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At The Site Of The Quake
Students research and design an educational earthquake Web site, using the current disaster in Afghanistan as a starting point. They begin by reading and discussing As Many as 2,000 Feared Dead in Afghan Earthquakes which is imbedded in...
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Virtual Realities of War
Students outline the major events, mat??riel, and setting of a war or conflict. They develop a computer game narrative that draws on these historically accurate details.
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"I Cannot Tell a Lie"
Students examine and debunk historical myths, using the American Revolution as a starting point. They create and play a game of "American History: Fact or Fiction?"
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The Taming of the Few
Learners consider the cultural, historical, and social implications of domesticating animals as pets. They create informative posters of various animals, illustrating their histories as pets.
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Weather: You Like It or Not
Students explore the importance of and flaws in weather prediction, and prepare their own weather report on a specific type of storm.
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'Twasn't the Night Before Christmas
Students describe the elements that make up particular writers' styles. Small groups then choose an author, write something in his or her style, and invite other groups to play 'literary detective' in identifying whose style they have...
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A Civil Action
Students explore the roles of law enforcement officials, the news media, and civilians in crime prevention and criminal apprehension. They envision ways to build and strengthen community partnerships to address concerns about crime.
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When Things Fall Apart
Students examine the impact of colonialism on African nations, researching and analyzing post-colonial literature from those countries. They develop and present a creative display of their novel and its historic parallels.
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Historical Perspective
Students research the different perspectives of important groups and figures involved in the American Revolution and apply their findings to write and perform monologues depicting this pivotal time in history.
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Check the Mates
Learners explore John Edwards, the running mate for 2004 Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. They research the ways in which vice presidential candidates have impacted presidential elections in modern United States history.
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Love It or Leave It?
Students identify flags by country, then research the symbolism and history of those flags in preparation for writing and delivering oral presentations. For homework, they write essays reflecting on the relationship between flags,...
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Got the Picture?
Students explore the power of photographic images to influence public opinion. Then, using both news images and personal photographs, they create dual timelines documenting their own life experiences and memories.
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In Good Company
Students research and write a radio or television news special on some of Silicon Valley's most successful companies. For homework, they write lead-ins commenting on new developments and reactions to them.
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INVENTIVE LIVES
Students consider the qualities that inventors possess and explore the history and uncertain future of U.S. innovation by reading and discussing the article "Are U.S. Innovators Losing Their Competitive Edge?"
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Occupational Oxymoron
Students consider their own notions of poverty, examine the life of a woman classified as "working poor" from a variety of perspectives, and present their findings to the class. Then, students synthesize their knowledge in a paper.
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Trading Up?
Students explore the benefits and drawbacks of free trade from the perspective of the United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Chile and Mexico. For homework, they each write a letter to the editor expressing their personal...
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Diagnosing Delusions
Students see how widespread medical myths can be potentially dangerous. They synthesize their knowledge by creating pamphlets that help patients learn the facts behind some commonly believed medical myths.
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Personalized Poetry Portfolio
Eighth graders create their own poetry portfolio containing poems that relate to Students' lives and families. The portfolio consist of the following types of poems: acrostic, diamante`, haiku, cinquain, and free verse.
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Challenges and Rewards
Students are to research a specific disaster after seeing the Challenger explosion. They are to create a collage for the disaster they are choosing to show.
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The Buckshot Stops Here
Students study the incident between Vice President Dick Cheney and his friend while hunting. They brainstorm and research different scandals throughout History and complete a homework assignment.
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E-tiquette
Students develop appropriate ways to communicate via e-mail. They evaluate examples of inappropriate e-mails and create preferable alternatives.
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Let the Good Times Roll
Students read an online New York Times article and investigate the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans. They examine how Hurricane Katrina affected the celebration. They design a float that represents the Mardi Gras celebration.
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Portrait Sculptures
Eighth graders study Marisol's art work by comparing ad contrasting several sculptures. They create a 3-D portrait of a person they either know personally, or to portray a social issue. The sculpture be made of a cardboard structure they...