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Final Project Presentations: Water Quality
Students synthesize the information they have been researching on water quality to evaluate the potential health risks in a region with arsenic contamination. They prepare and present a persuasive speech that incorporates visuals.
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Solving Science Mysteries
Students choose a science-related mystery to investigate such as the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot. They, in groups, research theories and give a persuasive talk presenting the theory they feel to be most likely.
Dream of a Nation
Congressional Debate
Should junk food be banned in schools? Should the US open its borders to all immigrants? Should the US impose term limits for the House of Representatives and for the Senate? Using Tyson Miller's Dream of a Nation: Inspiring Ideas...
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Persuade Me
Seventh graders give persuasive presentations based on the questions they have researched. They examine appropriate delivery techniques for effective persuasive presentations. (Note: This instructional activity should be taught, after...
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Colonial North Carolina
Students resarch people and events from a given list. Then based on teacher options, students employ perspectives, an audience, a presentation format, and topic to prepare a two-page document to share with the class. Students also...
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Seventeenth Century Pick-up Lines
Students analyze passages from The Mysteries of Love and Eloquence, or the Arts of Wooing and Complementing, written in the seventeenth century. Students analyze the images, words and figures of speech the author used and compare the...
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Crash Test Physics
Learners design and test balsa cars. In this crash tet instructional activity, students design and build their own cars to specifications. They explore the physics of motion and vehicle crash safety.
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Book Cover Design
Students design book covers. In this graphic design lesson, students are introduced to designing book covers. Students develop skills on how to promote their designs to clients. Students then create their own book covers.
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Shakespeare: Henry V - Writing Task
Pairs of pupils choose a person who they consider to be a hero. They research that person, develop a speech, and deliver it to the class in hopes of persuading them that this person really is a hero. A vote is taken after the...
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Introducing the Essay: Twain, Douglass, and American Non-Fiction
Students analyze American essayists Mark Twain and Frederick Douglass in an introduction to American literary non-fiction writing. For this essay history lesson, students identify methods for writing essays. Students read and analyze...
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The Enemy that Never Was
Students conduct research and explain in a speech why Japanese Canadians were not a threat to Canada during the Second World War.
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Rhetorical Devices
Eleventh graders consider rhetorical devices in speeches and then make an informed selection of effective rhetorical devices for a controversial topic presentation. Students present their findings using presentation software.
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Rhetorical Terms
Students explore online audio examples taken from public speeches, movies, songs, lectures, oral interpretations of literature and other media events to find uses for specific rhetorical terms. This lesson includes a video of...
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VA Statute for Religious Freedom, III
Young scholars analyze the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedoms and consider its implications. In this governing principles lesson, students explore primary and secondary sources regarding the document penned by Thomas Jefferson.
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Write Your Own Cultural Connections
Students write a cultural narrative. In this multicultural writing instructional activity, students create an expository narrative to teach others about their lives. Students complete the narrative and use a buddy editing strategy to...
Dream of a Nation
Solution Debate
Class members choose a current social, political, environmental, or economic problem presented in Tyson Miller's Dream of a Nation: Inspiring Ideas for a Better America, research this problem and a variety of suggested solutions, before...
Museum of Tolerance
The Pursuit of Democracy and Diversity: The Trial of Pro-Social Injustice in Historical Documents and Accounts
Class members investigate The Indian Removal Act of 1830, U.S. Theft of Mexican Territory Timeline, and President Abraham Lincoln’s letter to Horace Greeley, 1862, and then conduct a mock trial of each of these documents to determine...
Columbus City Schools
Poetry Speaking and Listening Standards
Celebrate April's National Poetry Month or enrich a poetry unit with a wealth of language arts material. Class members develop an oral interpretation of a poem and/or develop a podcast interview with a poet.
Curated OER
Persuade or Die!
High schoolers read Patrick Henry's speech. They review prior learning about persuasive writing, and the American revolutionary war. Students listen as the teacher reads Patrick Henry's speech aloud to the class using lots of emotion and...
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Refining Your Public Speaking Skills
High schoolers use the rubric created in the Explore Lesson to help them craft an effective oral presentation worthy of a formal governmental hearing. They polish their oral presentations that are based on their position papers through...
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China
Students participate in a lesson that is focused on the culture of China. The unit is set up using the layered curriculum method which is student centered. They pick the type of activities and assessments.
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Debate on Ratification: Should We Ratify the New Constitution?
Students determine whether the Constitution should be ratified. In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students research the roles of famous Federalists and Antifederalists in order to prepare them to participate in a classroom simulation...
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Speak Up, Speak Out
Fourth graders examine, compare, and summarize the speeches of Sojourner Truth and Patrick Henry. They review the parts of a good speech and design and give their own speech that expresses an opinion and persuades the listener..
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Martin Luther King, Jr. vs. Malcolm X
Eleventh graders compare and contrast the visions of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. In this African-American history lesson, 11th graders read speeches by each of the men and summarize the arguments made by each of them about...