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All the News That's Fit to Blog
Students critique three Web logs, each of which offers first-hand accounts, but reflect different points-of-view, on the war in Iraq; students write a response to one of the entries and analyze what they learned about the war from the...
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Fish Stories
Students conduct background research about a Pacific Rim country to develop a premise for a documentary film about the fate of traditional fishing industries in the area.
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This Just In…
Students consider the impact a reporter has on broadcast journalism. They research a famous broadcast journalist to prepare a mock news report.
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The Science of Aging
Young scholars reflect on the lives of older people they know, then research and debate the key issues surrounding scientific experimentation in anti-aging. They write a short story that reflects their own philosophical beliefs on aging...
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Prescriptions for Disaster?
Young scholars share opinions about prescription drugs and prepare public service campaigns to inform peers and adults about the dangers of prescription drug abuse. Their ads also offer prevention techniques and possible methods of...
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Going For The Gold
Students share opinions about athlete endorsements. They write articles that provide an economic profile of an athlete for submission to their school newspaper.
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Who Knows?
Students come up with questions that they may ask an expert in a particular field. They contact those experts and ask their questions.
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Challenges and Rewards
Students are to research a specific disaster after seeing the Challenger explosion. They are to create a collage for the disaster they are choosing to show.
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Taking From the Giving Tree
Students explore the ways in which various American cities negotiate the protection of their "green infrastructure," gaining a broader understanding of proposed and enacted legislation as it relates to preserving and planting trees in...
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Not Just a Corny Idea
Young scholars explore ways in which ethanol can be created using alternate energy sources.
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A Picture Speaks A Thousand Words
Students explore the power of images through political cartoons, particularly in light of the Danish caricatures of Muhammad that have incited violence around the world. They create their own original artwork to submit to an appropriate...
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Crime Watch
Students analyze the recent rise of homicides in some American cities, create and share posters, and write reflective essays in the form of letters to community leaders.
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For Your Dining Pleasure
Students share opinions about their favorite ethnic dishes. They research the cuisine of another culture and write a review of a local restaurant that features that cuisine.
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Too Hot to Handle
Students read an online article and research the ten most active volcanoes in the world. They devise an independent public service announcement for evacuating people living near a volcano.
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Right About Now… and Then
Students discuss significant figures in music history and read an article about the Smithsonian's Hip-Hop exhibit. In groups, they develop and curate an exhibition of hip-hop music and history using artifacts that represent relevant...
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Grading on a Curve?
Learners create a report card for George Bush based on research of key issues. They review political symbols and send a letter to the President explaining why they have given him the grades.
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Law School vs. School Laws
Students discuss the military's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding sexual orientation and restage the debate leading up to the recent decision in Rumsfeld v. FAIR. They write essays evaluating the merits of the decision.
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Tour du Jour?
Students read an article about tourism in Hokkaido, Japan and address the impact of global warming on world wide tourist destinations. They make posters predicting the impact of warmer temperatures on various tourist attractions
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Word Perfect
Students explore the value of personal written communication as compared to the use of e-mail or text messaging.
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For the Birds
Young scholars examine the different types of pandemic flu viruses and virus "scares" that have occurred over the past hundred years by creating a master chart that displays the origins, transmission, symptoms, and socio-historical...
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Tee-Hee T.V.
Students examine the concept of satire by reading lyrics to a song and reading "Soap and the Campus: A Web-Site Spoof Succeeds." They create treatments for parodies based on current television shows.
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Calling Names
Students explore how language shapes debate by researching the names and tags both advocates and opponents use when discussing a topical issue. For homework, they create name collages and write prose poems.