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Fittest of the Survivors
students consider the reality television show 'Survivor' as a means to contemplate what it means to be a survivor. They create fictional characters and explore how different personal qualities would help and hinder their success on...
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Laser, and Pagers, and Cells - Oh My!
Students explore the use of various new handheld electronic devices in schools, and assess the appropriate use of each. They present research to school administrators for possible use in the development of new school policies.
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Safety in Numbers
Students investigate social behavior patterns of primates. Next, students research a specific primate-analyzing individual and group behavior patterns particular to the species. They create informational posters and present findings to...
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Dust in the Wind
Students investigate causes and effects of droughts by participating in a simulation 'town hall meeting.' Acting as community members, students make informed decisions to help a town and its surrounding areas suffering effects of a...
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A Civil Action
Learners 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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All Creatures Microscopically Small
Students investigate physical and behavioral characteristics of different microbes and create research- based 'Microbe Biographies.' students compare microbe sizes and examine how size of a microbe relates to its physical and behavioral...
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My Home is Not Your Home
Students examine tension in Slovakia over issue of the rights of Romas (Gypsies). They compare and contrast situation in Slovakia to other historical examples researched in class.
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Poets of Christmas Past
Students consider the meanings of Christmas by reading an op-ed. As a class, they then create a sequel to the poem "A Visit from Saint Nicholas," in which "Mamma" tells a story about the history of Christmas.
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Order in the School
Students consider goods and services that might be at the base of successful Web-based delivery services geared to students their age while they are in school. They act as entrepreneurs to develop plans for such services and create...
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Mission Discovery
Students examine the changes to the space shuttle Discovery and its history by creating a classroom exhibition about NASA's space shuttle program. They create an informative and attractive invitation about the gallery for outside visitors.
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Automated Intelligence
Learners redesign everyday robotic devices to increase their autonomy and their usefulness. Propose ideas that would make directly controlled robotic devices more antonymous and create posters illustrating their ideas.
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QUALITY OR QUANTITY
Students share opinions about the criteria they consider important in an online search engine. Using Google and Yahoo, they investigate various subjects and compare their search results. To synthesize their findings, students prepare...
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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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Turkey Soup for the Soul
Young scholars read an article that tells how a young man turned his life around through the help of a local charity. They create inspirational scrapbooks and posters to help motivate their peers when they are facing adversity.
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Democracy in Action
Students consider words that reflect their knowledge and opinions about democracy. They work in groups to research countries that have recently transitioned to democratic forms of government.
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In the Wake of a Storm
Students share thoughts about the effects of Hurricane Katrina on Louisiana's natural environment. They read an online article and write proposals to save Mississippi River marshlands.
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This Just In…
Learners consider the impact a reporter has on broadcast journalism. They research a famous broadcast journalist to prepare a mock news report.
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Sporting Tolerance
Students investigate African-American baseball players from the early 20th century. They read an article, answer discussion questions, write a journal entry, and create a poster-size baseball card for an athlete.
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A Fresh Start?
Students examine the roles and responsibilities the Department of Defense holds. They read an article about the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld. They develop questions to submit to the White House about the recent changes.
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Intolerable Acts
Students examine the implications of North Korea's nuclear testing. They develop a K-W-L chart, read an article, write questions, conduct research on their self-generated questions, and create an exhibit of their findings.
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R U Talkin 2 Me?
Students discuss how they use communication devices. They read an article about communication technology. They create a poster depicting the impact of such devices on future generations. They also write a paper about what they have...
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Interview With A Psychoanalyst
Students discuss health topics they would like to know more about. They read an article interviewing a psychoanalyst. They resarch any questions they have about a specific scienctist. They write their own newspaper article using...
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Able Am I
Students read the article "Disabled Skier Designs His Way to Be a Daredevil." They discuss using the questions on the lesson plan. Students create large sized baseball cards featuring competitive, disabled athletes.
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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...