Thoughtful Education Press
Personal Narratives: Learning from Lessons Life Teaches Us
"First Appearance," Mark Twain's tale about overcoming stage fright, serves as a model of a personal narrative and gets young writers thinking about milestones in their own lives. After examining student models and considering the...
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Shasta Dam: How High is Too High?
Research water use in California, environmental protection laws, and the proposition to raise Shasta Dam by 200 feet. Researchers use their findings to build an argument which will be presented at a mock decision panel. Groups then...
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Energy in the Home
This PowerPoint covers the complete topic of using energy in the home. Facts are given about the requirements for energy, where energy comes from, costs of energy and costs of running appliances. There are a number of lists here that...
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Household Electricity
Practice reading an analogue meter in this PowerPoint about energy consumption. The equations connecting voltage and current, work force, and distance are given. Then household energy consumption is described. The slides will prompt much...
US Department of State
The Marshall Plan: The Vision of a Family of Nations
The European Recovery Act (aka the Marshall Plan) was designed to bring together and develop a spirit of cooperation among European nations after World War II. Class members examine the materials from the Marshall Plan exhibit and assess...
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Back To Africa
Students have the opportunity to examine the phenomenon and to analyze the arguments supporting the migration of African Americans to other countries in the search for equality. They simulate roles in a panel discussion on the topic.
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GLOBAL WARMING
Students form definitions of the greenhouse effect based on prior knowledge, class discussion, viewing diagrams, and participate in group brainstorming sessions and class discussions related to the impact of the greenhouse effect and...
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Prepare for Class Hearing
High schoolers participate in a simulation of a class hearing. In groups, they use the internet to research the topic for the hearing and answer specific discussion questions. During the simulation, they present their views on their...
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ON THE LOOKOUT FOR LABELS
Students practice reading and using label information and understand the purpose of food labeling. They complete surveys using labels from the products brought in. After discussing the pros and cons of having a law that requires fast...
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Maus Lesson Plan
The artistic choices Art Spiegelman made in his graphic novel, Maus, are the focus of an exercise that asks class members to compare classic comic book forms with Spiegelman’s panels and frames. Directed to specific pages and guided by a...
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It's Your Opinion
Everyone has a different opinion about the characters they read about in books. Have your class explore forming an opinion and finding evidence to support it as they read and discuss what they think about a particular character. They...
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Spinning Your Wheels
Students read various articles related to transportation and land use. They cite textual references as they engage in panel discussions, shared inquiry discussions and debates. They write a persuasive essay on the topic.
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Walking by the Wall: A Virtual Trip to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Students study about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. They express and share their thoughts and attitudes toward wars. They listen to a picture book about the Wall and read an introductory text about the Vietnam
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Taking Outer Space to Cyber Space
Use the Internet, write an expository text, and have young scholars share their knowledge of the planets in our solar system. They compose an expository writing piece and publish it to a web page.
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The Greenhouse Effect
Why does it get so hot inside of our cars in the summertime? The greenhouse effect! Lab groups experiment to see what happens to an ice cube enclosed in a jar and placed in sunlight as compared to an ice cube outside of the jar. They...
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Lights, Camera...Ticket...2
Students research the pros and cons of traffic light cameras that generate tickets and interview local city officials to see if they have considered this for the community. Students then prepare a panel to present the advantages and...
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Commercial Surrogacy: Questions & Considerations of Parties with Vested Interests
Teenagers explore the topic of surrogate motherhood. They examine the technology involved, types of surrogacy, interested groups, and current laws. Each collaborative group is assigned an interest group. They work together to develop...
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Coral Bleaching: Making Our Oceans Whiter
Students study coral reefs and the controversy over coral bleaching. They role-play a debate over the issue and come up with a compromise to protect the reefs and the economies that depend on them.
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World Population Activity I: Excel
Students use Excel to explore population dynamics using the Logistic equation for (S-shaped) population growth. This activity is primarily intended as an introductory tutorial on using Excel.
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Allosaur Survival Game
Students uses this game to see how difficult survival is even for a fierce predator, especially when it is young. It stresses: How much energy it takes to keep a large animal alive or a small one growing, The differences in the fauna...
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Immigration Research Project
Students formulate guiding questions to use as an aid for research and then use the guiding questions worksheet to help gather information necessary for meeting all criteria for completing the project. They then work together to collect...
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The Crucible
Students explore the historical drama, "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller looking for examples of society's mistrust of nonconformity and the injustice that can as a result of fear.
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The ABC'S of Anything
Young scholars practice using reference and other materials to identify and define related to a selected topic. They practice keyboarding skills while preparing definitions and senteces. Students participate in the use of FIRN to send...
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Studying Aquifers in Outcrop
Students describe two or more different rock types found in outcrop. Students look specifically at the hydro-geologic properties of the rocks and complete the lab with a paper explaining a scientific phenomenon in layperson terms.