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It's All Part of the Story

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students explore storytelling through pantomime, improvisation, and dramatization. They watch an online video, discuss Native American earth stories, role-play various situations, explore websites, and present an oral story to the class.
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"ART ZOO 'Blacks in the Westward Movement', 'What Can You Do with a Portrait', and 'Of Beetles, Worms, and Leaves of Grass'"

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students study black history, examine portraits and portrait making and create their own portraits, and  investigate their natural environment. This humanities lesson provides a text that can be used to teach lessons in black...
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Getting Thirsty?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners explore the concept of drought and its significance as a natural hazard. In this drought lesson plan, students complete 13 questions on an "Introduction to Drought as an Ecosystem Stressor" worksheet and discuss the responses as...
Lesson Plan
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Sculpting a Message: From the Counter-Reformation to the Present Day

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students discuss persuasive messages in art. In this art history lesson, students research 17th- century European sculptures to find the messages given. They create their own sculptures and write press releases to explain their art. 
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Images of Children in Dorthea Lange's Photographs

For Teachers K - 5th
Young scholars research the photographs of Dorthea Lange. In this visual art lesson, students look at photographs of children taken by Lange and answer several questions. They write or tell stories to explain what they think is occurring...
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One Story, Many Tales

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers compare and contrast Cinderella stories. In this folktale activity, students discuss the attributes of the genre and then read and research different cultural versions of the tale. High schoolers present their findings to...
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Twain: Steamboat's a-Comin'

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students discover how rivers inspire creative expression.  In this Mark Twain instructional activity, students list songs about rivers and discuss common characteristics. They locate the Mississippi River on a map and write a script...
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Freedom of the Press Around the World

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students research press freedoms in various countries such as Iran and North Korea. They create a freedom of the press report card for the countries examined.
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Investigate The Role of Women in China

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners study the changing role of women in Communist China. They view a slideshow to interpret the images and watch a video that shows the changing roles. They write a prediction of how women's roles change in the next 10 years.
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Examine Economic Factors That Influence Human Migration Along the U.S/Mexican Border

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students bring in their own article about immigration and how it is affecting their community. They summarize their article and brainstorm reasons why someone would immigrate to another country. They discuss push and pull factors.
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Protecting the Environment Through Civic Activism

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students discuss how to protect the environment through civic activism. They watch a video about someone who stood up to the government to protect the environment. They also identify something in their community that could be improved.
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Peking Opera Mask

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students design and create their own masks using the symbolism evident in Peking opera masks.
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The Gray Whale Obstacle Course Viewing Guide

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students complete a worksheet while watching a film about whales. They examine the human impact on whale migration and identify adaptations the whale has acquired in able to survive. They discover how global warming has effected the...
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Oedipus The King: An Introduction To Greek Drama

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students gain insight into Greek tragedy and such concepts such as fate, hubris, and (dramatic) irony. They recognize the Greeks concern with fate, self-determination and the role of gods and oracles in everyday life and compare and...
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Brief Encounters (Building Bridges)

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students experience what it is like to confront and deal with a culture highly different from their own. They gain skills in observing and describing behaviors and develop an understanding of how our cultural values influence the way we...
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Examining What Sharing Really Means

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine the remarkable degree of sharing that the author encounters upon arrival in Africa. They reflect on the enduring understanding, "Attitudes toward sharing differ among different cultures." The respond in their journals...
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Ilunga's Harvest Lesson

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine the culturally based impulse to share with others versus the impulse to watch out for oneself or one's immediate family. They probe the deeper meanings of "Ilunga's Harvest" and examine the impact of the events in...
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Messages in Art Work

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Observe images and discuss what messages they convey. In this critical thinking lesson plan, learners determine whether works of art are trying to persuade their audience. They also consider the media and how they communicate messages to...
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Transforming Negatives to Positives

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students write diamonte poems that correspond to the double-exposed photograph they created.  In this poetry and multimedia artwork lesson, students use the photographic process to create a double-exposed photo then create...
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Track the Path of Coffee From Farm to Store Shelf

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students investigate the cultivation and marketing of coffee. In this global studies instructional activity, students consider the connections of the 21st century world as they explore how coffee makes it from farms to their homes....
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Analyzing Photographs: From Theory to Practice

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze photographic images and use cameras to document their own life.  In this analyzing photography lesson, students apply formal analysis techniques to images, then create a documentary of photographic images with...
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Negotiate Peace for India and Pakistan

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students prepare for a fake peace talk between India and Pakistan.
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Explore the Motivations of Kurdish Nationalists

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students watch a video showing the viewpoint of Kurdish Nationalists. They take notes during the video on why the Kurds want their own country. They role play a meeting between the Kurds and Iraq's National Assembly.
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Build a U.S. Strategy for Responding to the Crisis in Sudan

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students work together in groups to discover the situation in Sudan. They discuss what problems arise from helping a foreign country. They answer questions and watch a video as well.