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Afghanistan and Its Neighbors: Model Summit
Students examine the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. They discover the role of religion and cultural identity in the war in Afghanistan. They explore the arguments for and and against...
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Tolerance in Times of Trial
Learners view the treatment of people of Japanese and German descent during World War II. They explore the problems in assigning blame to populations during times of war. They identify modern examples of discrimination and stereotyping.
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Women's History: Clara Barton
Students investigate Clara Barton's contributions to society. In this Clara Barton lesson plan, students watch videos, listen to lectures, and conduct research regarding Clara Barton's life and her possible authorship of a Civil War...
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African-Americans in the American West
Secondary learners explore the westward movement of African Americans. Segmented into four time periods, the activity provides an overview of how African Americans experienced westward expansion. Learners view PBS specials on the...
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Jazz and Math: Rhythmic Innovations
Students watch a segment of the PBS Ken Burns JAZZ documentary about Buddy Bolden creating the "Big Four." They compare and contrast the rhythms of marches and jazz based on the examples in the film, and explore notation, subdivision of...
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Summit Meeting
Students examine various points of view regarding Muslim immigration into Europe. They view and discuss the PBS Frontline video, "Al Qaeda's New Front," read and discuss articles, and present information about their article in a jigsaw...
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Soldados: Soldiers' Stories
This lesson will help students practice conducting an oral history interview, increase knowledge about what it is like to be a soldier, gain knowledge about the Vietnam War and gain knowledge about the Chicano experience in the U.S.
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What are the Conditions for Victory in Iraq?
Students view a video clip about the war in Iraq. They discuss how the coalition forces know when they have won. They read an article about the situation as well.
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The Rules of Engagement: The Geneva Convention
Students view a video clip about the Geneva Convention. They identify the rules of the Convention and why they were put into place. They examine the conditions of prisoner of war camps from other countries as well.
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The Russian Years: Back in the USSR
Students examine communist Russia. In this lesson on changes in politics, students work in small groups to compare and contrast soviet communist era citizen rights to those of the US. They participate in discussion of a film and create a...
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The Fall of Fujimori
Students view a film about the fall of Peru's president. They develop possible solutions for governments to follow when dealing with terrorism. They work together to research civil liberty limitations put in place during war. They...
PBS
Lesson Plan: Divided Opinions
To gain a more in-depth understanding of the tumultuous 1960s, young historians examine video clips, listen to music, examine images, and interview survivors. Once they have a foundation of information about the period, class members...
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Malcolm X: Minister and Civil Rights Activist
Any study of the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement would be incomplete without an examination of the life of Malcolm X. Class members view a short biographical video and analyze primary source documents to gain an understanding of the...
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The Role of the Media
Students analyze the role of media in the Gulf War after watching a video series. They participate in a small group simulating a specific group from the film. They discuss issues with their group and then participate in a whole class...
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Message Control
Students examine various forms of propaganda and how they are used to manipulate public opinion. Students review the techniques of propaganda, learn to recognize propaganda in oral, written, and visual communications and practice...
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Orchestrated Hell
High schoolers evaluate a radio broadcast by correspondent Edward R. Murrow as a primary historic source. The broadcast, popularly known as "Orchestrated Hell" recounts Murrow's experiences with a Royal Air Force bomber crew on a raid...
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Hitler's Lost Sub
Students watch a video clip about German submarines lost during World War II. They work together to create their own submarine out of a plastic bottle. They test the buoyancy of the submarine in different activities.
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I Had To Tell This Story
Tenth graders analyze the video "Berga: Soldiers of Another War." For this World History lesson, 10th graders read a quote and discuss the meaning of the quote. Students read and answer questions based on a video
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The Roosevelts: An Intimate History—Snapshot Lessons
The Roosevelt family was one of the most influential and prominent political forces in the 20th century, leaving behind a wide-ranging legacy of conservation, progressivism, and economic growth. Learn more about President Theodore...
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Hidden Messages in Spirituals
Slaves laboring in the cotton fields of the old South singing joyously may have convinced overseers that their workforce was happy and content, but in truth, these spirituals contained secret codes. After viewing a short video about...
PBS
The Meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment
The Fourteenth Amendment was extremely important to civil rights and is a crucial one to remember. The resource teaches about the Supreme Court decisions related to the amendment through writing exercises, reading, and working in small...
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Extranjeros and Expansion
A three-part lesson gives light to the Unites States expansion from the view of Texans, New Mexicans, and Californians. Through videos and written activities, scholars work collaboratively to research specific individuals and their...
PBS
Catch-22: What It Means to Be a(n Anti)Hero
Catch-22, Joseph Heller's send-up of military organizational bureaucracy, provides readers with an opportunity to consider the importance of the anti-hero. Class members fill out a worksheet comparing and contrasting the qualities...
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What Floats Your Boat?
Students explore the principles of buoyancy and Archimedes' Principle and design their own flotation device. They compare the dimensions of a model to the real object to determine scale and analyze the models to suggest improvements.