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Western Expansion or Eastern Invasion?
Fifth graders read from their textbook a story about the pioneer settlement of the Western Frontier. They review the pioneer standpoint, but also discuss how the Homestead Act of 1862 affected Native Americans. They write another story...
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Airing Our concerns: I Can See Clearly Now
Students research specific answers to questions about air pollution. In this air pollution lesson, students share information to fully understand the causes of air pollution. Students role play individuals from different groups to...
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Through the Eyes of a Child
Students explore how documentaries can present realistic and sometimes difficult perspectives on events in our world. They choose current issues that interest them and create their own documentaries.
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Death Be Not Proud
Young scholars consider various opinions concerning the execution of Timothy McVeigh. They formulate, and share in writing, their own perspectives on his execution and on the lasting impact of the Oklahoma City bombing.
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Your Angle on the Story
Students review several articles on same current event, and then cover news issues themselves while assuming secret identities of various individuals who have vested interests in issue. Students write newspaper articles from these...
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Face the Nation! A Panel Discussion
Sixth graders simulate an election-year debate between opposing political parties. In this persuasive-speech lesson plan, 6th graders will work in teams to prepare for and participate in a debate between opposing parties. The lesson plan...
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Inquiring Minds: News and Philanthropy
Learners study newspaper articles and rewrite events from literature into news stories about kindness. In this news article instructional activity, students read sentences from newspaper articles and identify the purpose of the article....
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Resources for Teaching Women Writers
Twelfth graders explore, discuss and experience a wide variety of texts from around the world written by women. They analyze the different genres covered and view a lot of unique point of views from different female perspectives. Topics...
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Shapes (Orienteering)
Students explore the tools of navigation. In this shapes lesson, students navigate using direction cues to create a shape. Students follow specific steps to create their shapes. Students use compasses to see the directions...
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Time Changes Everything
Students analyze census data from 1915, 1967 and 2006. They read an article about how the world's population is growing at an alarming rate. They use primary source documents to create a timeline on the information they gathered. They...
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Finding Science in An American Childhood by Annie Dillard
High schoolers read excerpts from Annie Dillard's memoir, "An American Childhood," with the teacher. They experience opportunities to connect English, science, nature and art together from a new and unique perspective. This approach...
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WWI and Russian Revolution
Students view and discuss footage of Tsar Nicholas II reviewing troops on the Eastern Front in 1916 and examine how different groups would have reacted to this footage of the Tsar. They watch the video and in small groups answer...
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"Chinese in the Frontier West: An American Story"
Students substantiate a generalization by providing supporting details. They apply visual and oral information to a piece of written work and formulate at least three generalizations they think may characterize the experience of...
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Conflict in the Frontier town of Deerfield
Students use primary sources to investigate, explore and represent varying perspectives on the 1704 Deerfield Raid. They consider the reasons Deerfield was at the center of English, French and Native American conflicts in the early 18th...
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Walk in My Shoes
Students discover how culture, geography and history affect how someone views an area of the world. They role play the role of a Palestinian, Jew or Briton and examine how they felt about Israel during its formation. To end the lesson,...
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Composition of the Atom
Learners investigate the structure of the atom and its composition. In this atom structure lesson, students find the area of cut out circles and drop pens into the circles. They count the number of marks in the circles and relate their...
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Nonpoint Source Pollution in Long Island Sound
Students examine and identify the types of nonpoint pollution on Long Island Sound. In groups, they walk the shoreline, collect trash and identify its source. Using that information, they create a variety of graphs of the different...
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Acid or Base? Toxie's on the Case
Students recognize the difference between acids and bases. In this ToxMystery activity, students play a computer game and experiment to find the difference between acids and bases. Students use litmus paper to determine if...
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Act It Out!
An effective way to demonstrate understanding is by synthesizing one's own work. Use a creative lesson designed for a unit on Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun for small groups to show what they know about the play,...
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For Public Display
Students compare three works of art to understand how juxtaposition can express a point of view. They brainstorm topics of interest to them and their respective communities that could act as a springboard for curating individual exhibits...
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PSAs: The Way We See It - Uncommercials
Students work in groups to identify a topic or issue that they feel passionate about and produce a short PSA for the topic. In this PSA activity, students select an issue or social problem to research. Students create a video or a...
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Introduction to World Religions - Hinduism
Sixth graders explore Hinduism. In this world religions lesson, 6th graders listen to a lecture about the attributes of the religion and then listen to and perform parts of The Remayana. Students also complete a map activity based on the...
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Whitewashing History
Students revisit issues of civil rights in the U.S. They use the recent national discussion of retiring Senator Strom Thurmond's 1948 Dixiecrat Presidential campaign as a starting point.
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Town Mouse/ Country Mouse
Students recognize the difference between the city and the country. In this City Mouse, Country Mouse lesson, students listen to a story and describe and map differences between the city and the country. Students understand that people...