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Will the Supreme Court Vouch for Vouchers?
Students investigate past Supreme Court decisions that have centered on education issues and assess the ways in which those decisions have impacted American education. They consider the controversies surrounding the issue of school...
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Branching Out
Students investigate the causes and effects of the spread of tree diseases in the U.S., and research certain American species of trees and the diseases that commonly threaten them. They create pamphlets to help identify healthy and...
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Keeping A Watchful Eye
Students explore the use of satellite surveillance systems to track criminals. They consider how the use of this technology in law enforcement might affect them and write opinions on whether or not such a system should be adopted by...
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A Shuttle's Eye View
Students explore the goals of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission as a springboard to exploring the topographical features of their own state or region. They synthesize their understanding of landforms and topography by mapping their...
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Life, Camera, Action
Students investigate the history, politics and culture of Somalia. They analyze media coverage and portrayal of the country. They focus on the role of media in reporting on Somalia and the current debate over the film Black Hawk Down.
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Fire Escape
Students explore the effects of the volcanic eruption of Nyiragongo in Congo as a springboard to exploring past examples of volcanic eruptions and their respective relief efforts.
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Gorillas In The Midst
Learners consider the idea of the eco-tour, and examine different aspects of the Mountain Gorilla Project eco-tour in Rwanda. They synthesize their understanding by acting as expert panelists on a morning news show that focuses on the...
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Remains of the Day
Students consider how archaeologists discovered and pieced together artifacts that indicate a Celtic presence in ancient Turkey. They research ancient civilizations and create archaeological digs containing items representative of these...
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Making The Holidays Special
Students examine ways in which holiday television specials reflect some of the religious, historic and cultural themes of the holidays on which they focus. They create their own holiday television specials in groups, each focusing on a...
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Measured Opinions
Young scholars read "Public Is Wary but Supportive on Rights Curbs," at the New York Times online. They explore how opinion polls are created and conducted, focusing on the wording of questions and the methods of sampling a population.
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Hearing The Warning Bells
Explore hearing loss and ways in which technology can help the hearing impaired by experiencing a simulation of hearing impairment and by researching in order to present related topics. Learners will also investigate and evaluate dangers...
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And Justice For All
Students compare three justice systems currently in place in the United States: the civilian criminal justice system, the military criminal justice system (courts-martial) and the secret wartime tribunals that President Bush has proposed...
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Surrounded by Radiation
Students explore ways in which people are constantly exposed to naturally occurring and man-made sources of radiation. They create and play a board game featuring different hypothetical scenarios of radiation exposure.
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Weathering the Odds
Young scholars explore the limitations of weather forecasting and how consumer-driven weather forecasting companies attempt to meet the demand for accurate, long-term weather forecasting. They act as meteorologists, researching the weather.
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Long-Lasting Impressions
Students evaluate how their reactions to certain images have been altered by the events of September 11, 2001 and the subsequent world events that followed. They share their personal memories associated with that day.
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There's No Place Like Home
Students explore how the tourism industry was affected by the events of September 11, 2001, examine the impact that tourism has on their state's economy and design aggressive promotional campaigns for local tourism to be presented to the...
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Mummies Unwrapped
Students investigate various methods of mummification practiced in cultures around the world and present their findings in 'televised' news reports.
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Spacing Out
Students explore environmental and geological conditions on other planets in our solar system, comparing their findings to information about Earth. They propose technologies that might assist in supporting human life on those planets.
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Stories That Really Add Up
Students, in groups, develop math lessons for younger students that each stems from a popular student story. Group members individually develop lessons for other subject areas based on their group's story, creating interdisciplinary units.
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The Object Is Objectivity
Students search for and read articles about the initial United States strike on Afghanistan from non-U.S. news sources, then describe the journalists' perspectives and reflect on how difficult it might be to maintain an objective wartime...
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Public I or Private I
Students explore the topic of national identity cards in the United States as a starting point in determining what types of information should be publicly accessible to the government and private industry about specific individuals.
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Undercurrents Of Currency
Students investigate the currencies used by different countries, and explore the principles of currency trading by exchanging currencies at current market rates. They, in groups, access websites which give them current rates.
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Drawing on Terror
Students assess the ways in which editorial cartoons offer insight into events that shape our world, specifically focusing on the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.
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Magazine Dollars and Sense
Students analyze magazine advertisements that appeal to them. They explore how tobacco companies continue to target teens in magazine advertisements. They explore how advertisers select magazine ad space.