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Simply the Best
Students determine whom they consider "the best" performer in a variety of entertainment industries and discuss how to accurately measure greatness. They create bar graphs comparing statistics of the 1975 Cincinnati Reds and the 1998 New...
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From Zero to Superhero
Students discuss superheroes, focusing first on the details of creating the character of Batman. They work in small groups to develop superheroes for the 1990s, and write stories or cartoons about their superhero's adventures on their own.
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Species for Sale
Students explore wildlife conservation by investigating animal species that are near extinction due to their value as commodities. They defend the protection of an endangered species researched in class by creating an informational poster.
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It's About Time!
Students examine the potentials, both positive and negative, of adapting an international 'Internet time' system. They create and solve word problems that require them to translate between the current time system and Internet time.
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The Human Costs of War
Students explore the concept of civilian cost to armed warfare. They explore the role of the military, civilians and of press coverage during armed conflicts, creating posters illustrating their research on post-WW II military conflicts.
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Rock On
Students analyze trends in the Grammy Award winners this year and create graphs displaying their findings.
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Mission Possible
Learners create blueprints for imaginary inventions based on real-world technological principles. They write explanations of how their inventions work in the form of movie dialogues.
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Is All Well in Welfare?
Students explore current welfare reform issues and create plans of action to improve welfare reform laws in the United States. They predict what President Bush's "Working Towards Independence" welfare reform program might entail and...
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You Bet!
Learners explore the mathematical probabilities involved in gambling and how these factors affect people's behavior. They work in pairs and conduct and experiment pertaining to blackjack. The class creates a graph showing the trends found.
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Versed on the Disadvantaged
Learners reflect on what it means to help those in need, then read and analyze poetry that illustrates the struggle of poor people. They create collages connecting current issues of poverty with poets' experiences.
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Here Comes the Sun!
Students explore the damaging effects of exposure to the sun, warning signs of skin cancer, and sun damage prevention. They work in small groups, create interesting, attractive and informative documents based on their group's research
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Making Prehistory
Students create mock fossil records based on current scientific theories about prehistory. By learning about what fossil records teach us about different prehistoric time periods, students gain a greater understanding of theories of...
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This Is Your Brain on Pot
Students explore the causes and effects of marijuana addiction and research how THC affects different areas of the brain. They synthesize their knowledge by creating print advertisements that inform teenagers about the physiologic danger...
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Ice, Ice, Baby
Students explore the causes and effects of the melting ice formations in Antarctica; they then research different aspects of the topic in order to create a news special.
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How Much is That Monkey in the Window?
Students investigate exotic pets and the ecological and personal risks involved in trading and owning such animals. They synthesize their knowledge by creating advertisements that promote the sale of exotic pets and picket signs that...
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Follow the Leaders
Students research current world political leaders, as well as the opinions of their supporters and critics, in order to create a "Present Political Leaders Hall of Fame" display for the classroom.
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What a Cosmic Web We Weave
Young scholars explore, using journals and discussion in small groups, how the universe has evolved since the theoretical Big Bang and create dramatizations of various eras in cosmic evolution.
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Gazing Into the Faces of AIDS
Young scholars consider whether or not there are generalizations that can be made about people who are infected with H.I.V. or who have the AIDS virus. They create public service ad campaigns to educate the public and consider other ways...
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Can't Live With 'Em, Can't Live Without 'Em
Students compare/contrast the factors that create strong relationships between countries, researching the evolving relationship between Britain and France. They create a scrapbook that documents the major events in the history of Britain...
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Media Literacy
Students evaluate the effectiveness of Internet book clubs, present their findings to the class, and design their own on-line book club (under the umbrella of a fictional television program) to encourage non-readers to read more.
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Pet-agogy
Students explore interesting animal behaviors and adaptations. They create information sheets about an animal residing in a fictional sanctuary and assess the animal's likelihood of being a good pet.
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Working Like a Dog
Students consider ways animals help human beings with certain chores, then research more specific tasks dogs are trained to do. They create a help wanted ad enumerating the traits a dog should have before applying for a particular position.
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Community Building
Young scholars explore the issues of urban and suburban sprawl. They work in small groups to create their own planned communities.
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Reviews Revealed
Young scholars discuss the benefits or drawbacks in consulting movie reviews. They analyze movie reviews from The New York Times and create a list of features in effective movie reviews. They write their own movie reviews based on this...