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Life, Camera, Action
Students investigate the history, politics and culture of Somalia. They analyze media coverage and portrayal of the country. They focus on the role of media in reporting on Somalia and the current debate over the film Black Hawk Down.
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2003: A Space Tragedy
Students examine the facts and logistics connected to the space shuttle Columbia tragedy and present at a teach-in on the incident. February 3, 2003)
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Too Much of a Sweet Thing
Students examine the growing prevalence of processed sugar in the American diet, first through a demonstration that makes graphically clear the amount of sugar an average boy and girl consumes on a daily basis.
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Whose "Truth" Is Out There?
Students read article It's a Fact: Faith and Theory Collide Over Evolution, and examine different ways people arrive at what 'the truth' is, focusing on the evolution vs creationism debate that has been a hot topic throughout the 20th...
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All Fired Up
Students brainstorm images and themes associated with the American Fourth of July holiday. They create illustrated posters to explain the processes or history behind these themes.
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Drums of War
Students research the political climate prior to major American wars of the past, then reflect on the current call for power to confront Iraq. They create posters using newspaper articles and headlines to highlight the major opinions of...
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Love It or Leave It?
Students identify flags by country, then research the symbolism and history of those flags in preparation for writing and delivering oral presentations. For homework, they write essays reflecting on the relationship between flags,...
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Class Actions
Learners examine the many facets of the term "class," defining the term and exploring some of the ways that class plays into life in American society. They participate in a poll about class-related issues.
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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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Comparing Colleges
Students begin process of selecting suitable colleges by exploring colleges in foreign countries and reflecting on a possible future life far from their native countries. They rank various criteria for selecting colleges, discuss...
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Plagued by Warfare
Students define "biological weapon" and explore why these types of weapons are so dangerous. They also explore the covert shift of American grant research money to an organization that once directed the Soviet Union's germ warfare...
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A Place for the Birds
Students reflect on bird migrations and develop a project to collect data on bird species from across North America to further investigate the ranges and migrations of common birds. They create a field guide of North American birds.
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The Cuban Missile Crisis
Students reflect on the events that lead up to the Cuban Missile Crisis in the early 1960s. In this history lesson plan, students explore the conflicts between the United States and the Soviet Union revolving around missiles in...
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Feature Column: Virtual Field Trips
Young scholars discover ways to stay healthy by utilizing Internet education software. In this computer technology lesson, students investigate Internet programs that simulate a field trip by showing images and video. Young...
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Back to the Past
What was the Untied States like in 1938? What were the concerns of Americans in the post World War I era? What were their fears? What were their sources of news and entertainment? To understand the reaction to Orson Welles' radio...
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People behind the Civil Rights Movement
Students identify the people actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement. In this United States History lesson, students watch the video "Eyes on the Prize" then participate in a class discussion about the video. Students also...
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Burning Hatred
Students examine the constitutionality of various forms of expression; they then take part in a mock trial on the issue of cross burning. Divide the class into three groups; Supreme Court Justices, and two groups that don't agree on this...
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For Whom Does the Bell Toll?
Students, gauging Public Opinion about Death During War, conduct surveys to gather and report information on a variety of key issues surrounding the war with Iraq. April 9, 2003).
The New York Times
A Worker's Compensation
Middle schoolers read about the history of Labor Day in a newspaper article. They discuss difficulties American employees of the past had to face, learn about labor rallies, and conduct Internet research. Part of the intention of this...
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Spreading the Word
Students analyze the use of propaganda in the war against terrorism, focusing specifically on the attacks in Afghanistan, exploring the distinction between ideas spread to benefit a cause and those spread to damage an opposing cause.
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Measured Opinions
Young scholars read "Public Is Wary but Supportive on Rights Curbs," at the New York Times online. They explore how opinion polls are created and conducted, focusing on the wording of questions and the methods of sampling a population.
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Going to the Promised Land
Students analyze primary resources and map in order to draw conclusions regarding the migrant-worker experience during the Great Depression. They explain and explain the impact of economic and ecological events on individuals.
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Mr. Powell Leaves Washington
Students examine the life and achievements of Colin Powell. After reading an article, they discuss the role of the Secretary of State. In groups, they evaluate his successes in different regions throughout the world. They reflect on the...
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Electing Economies
Students examine the economic and political challenges the past six presidents have faced during their terms of office, and how those challenges may or may not have impacted their chances for re-election. They create campaign slogans...