EngageNY
Introducing Historical Context: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Is it possible to judge a book by its cover? Scholars analyze and make predictions using various cover images of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. They then discuss the difference between autobiographies and biographies....
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Ardipithecus ramidus: A Prehistory Lesson Plan
Students discover details about the genus Ardipithecus. In this prehistory instructional activity, students listen to a lecture about the attributes of Ardipithecus. Students then conduct further research on either Ardipithecus ramidus...
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This is America
Learners explore world geography by viewing a documentary film in class. For this national parks lesson, students view the Ken Burns documentary about the subject and identify the contributions of individuals in support of the parks...
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Jewish Stars of David
Students examine the history of the Holocaust and complete a KWL chart. Using the Internet, they research an aspect of the Holocaust they are interested in and watch a documentary. They read testimonies of survivors and identify other...
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What Difference Does it Make How Old I Am?
Students identify subtle messages advertisers send (often unintentionally) about age in the course of trying to sell products; to analyze the consequences, both positive and negative, those messages have on the American audience; to...
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Documenting Child Labor in Nepal
Fourth graders, using Apple's iMovie, create a digital documentary to raise awareness about the existing child labor in Nepal.
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The Waterfront Debate
Tenth graders debate a resolution about a planned waterfront community from the point of view of various interest groups. They have a "Town Meeting" in which members from each interest group debate their researched opinions for points....
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Women of Achievement Month
Successful women make their mark in fields from computers, journalism, labor and racing
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Debating the Issues: Ralph Bunche and Civil Rights
Synthesizing information from a PBS documentary Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey, its companion website, and several other resources (links to which are provided), high schoolers evaluate whether Bunche did all he could to advance the...
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A Grand Showing
High schoolers promote philanthropy. In this service learning lesson, students create video documentaries based on service learning projects they completed and then share the video with their peers and community.
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A Picture is Worth...
Learners use their photo analysis skills to gain an understanding of what pioneer life in Canada may have been like by examining historical photos. Students are then given an opportunity to present their findings to the class in a...
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Making Movie Storyboards
Students explore the importance of images in telling a story in film, analyze movie clips and identify some visual cues that help them explain the story; students work collaboratively to storyboard a passage from a book and present them...
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Worksheet for Analysis of a Motion Picture
For this primary source analysis worksheet, students respond to 14 short answer questions that require them to analyze the motion picture of their choice.
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The Red Badge of Courage: A New Kind of Realism
Students research the Civil War and make connections between the war and the interpretation of the war in the novel The Red Badge of Courage to help them understand realism. In this Civil War recounting lesson, students complete several...
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Activity Three: Diary of a Driver
Students explore and document historic elements of Horatio's journey by creating a fictitious journal in Jackson's voice.
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A Society of Employees!
High schoolers differentiate the employer/employee relationship before and after the introduction of new technology through not-taking research using the Industrial Revolution as a point of reference. They explore how industry is made up...
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What Difference Does A Name Make?
Pupils view the film The Persuaders that discuss the perspective and spin of language use for a variety of issues. They discuss the career of Frank Luntz, a man that runs focus groups to determine how to advantageously phrase issues in...
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The Elements of a Community--Who Belongs, Who Decides?
Students identify the elements of a community. They watch a video excerpt, complete a class web diagram, answer discussion questions, and describe the controversy from the video.
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Facing Reality
Students explore social issues that are meaningful to them and create documentaries in which they share their information, thoughts and impressions.
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Sharks
In this sharks worksheet, learners watch shark videos, answer multiple choice questions, fill in the blanks, write characteristics, and more. Students complete 11 activities.
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Plant Pollination
Students investigate methods of pollination for various flowers. In this plant biology lesson, students learn the parts of a flower and form a hypothesis about the method of pollination for the flower. They determine the validity of...
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Worth a Thousand Words: Depression-Era Photographs
Students view images of New Deal programs to see its successes. They work in groups to create captions for the images and suggest captions that might indicate different meanings.
Staples Foundation For Learning
The President’s Desk
What stories can a desk paperweight and picture frame possibly tell us about the president of the United States? Pupils are transported to the desk of President John F. Kennedy through an engaging interactive site. The guide offers...
PBS
U.S. Agricultural Subsidies and Nutrition
Most young people don't spend a lot of time thinking about why some foods cost less than others. This resource uses clips from the documentary, Food, Inc. to explore the impact of agricultural subsidies on nutrition, health, and the...