Curated OER
Eyeing the Next Einstein
Students complete a KWL chart on Albert Einstein. After they read an article, they discover more about his iconic status and how future scientists view him. In groups, they create trading cards about Einstein and another scientist of...
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Sobering Plans
Students explore the rights they give up while in school and then learn about plans to use breath analyzer tests during school hours. They then debate the issues surrounding this topic and write letters to the principal advocating or...
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Carrot Sticks or French Fries?
Learners investigate the influence of fast food brand names on food choices and analyze the factors that contribute to branding preferences. They write an opinion essay on the corporate responsibility to influence food choices.
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A Problem with Authority?
Students consider the prospect of inviting a controversial leader to speak in their community. They analyze the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's controversial invitation to speak at Columbia University. Students create...
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All Across America
Young scholars share experiences of places they have visited or would like to visit. They create travel guides for trips to take in the United States based on themes from their studies, incorporating both historical and current data...
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How I Became Me
Students examine their own identities and read about the experiences of adopted Chinese daughters celebrating the Jewish rite of passage, the bat mitzvah. They write personal poems or speeches illustrating how their identities evolved.
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Finding The Middle Ground
Students examine the recent truce between the Israeli and Palestinian governments. They explore the turbulent history of these groups and the recent developments from the viewpoints of Middle Eastern nations in preparation for a mock...
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Exit to the Left
Students share their own thoughts about the United States' involvement in Iraq. They read an article about what the Democrats would do if they were in charge. They develop a poll for members of their community to take and analyze the...
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Unraveling the Web
Students consider how a message might be traced along a complex network, then explore backbone maps as a basis for understanding the purpose and structure of the Internet.
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Art as Therapy
Students explore how they connect with artwork on an emotional level through writing and the creation of an original piece of art.
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Won't You Be My (E-)Neighbor?
Students explore the concepts of community, belonging and human relationships through an Internet application designed to foster neighborly relations and write a persuasive statement to recruit others to join their community.
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Guild v. Google
Students share opinions about what constitutes fair use of copyright materials and participate in a mock trial arguing the case of The Authors Guild v. Google.
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Class Actions
Students 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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Taking From the Giving Tree
Young scholars explore the ways in which various American cities negotiate the protection of their "green infrastructure," gaining a broader understanding of proposed and enacted legislation as it relates to preserving and planting trees...
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The Art of Violence
Violence and human suffering, as represented in art and film, are the focus of an investigation of the power of visual images and the moral implications of such representations. Class members examine “Guernica,” Pablo Picasso’s massive...
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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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Graphic Accounts
Students identify the use of different types of bar graphs. They analyze graphs used in the New York Times to compare the estimated cost of the war in Iraq to other hypothetical expenditures and reflect on how graphs can help illustrate...
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Still Suspicious?
Students read and analyze The New York Times news article "An Assessment Jars a Foreign Policy Debate About Iran." They answer comprehension questions, evaluate both sides of the debate, and write a one page report on the article.
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Intervene or Interfere?
Learners research the motives, actions, and results of U.S. intervention in foreign affairs between the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
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Whose "Truth" Is Out There?
Young scholars 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...
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Running of the Bulls
Students examine what might be in store for Wall Street following the NASDAQ's 547.57 point plunge on Tuesday, April 4, 2000. They evaluate how they might manage a heavily laden high-tech portfolio before deciding how to invest in the...
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When Distress Spells S.O.S.
Learners discover various equipment and technologies used for distress signals, then prepare skits and make recommendations based on information gathered about signaling devices.
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Fighting Fire With Satire
Students consider satire in the news by exploring various sources of "fake news," and then creating their own political satire in the form of a skit, news article, or cartoon.
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A Good Government Is Hard to Build
Students explore the challenges that Iraqi leaders are facing while working to create a new government. They engage in a class simulation in which they create a new governing council to preside over their school.