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The Surreal World
Students explore the concept of Surrealism and how it can be expressed in various art forms. They next create a Surrealist collage, and engage in a Surrealist process to invent a title for their work. They critique a class exhibition of...
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Combing Through the News
Students use the Sean 'Puffy' Combs trial to compare how and why various media cover a news story differently.
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Is the Ruble Becoming Rubbish?
Students analyze the effects of economic turmoil on the Russian economy and relate them to the local economy and their own lives. They trace the ripple effect of a troubled economy from a local business to the rest of the community.
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The Price of Relief
Students calculate and graph the costs of essential items needed in Kosovar refugee camps on an individual, family, and camp basis. Additionally, students explore how relief organizations and businesses participate in relief efforts.
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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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Fear Factors
Students explore their own childhood fears. Then, by reversing the scenario and considering how the objects of their fears might in turn also be afraid of them, students confront these fears and create a student books that help younger...
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Prize Numbers
Students explore what a proof is, how and why mathematicians create them and compose essays on how reason and logic are employed in the workplace. They explore whether any three lines can make a triangle and attempt to verify Goldbach's...
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What's the Story?
Students explore how the same news story can be presented differently through various journalistic styles. They discuss the unique characteristics of each style and find articles on the same event in each of the different styles.
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Epidemic Proportions
Students research epidemics that have devastated world population at various points in history. They share and calculate statistics obtained in their research and develop graphs comparing and contrasting how different epidemics affect...
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Outreach in the Aftermath
Students investigate types of aid needed to help Turkey recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating earthquake on August 17, 1999. They create a plan for a fundraiser or project that they can do to offer assistance to victims of...
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Swinging on a Star
Students explore the issues that might arise if humans were to go on an interstellar space mission. They synthesize their understanding of interstellar travel by writing scenes from a science fiction novel that would depict such a mission.
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Armchair Travelers
Students consider how other countries and cultures influence furniture and home furnishings. They create a design plan for a particular room using the influences of a particular country.
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Saving Private Pensions
Students consider the importance of financial security after retirement, examine current problems with pension plans in the private sector, research different retirement options, and create a "How it Works" poster.
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Designing Databases
Students explore the basic concepts of a relational database by designing a questionnaire to gather information about their school's student body for use in designing more effective school programs.
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Online and Off the Record
Students evaluate how effectively teen Web sites abide by privacy protections of the studenT Online Privacy Protection Act. They write letters to the Webmasters offering recommendations for improving the privacy and appeal of the sites...
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QUALITY OR QUANTITY
Young scholars share opinions about the criteria they consider important in an online search engine. Using Google and Yahoo, they investigate various subjects and compare their search results. To synthesize their findings, students...
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Liberty, Equality, Uniformity?
Learners examine the French draft law to ban religious symbols from public schools. They research "secularist" and "pluralist" positions regarding this ban, debate the topic in class, and draft a position paper on the ban.
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In the Wake of a Storm
Students share thoughts about the effects of Hurricane Katrina on Louisiana's natural environment. They read an online article and write proposals to save Mississippi River marshlands.
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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.
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The Life of a President
Students examine the life of President Gerald R. Ford. After reading an article, they discuss his legacy. They collect articles written during his time in office and examine the key issues of his presidency. They write an article about...
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Roy G. Biv Has Feelings Too
Students test their memory recall and discuss its association to color. After reading an article, they discuss the natural and psycho-sociological significance of the color red. As a class, they participate in a mood-color association...
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Maven Makeover?
Students reflect on the role of prisons and discuss how they believe sentencing should be handed down. After reading an article, they discover the experiences Martha Stewart went through while in prison. In groups, they share their...
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Home Cooking
Students explore the link between home and food in a writing exercise. They study and discuss how some Hispanic immigrants keep in touch with their culinary origins. They develop a recipe that represents their ethnic origin. They...
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Tangled Text
Students list different forms of communication, assess importance of writing, read and discuss article "String, and Knot, Theory of Inca Writing", research system of writing, and create "How It Works" posters.