newspaper articles and watch segments on the anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. In groups, they discuss how each media outlet presented the material and decide which one was more productive. As a class, they discuss...
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Telemarketers Rights and Yours
Students research the controversy of whether or not the National Do Not Call Registry is constitutional, and then hold a class debate. Students research the National Do Not Call Registry, the FTC, the FCC, and the most current status of...
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Cell Phones with Cameras Banned in Locker Rooms
Young scholars research the way phones work and what places - both locally and nationally - have already faced the problem of in appropriate use. Students also interview gym owners or managers in their community and those who use they...
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Schools Closings: What Are the Guidelines?
Pupils gather and read articles about school closures in Ohio or other nearby town or city, make list of criteria to use when deciding which schools should close, develop list into essay that argues for these criteria to apply in school...
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Picture America's Sweetheart
High schoolers examine Seventeen Magazine's America's Sweetheart contest and one of their finalists by reading about Sunia Arif and what made Seventeen choose her. Students then write a 300-word essay about what would make them or...
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Voter Fraud: Are Ghosts Going To The Polls
Learners research background material about voting in their community. They interview local/county election officials to see what is going on in the community. They also interview teachers, and students to determine if they are newly...
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School discipline includes paddling
High schoolers analyze corporal punishment, debating the pros and cons. Students investigate, collecting background information and interviewing school community members. If high schoolers disagree with the district's policy, students...
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Police patrol the city's garbage
Students debate the pros and cons of police searching the trash of suspected drug dealers. Students collect background information, and students interview city officials and garbage collectors. Students develop a strategic plan for...
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Right to vote...in the wrong place
Students create a presentation for other class members or for a local citizens' group explaining how they can guard ensure voter rights. Students research the Ohio Secretary of State's stand on provisional voting rules.
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The death penalty; What is your view?
Students write a persuasive essay about the death penalty. Students respond to students at St. Ignatius Catholic High School in Cleveland protesting the death of Adremy Dennis. Students research both sides of the debate, before writing...
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Finding the dress code balance
Students write a persuasive essay, expressing their opinions of how the school dress code should be changed. Students investigate their own school's dress code, developing their own opinions of whether the dress code should be more or...
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Rosa Parks: Mother of Civil Rights Movement
Students read an article from Time and react to the article based upon what they have studied about Rosa Parks. They find that even though Rosa is no longer alive, she still has an impact today. They focus on that impact she has and...
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Beauty Queen Heads to Iraq
Learners study about Jessica Gaulke, a beauty queen from Minnesota. She is then deployed to Iraq with the National Guard unit she is in. They have to role play her and react to what they think they would feel if they were in her shoes.
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Safe In the City
Students read a report about the most dangerous cities in America. Using the internet, they research their own community in regards to how safe it is. They interview local law enforcement and determine the degree of local danger. They...
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Same-Sex Schools Gain Ground
Students examine the issue of having same-sex classes. Using the internet, they research how this program is working around the country. They interview local education experts and determine how they view the issue. They include an...
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Outsourcing City Hall
Learners examine how some city halls around the country are using private companies to run them. After watching a video, they write a reaction paper to some part of it. They write an article for their school newspaper discussing whether...
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Political statements and protected speech
Learners research and investigate what laws exist about freedom of speech. They write an article about this topic. Students interview the learners at their school on this topic. They take a stand and support their stand with facts.
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A look at our larger population
Student team together to tell the story of the U.S.'s rapid population growth. Young scholars research census changes, focusing on changes in the size of the community and the school. Students tell the story by writing articles and...
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Technology And Our Quality of Life
Eighth graders design a product or machine and determine the impact their invention has on a person's quality of life. They present their design and machine with a description of its possible impacts to an audience of peers and adults.
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Using Aphorisms to Help Dealing with People
Here's a formal plan for what many effective teachers already do: Provide a week's worth of aphorisms and have learners choose one to write about in their journals each day. They reflect on the meaning of each aphorism and project how it...
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Comparing Michigan to Other States
Fourth graders work in groups of 2 or 3 and choose a state to compare with Michigan. They use the Internet to locate information on other states allowing students time to research how Michigan compare to their state and incorporate their...
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Skin: The Behavior and Health Connection
Students explore how personal behavior can affect health, especially the health of your skin. They become better aware of how their personal behavior and the environment can have a considerable impact on their health in general. Students...