Harry S. Truman Library & Museum
Marshall Plan: Convince the American People
This is an excellent resource for US history classes, especially AP history. After learning some background on the Marshall Plan, the class, divided into two groups, researches opposing positions on this aid program. Groups read and...
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Recurring Nightmares
Does history really repeat itself? Encourage your middle and high schoolers to answer this age-old question by reading the attached articles on the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 and the Iraq Crisis of 2002. How similar or different are...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Rachel Carson and the Modern Environmental Movement
Scholars analyze the environmental movement started in the 1960s. Through excerpts from Rachel Carson's books as well as diary entries, they take a look at the reason for the modern movement to save the planet and then create final...
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Immigration in Spain
How many people immigrate to Spain illegally each year? Both the United States and Spain see a lot of illegal immigration. Advanced learners will read various articles, compare and contrast the situation in both countries, and discuss...
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The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln
"The Gettysburg Address" is the basis of a series of activities that not only model for learners how to conduct a close reading of a text, but also how a close reading can help them comprehend a difficult text. The detailed, step-by-step...
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Parallelism Worksheet #2
Parallel structure is tricky, even for many adults! Give your class extra practice with this two-page resource. For each of 16 sentences, they rewrite it using parallel structure. Do an example or two with them to give them confidence...
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Integrating Quotations, Paraphrases, and Summaries Effectively
Integrating quotations, paraphrases, and summaries into a paper can be a challenge. After the terms are defined and the difference among them illustrated, viewers are shown correct and incorrect inclusions of quotations. Preview the...
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Who Will Get the Job?
Seventh graders demonstrate their ability to identify interview skills that lead to success in the job-seeking process by participating in and observing an interview with an employer. Students also use a checklist to validate their...
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Masking the Truth
Students explore the artistic and social significance of African masks. They create their own masks that reflect an important aspect of moving in their lives.
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2003: A Space Tragedy
Students examine the facts and logistics connected to the space shuttle Columbia tragedy and present at a teach-in on the incident. February 3, 2003)
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Marching On
Students explore the increasingly diverse civil rights movement by researching and profiling its key issues, main organizations, and top leaders.(August 25, 2003)
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Living Legacies
Students explore the contemporary commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., research the positive impact another famous person has had on society and the images that best represent the actions and beliefs of that person.
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Political Puzzles
Students investigate how different liberal democracies around the world organize their governments and decide major policies. They compare their findings to the American political system, using examples of current political issues.
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It's Just a Game?
Learners consider their attitudes toward concrete and abstract violence in the media before developing hypotheses that assess the effect of gender and age on people's attitudes toward such violence and designing a survey to test those...
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Security and Savings for All?
Students act as either Democrats or Republicans to debate plans to alter Social Security. For homework, they consider whether Social Security has become too politicized and propose their own solutions.
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Losing Face or Saving Face?
Students examine the recent partial face transplant in Ameiens, France and the ensuing public debate on extreme plastic surgery. They participate in a fishbowl discussion on the ethics and implications of future face transplants.
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Homeschooling Chronicles - Middle School Years
Teaching middle school for the first time was a rude awakening and a pleasant surprise.
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Burning Hatred
Students examine the constitutionality of various forms of expression; they then take part in a mock trial on the issue of cross burning. Divide the class into three groups; Supreme Court Justices, and two groups that don't agree on this...
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Whitewashing History
Students revisit issues of civil rights in the U.S. They use the recent national discussion of retiring Senator Strom Thurmond's 1948 Dixiecrat Presidential campaign as a starting point.
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Cultural Capital
Students research the adaptation and acculturation of immigrant groups in the United States. They create culture capsules aimed at preserving the cultural heritage of new peoples in American society.
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Do You Dread the Spread?
Students explore the increased reports of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in China. They hold a mock emergency health summit to address concerns and possible solutions on behalf of the affected countries and international health...
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Banking on a Good Turn
Students research the economies of countries in the Group of 8 and present how their economies have changed over the past five years and how the relationships among these countries affect each other in light of world events.
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Reign of Terror?
Students research acts of terrorism around the world over the past thirty years to create a visual timeline of these events for the classroom.
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Consuming History
Students research various foods as well as indigenous plants and animals from different historical eras around the world. They use their research to create a design for theme restaurants.