Young scholars explore the spiritual significance of locations throughout the world. After studying the historical and mystical importance of these places, students write about a spiritual place that is special to them.

Young scholars first explore the power of the visual image to convey a message by examining the portrait of George Washington on American dollar bills. They next use, 'Prolific Chinese Painter Is Anonymous No More,' to explore a famous...

Students assess the mission, accomplishments and global impact of Doctors Without Borders, the medical relief organization awarded the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize. They analyze stories of recent work done in different countries around the world.

Students develop a setting, plot and characters for a science fiction story based on current news themes, and then individually write drafts of the story.

Students discover the emergence of e-mail as a popular communication tool and explore its impact on society. They consider the advantages and disadvantages of different types of communication tools in various creative contexts.

Students investigate 20th century inventions in order to examine how inventions reflect the historical events during which they were developed an

Students research and write newspaper articles about current world leaders, using a New York Times International article as a model. They research a current world leader's personal background and political history.

Learners 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.

Students examine ceremonies in cultures around the world that celebrate young peoples' entry into adulthood.

Students explore the connections between non-fiction and fiction best-seller lists and current events that are shaping readers' lives and choices.

Students explore the historical and social significance of animals as cultural symbols in various countries around the world, as well as the impact that humans have made on the population and natural habitats of these animals.

Young scholars learn folk tales from many different cultures and retell them using the medium of their choice. They write about the cultural indications found in these tales.

Students practice writing descriptions by researching various artifacts from ancient Egypt and writing captions for them. They read and discuss the Times article, King Tut, Museum Trailblazer, Begins Encore.

Students explore the "Copy Left" movement, then analyze and discuss the key legal issues regarding intellectual property and copyright legislation in the context of global communication and the Internet.

Young scholars explore theories about how the Olmec civilization influenced other Mesoamerican societies. They research the Olmecs to create a museum exhibit of their findings and reflect on how an Olmec person might have understood the...

Students reflect on the lives of older people they know, then research and debate the key issues surrounding scientific experimentation in anti-aging. They write a short story that reflects their own philosophical beliefs on aging and...

Students investigate the Umoja shantytown in Miami, Florida as well as other shantytowns around the world in order to create a Web site bringing awareness to the issue of slum dwelling.

Students share their opinions about a story about a sudden decline in China's stock markets. After reading an article, they identify the global impact of China's falling stock markets. They create a cause and effect map about the fall...

Learners 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...

Students review their prior knowledge of religious symbols and their meanings. After reading an article, they discover the comeback of the Muslim faith in Spain. In groups, they research and compare the evolutions of two religions in a...

Students discuss the historical conflicts in Israel and the Middle East after reading an article from The New York Times as a class. Students are divided into groups after the discussion and research parties of interest in the Middle...

Learners identify a pivotal event in world history that they would have liked to have witnessed. They then research this event and write a first-person account of it as if they had been present. Their first-prerson account is modeled...

Learners explore first-hand accounts and pictures of refugees, focusing initially on child refugees in Chechnya. They then create collages that describe, through words and images, the experience of refugees in countries at war.

Students study the changing public perception of cigarettes over the century. They create a visual timeline for classroom display, and design a survey on people's views on cigarette smoking for homework. In addition, they design and...