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Dream Big
Students discuss the success of privately built and flown space crafts by reading and discussing a news article. They develop adventure trip proposals to present to Sir Richard Branson. Students write essays reflecting on the importance...
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Mining For Descriptive Gold
Students describe places using language that is as vivid as possible. They will examine the writer's craft in describing a place by reading and discussing "Resurrecting the Miner's World." They will then revise their descriptive pieces...
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Check Mate
Students share opinions about the goals and strategies of the games they play. They investigate the World Chess Championship by reading and discussion the article "In Major League of Chess, Next Year Comes So Soon." Students study the...
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When Students Don't Clique
Students explore the roles of cliques in schools and ways in which schools can foster tolerance among diverse groups by reading and discussing "Alma Maters: Two Words Behind the Massacre."
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A Sense of Emptiness in the House That Michael Built
Students investigate different journalistic techniques used to add color and new dimension to fact-based news stories. They write a journal discussing techniques that journalists could use to make Michael Jordan's retirement from the NBA...
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Tending To The Greenhouse
Learners investigate global warming through initial discussion of recent findings of an 11-day lengthening of the growing season caused by warmer temperatures. They research and propose solutions for restricting greenhouse gases.
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Freedom of Hate Speech?
Students, using a New York Times article as a springboard for discussion, investigate and debate the complex issues of First Amendments Rights and censorship for Hate Groups using Websites for propaganda.
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Altered Genes
Learners describe the economic relationship between farmers, consumers, and food companies. They examine the issues regarding the reactions of consumers in this country and other countries to the use of gene-altered crops in food...
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Laws and Force in Law Enforcement
Students investigate the issues of police brutality, use of excessive force, and the underlying issues by participating in a round-table discussion. They compare how these issues are explored differently in different types of...
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Bootleg Bytes
Students conduct background research to explore the positions of different groups involved in the digital piracy debate, then participate in a fishbowl discussion that seeks to find a consensus on the issue.
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You Light Up My Life
Students examine the relationship between solar activity and the Earth's geomagnetic field in producing the phenomena known as aurora borealis (Northern Lights) by reading and discussing "Earth, Wind and Fireworks." students graph data...
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One Stage at a Time
Students explore the psychological coping mechanisms of cancer patients and relate individual cancer survivors' stories to Dr. Kubler-Ross' stages of grief. They use first-person accounts, discussion and journals to explore these concepts.
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What a Cosmic Web We Weave
Students 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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Defense Mechanisms
Students examine the Cold War roots of the recent debate over the construction of United States and Russian missile defense shields. They begin by reading and discussing the article, Putin Says Russia Would Counter U.S. Shield.
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For Better Or For Worse
Students explore personal and public responsibility in dealing with social inequality. They conduct research and participate in a discussion about the effect of Hurricane Katrina in regard to racial and economic equality in the United...
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Prehistoric Indians
Fourth graders identify the four Native American groups of Wisconsin. They compare the four groups through discussion and list the four groups with their tools, food, shelter, and time period.
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Heightening Awareness
Students review their prior knowledge about Haiti. They examine violence in Haiti by reading and discussing "HAITIAN FORCES BATTLING UPRISING REPORT RETAKING 3 TOWNS." In groups, students research specific time periods of Haitian history...
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Soul Food
Students identify foods that they associate with different cultural groups in which they are members and speculate possible connections between specific foods and the cultures in which they are popular. They also explore the importance...
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Gotta Dance
Students share dance moves that reflect their personalities or depict how they are feeling, explore popularity of recreational and competitive social dancing by reading and discussing the article "Follow the Flying Feet,"
present...
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Reaching for the Sky
Students consider features of skyscraper using descriptive words, reflect on notion of skyscraper as orientation point in a city, and explore New York Times Building in Manhattan by reading and discussing article, "Pride and Nostalgia...
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Fiddling Around
Students look at a piece of art to make connections between early Baroque art and Baroque music. In this art and music lesson, students focus on the painting The Boy Violinist, by Hendrick Terbrugghen. They listen to the music to...
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"Separate But Equal" Revisited
Students examine the struggle for desegregation during the Civil Rights Movement. They assess ways in which race relations have and have not changed since the Brown v. Board of Education decision.
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Chasing Your Dreams
Students define success. They analyze what makes people successful and develop their own plans to become successful people. After a class discussion about success, students analyze the story of a young adult who is working in the real...
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Introduction to the Globe
Students investigate how to use a globe. In this map skills lesson, students define what a globe is and locate the various continents on the globe. Students are also asked to locate the four oceans on the globe.