Teaching Tolerance
Critiquing Hate Crimes Legislation
The high school lesson explores what hate crimes are and how the government has responded to those crimes. Academics read legislation, analyze political cartoons, and complete hands-on-activities to understand what motivates individuals...
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Character's Motive
Sixth graders determine a character's motive while reading a text. In this motive lesson, 6th graders discuss motivation and how that can impact a character's actions. Students read passages about suspects and try to solve a crime while...
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Character's Motive
Create a list of possible suspects for a crime based upon each character's motivation. Middle schoolers discuss the motives of each main character in The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. This activity is part of a larger unit on this novel.
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Character's Motive: Sammy Keyes and the Hollywood Mummy
Sixth graders explore language arts by completing a reading comprehension worksheet. In this character study lesson, 6th graders read a crime story and investigate which character they belive committed the crime. Students complete a...
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Character's Motive
Why do people commit crimes? Middle schoolers investigate characters' motives for committing a crime in a character analysis lesson. First, they read the book Chasing Vermeer and identify the suspects. They then record the details about...
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Should Hate Be Outlawed?
Students investigate hate crime legislation. In this hate crime lesson, students examine the St. Paul city ordinance that outlawed hate crimes. Students explore the fine between hate crime legislation and First Amendment rights.
Facing History and Ourselves
Raphael Lemkin: Identifying Lemkin's Outrage
Students examine World War I war crimes. For this world history lesson plan, students use primary and secondary sources to research Armenian genocide and the trial of Soghomon Tehlirin.
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Mystery Writing Lesson Plans
Introduce your class to the genre of mystery. Included is a vocabulary list, a rubric, and a sample mystery story called "Lethal Lesson." There are very limited directions on what to do with these resources, so you will need to plan some...
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DNA Detectives
In order to understand DNA fingerprinting, advanced biology aces divise a crime scenario and analyze three different samples of lambda DNA. This creative lesson plan provides practice with micropipettes, electrophoresis boxes, and other...
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Themes in Literature - Langston Hughes "Thank You Ma'm"
Eighth graders study Langston Hughes, "Thank You Ma'am" to discover the elements of plot, character motives and reactions. They express the effects of trust and kindness by writing a reflective personal narrative. They illustrate the...
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Detective Fiction: Focus On Critical Thinking
Turn your 6th graders into detectives while growing their love of reading. Using critical thinking skills, they will be able to describe the five basic elements of detective fiction, read detective novels, make predictions, use the...
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Lessons from the Holocaust
In an ultimate lesson plan about listening to opposing points of view, your young historians read testimony from the Nuremberg Trials by Nazi SS officers regarding their actions during the Holocaust and a brief speech by Himmler to SS...
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The News Behind the Story
What a fun way to analyze plot, setting, and character. Learners review story elements, read a short fictional story, then turn the events of that story into a headlining news paper article. Not only does this instructional activity...
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Write It, Read It, Solve It
Writers create an original mystery and have a chance to put it into movie format. The classic elements of a mystery must be present: the crime, the suspects, the motive, the solution and clues. Use iPhoto and Quicktime Movie to integrate...
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Macbeth: What's Up with the Crime Scene?
Learners are introduced to Macbeth by having them act out the scene where Duncan's murder is discovered. This activity enable students to use dialogue only to discover the structure and format of a scene and explain plot.
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Interdisciplinary Applications of Chemistry Through Engineering in Modern Medicine
High schoolers explore the different techniques used in forensic science. In this chemistry lesson, students investigate a fictional crime and identify the culprit. They create a brochure or collage career bulletin.
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Investigation of Immigration
Middle schoolers assume the role of a crime scene detective and examine the lives of various immigrant groups. In this immigration instructional activity, students examine evidence, websites, and pull from existing knowledge to determine...
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Mock Investigation
Young scholars explore detective investigations. For this introduction to mysteries lesson, students role play eye witnesses and investigators related to a "crime" committed in their classroom. Young scholars collect evidence and record...
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"Lista Negra-The Black Lists"
Learners review the history and political motivation behind the U.S. adoption of the Monroe Doctrine and how national security measures collide with the issues of due process and human rights during times of war. They learn about how the...
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Blood Analysis
Learners reconstruct a crime scene to produce the blood spatter pattern. In this forensic science lesson, students describe the events that lead to produce such patterns. They explain the importance of blood analysis in solving crimes.
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Writing a Mystery Story
Students examine the elements of mystery stories and read Rage in Harlem. In reciprocal teaching groups, they discuss the author's development of the story, and complete dialectical journals.
Facing History and Ourselves
Denial and Free Speech
Learners explore the meaning and implications of genocide. For this Armenian genocide activity, learners investigate the genocide that took place in Turkey.
Macmillan Education
The Tell-Tale Heart
Rather than who done it, the mystery literary detectives have to solve as they examine the evidence found in Edgar Allan Poe's famous "The Tell-Tale Heart" is why did he do it?
Pennsylvania Bar Association
The Pied Piper vs. The City of Hamelin
How would the Pied Piper recover his damages from the deceptive citizens of Hamelin if the story took place today? Explore one of the Pied Piper's options with a short play that depicts a court case in which he sues the city of Hamelin...