Prestwick House
Fahrenheit 451—Activity Pack
The burning questions is at what point do readers of Fahrenheit 451 recognize the many literary devices Ray Bradbury employs in his dystopian classic that warns of a society that uses media to indoctrinate the public and denigrates...
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The Insurgency In Iraq: A Quandary for the U.S.
Students read articles, conduct Internet research and participate in a mock debate to explore the pros and cons of withdrawing from Iraq or remaining in conflict with the insurgency. They consider the difficulties of consensus building...
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Simply the Best
Students determine whom they consider "the best" performer in a variety of entertainment industries and discuss how to accurately measure greatness. They create bar graphs comparing statistics of the 1975 Cincinnati Reds and the 1998 New...
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The Immigration Debate: A Lesson from Viva La Causa
Young scholars study the social justice issues of the immigration debate. In this immigration lesson, students examine the role of undocumented Latino workers as they explore how trade policies and competition influence immigration...
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Argument
Young scholars write and discuss opposing points of view. In this argument lesson, students learn to understand what an argument is and they get to argue one side of a disagreement. An alternative written assignment is provided. A...
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How do we know if it’s a First Amendment Issue?
Students consider First Amendment rights. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students complete an activity guide regarding plans to build an Islamic cultural center near Ground Zero in New York City. Students respond to discussion questions...
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Stating Your Case: Writing Thesis Statements Effectively
As a writer, if you have a weak introductory paragraph or thesis statement, you might lose your audience! Have your middle and high schoolers practice writing introductory paragraphs that include clear thesis statements in response to...
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Power to the People: Social Movements of the 1960s
Students engage in a professional development workshop for teachers in the delivery of curriculum about the era of the 1960's. The emphasis of the workshop is using popular culture of the time in order to launch investigations that are...
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Self-Fulfilling Prophecy in African American Students: Exploring African American Achievers
Fifth graders are introduced to ways to increase their self-esteem. As a class, they share their specific talents under three categories. In groups, they use the internet to research the lives of various African Americans making sure...
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Nadine Gordimer's Town and Country Lovers
Students are introduced to Nadine Gordimer's Town and Country Lovers in the context of the acts of apartheid. They analyze Gordimer's depiction of racist legislation at its most intimate levels. Students assess how to weave a political...
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Contemporary Mexican and Puerto Rican Immigration
Students in an ESL classroom compare and contrast Puetro Rican and Mexican cultures. In groups, they research the reasons why people leave one country for another and how to obtain a visa. As a class, they brainstorm a list of the...
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What Are We Going To Do About Baby Six Billion?
Students formulate and evaluate suggestions about government policy using demographic examples and projections. They examine websites and utilize worksheets imbedded in this plan.
Smarter Balanced
Intellectual Property
To prepare for a study of intellectual property rights, (or an assessment) introduce your learners to the legal concepts and key vocabulary associated with the debate. After defining intellectual property, copyright, fair use, and...
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Evolution: The Great Debate
Students discover how research and questioning are things that must be done in order to form a valid opinion. In this critical thinking instructional activity students answer questions and provide evidence to support their...
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Teaching With Documents Lesson Plan:Launching the New U.S. Navy
Pupils demonstrate understanding of the issues related to the creation and ratification of the United States Constitution and the new Government it established.
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What Difference Does A Name Make?
Students view the film The Persuaders that discuss the perspective and spin of language use for a variety of issues. They discuss the career of Frank Luntz, a man that runs focus groups to determine how to advantageously phrase issues in...
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A to Z Observations
Eighth graders examine the cultural conflicts that occurred when Europeans moved into the land the Native Americans lived on that would become West Virginia. In this West Virginia history instructional activity, 8th graders visit the...
EngageNY
TASC Transition Curriculum: Workshop 6
Is a college education necessary for success in today's world? The class investigates the question, along with others at the end of the sixth workshop in a 15-part series. The lesson has four parts with multiple activities and...
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The New Republic
Students research the Federalists and Anti-federalists. In the lesson on state legislature, students use primary sources to create a brochure and write an essay that illustrates federalist and anti-federalists viewpoints.
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Shot Down
learners examine a Maine law concerning the destruction of guns used in homicides. They explore the advisability of destroying these guns and whose responsibility it is to notify families about what happens to these guns.
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Making Good Decisions
Students examine the "Little Planet Times" and discuss how to solve the town's problem. In this literature/problem solving lesson, students record the opinion of each of the council members and role play their position. Students...
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The Debate Over North Shore Road
Young scholars examine the impact of the North Shore Road Project in North Carolina. For this environmental science lesson, students share their views regarding this environmental issue. They compare and contrast the map of the Great...
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Pharmaceuticals and Treatments
Students perform an experiment involving reverse transcriptase-polymerized chain reaction HIV replication to better examine the biotechnology used by scientists in pharmaceutical research of infections diseases like HIV. Students examine...
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The Price of Power
Explore the current political debate over regulating power plant emissions. Critical thinkers research, formulate, and present arguments regarding selective catalytic reduction systems for coal-burning plants.