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Capitalism and Communism: What's the Difference?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students discover the differences between capitalism and communism. They participate in a simulation activity in which they examine Marx's philosphy of communism. They also examine Zapatista communities.
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Who is Fit to Enter? The Immigrant Experience at Ellis Island

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the purpose of Ellis Island. In this immigration lesson, students explore the operation of Ellis Island as they participate in a simulation that requires them to organize and handle immigrants coming into the United...
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Staged Sit-in

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students watch a PowerPoint presentation that includes pictures of a sit-in and participate in a simulated sit-in.  In this sit-in lesson, students perform a sit-in skit based on The Civil Rights Movement for Kids by Mary C....
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McCarthysim

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore and analyze the impact of the Cold War at home and how the fear of communism and nuclear war affected American life throughout the Cold War. They study what role Senator Joseph McCarthy played on American fears...
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Yours and My Trail of Tears

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate the Trail of Tears. In this United States history lesson, students identify the reason for removing the Cherokee Nation and role play a modern day situation similar to the Indian Removal Act. Students reflect their...
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President Jackson, the Cherokee and Indian Removal

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this Indian Removal Act lesson, students examine the act and discuss the implications of moving the Cherokee. Students...
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Time and Cycles - Dendrochronology

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the lives of trees by examining ring cycles.  In this plant life lesson, students identify the field of study known as dendrochronology and discover its history.  Students investigate a simulated tree ring...
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Agriculture: Oklahoma's Legacy

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students continue exploring the history of Oklahoma Agriculture in this lesson. They trace several historical migrations to the state of Oklahoma. They simulate the customs and conditions of a chosen migration. Vocabulary and resource...
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An Irresistable Offer?

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars identify inducements the emperor Constantine offered people to move to his fledgling capital city of Constantinople and compare similar situations offered by the American government in our history and by local governments...
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Symbolism in China's Material Goods

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students make a generalization about the process of 'looking' and 'grouping', hoping to show that we, as Americans, show preferences and shared choices. They study examples of American art through time and create a class chart...
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A Bill Becomes A Law

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students discover how a bill becomes a law. In this Legislative Branch lesson, students simulate a bill making its way through the House and the Senate. Students author their own bills in this simulation.
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Prohibition Then; MADD Today

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine consumer traits. In this economics instructional activity, students examine the separate histories of Prohibition and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Students participate in a classroom simulation to discover how the...
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Townsite Era

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students learn about the Townsite Era and are able to explore who they were and how they lived at that time. In this Townsite Era students create their own map of the Loma Linda are, design their own community and use a computer...
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Los Californios

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders research the culture of Los Californios through primary sources. They examine maps and draw timelines of California historical dates. They investigate deeds and s of ranches and simulate property transactions.
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Just how broken is the Senate?

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders examine the role of the Senate in the United States.  In this American Government lesson, 12th graders read various articles and answer questions to these articles.  Students write a letter to their Senator on a...
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Reading Trees: Understanding Dendrochronology

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students examine tree-ring dating and discuss the lack of water the settlers in Jamestown faced. They create paper tree rings, simulate rain patterns, and describe the history of construction paper tree sequences.
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Basic Animal Behavior in Domesticated Animals

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Pupils investigate animal behavior, examining the nervous system and the physiology of the brain and the fight or flight response. They simulate animal behaviors and discuss the difference between an instinct and a behavior.
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Global Change- Time and Cycles

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Young scholars study trees and their growth.  In this investigative instructional activity students work in groups to reconstruct a 50 year climatic history using a simulated tree ring. 
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The Information Revolution: A Hypothetical Case

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers consider the implications of the information revolution. In this information age lesson, students discuss informatics and the misuse of information. High schoolers form a fictional bureau of information control and hold a...
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Governance

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students participate in talking circles. In this self-governance lesson, students examine human rights from the perspective of Native Americans. Students must set up a self-government model for the reserve described.
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Play House

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers take a closer look at representative government. In this House of Representatives lesson, students discuss their local representative in Congress and research his or her responsibilities. Middle schoolers then...
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Post- Modernism

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students participate in a lesson that investigates post-modernism in American literature. They conduct the lesson with the help of reading "America" by Ginsberg to create context. Then students define the genre and the culture that has...
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New York City: Passionate About Shakespeare

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read passages from Shakespeare and have a Town Hall meeting in which they defend Shakespeare as part of American culture.
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Explorations of Lewis and Clark

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students research the Louisiana Purchase. Groups of students are given the choice of topic for a creative project. Pretending to be Lewis and Clark, students write a report to President Jefferson describing their expedition. Other...