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Curated OER

Inventors

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students are be able to analyze primary sources for evidence of Inventors and Inventions from the turn of the 20th century. They identify how these inventions impact their lives today.
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Burning Hatred

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners examine the constitutionality of various forms of expression; they then take part in a mock trial on the issue of cross burning. Divide the class into three groups; Supreme Court Justices, and two groups that don't agree on this...
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Curated OER

Part-Time Protectors

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students research the roles of the reserve armed forces in a variety of United States military conflicts, then create a documentary that illustrates the contributions of part-time soldiers.
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Intervene or Interfere?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students 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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Frighteningly Fabulous Festivals

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the significance of holiday foods, first by researching Halloween-type festivals from around the world, and then by reporting on foods related to different holidays celebrated in their homes.
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A City Lost and Found

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars hypothesize about the origins of the Incan lost city of Machu Picchu. They examine archaeological methodologies used by researchers to piece together the history of the site and create an audio tour of the location for...
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Weathering the War

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students research maps, weapons and weather from a variety of wars, then create a presentation showing the impact weather and topography has had on military operations.
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Hungry for History

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine what their diets would be like without the inclusion of staple crops such as corn, wheat and sugar, and discover the value that chocolate had for the Mayan people. They create display boards for a food festival.
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Imperial Notions

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students research how and why different parts of the world were colonized, considering the pros and cons for both the rulers and the ruled.
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Hall Monitors

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate the incidence of different types of violence that occurs in their schools through reading, discussion and interviews. They question local authorities about the best ways to reduce school violence.
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Modeling Reality

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students identify what a role model is and what characteristics such a person should possess. They discuss a new trend in character role model figurines, which some believe perpetuate racial and ethnic stereotypes.
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Faces Behind the Guns

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students use the New York Times article profiling ordinary citizens who legally own guns as the basis of a role-playing exercise in which they explore the types of people who own firearms and their personal reasons for doing so.
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Making the Invisible Visible

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students evaluate the various ways in which cyberspace is beginning to be mapped by geographers, cartographers, artists, and scientists and use their understanding of the information these new maps can convey to create their own maps of...
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"A Voice of Moderation and Civility"

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students read about, discuss and reflect on the life of retired Justice Lewis Powell, investigating major court decisions he influenced and the impact of his 'voice of moderation and civility to an increasingly polarized (Supreme) court.'
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Taking Aim at Violence in Schools

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students are encouraged to share, through discussion and writing, their feelings about violence in schools, as well as about ways in which such tragedies could be prevented.
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Compassion on Death Row?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze and debate, through writing and discussion, the politics and ethics behind the ability of governors to grant clemency to inmates sentenced to the death penalty.
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In the Public's Eyes

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine the views of Serb and American civilians on the sustained NATO air strikes on Serbia and focus on how public opinion affects and reflects the overall morale and attitudes in a country.
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Moving Out of the House?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students review the past events of the impeachment proceedings against President Clinton and examine the impending steps of Congress if the House of Representatives approves impeachment and the issue moves into the Senate.
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Has Peace Finally Settled in the Middle East?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students evaluate the changes made in the Palestine National Council charter and their potential impact on the future of Israeli-Palestinian relations. They write a brief essay focusing on an article from an Israeli or Palestinian...
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Art as a Reflection of Society

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students write about their interpretations of "Glow of the City," discuss "Glow of the City" in terms of imagery, symbolism, use of shadows and light, and ways that it reflects life in the late 1920s in New York.
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The Wrath of Hurricane Mitch

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate how hurricanes and other natural disasters can devastate the elements of the infrastructure of a country, as well as the lives of its people.
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World Consumption: Unequal Slices of the Pie

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students interpret the United Nations Human Development Reports and explain the relevance and use of the human development index in offering insight into a nation and its challenges. They draft a letter to the United Nations.
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The Wounds of War

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine how the lives of civilians who experience war are changed forever. They read and discuss first-hand accounts of citizens in Sarajevo, and consider the many needs of people, and how wars affect people's ability to meet...
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A Piecemeal Peace Process

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore Indian and Pakistani steps toward peace since the Indian subcontinent gained independence from British rule in 1947. They, in groups, research and then create multi-tiered timelines representing politics during those...