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Towing Cars -- Legally and Not So Legally
Learners discuss the issue of having cars towed in a small community when they should not be. After watching a local news story on the issue, they work together to conduct three full days of research. They write an article to be...
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Issue 1 - Designed to Add Technology Jobs
Students research the statewide initiative on the Ohio ballot of 2003. They form teams to debate the issue of using bond proceeds to encourage technology research. The class votes on which individual/team presented the best argument, and...
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Ohio Virtual Academy: Learning Online
Students spend time researching online education facilities. After interviewing teachers, they develop a survey on how productive online education sites are to its students. They write a story for the school newspaper about this issue to...
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How Safe is Your School Bus?
Learners research various aspects of school bus safety such as what makes a bus safe and unsafe. Using provided Internet sites and others students examine what the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has to say and also what...
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Don't Flick Your Bic!
Students research the ban on lighters and how it is being enforced and interview community members who smoke, especially travelers who have or might be stopped for carrying lighters. Students then write an opinion piece about the situation.
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Dangers of drugs, lying
Learners read articles and write an essay about three college students who wanted to see what it felt like to get high. Learners discuss legal and ethical questions of illegal drug use, and stealing medication from someone else. Students...
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Security Guards: Are They Needed?
High schoolers discuss the need for some school districts in their area to hire security guards. Using the internet, they identify the severity of the problem in the other districts and discuss what else could be done to make schools...
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Weapons in school: Protection or danger?
Students write an editorial (staff opinion) or commentary (writer's opinion) if they/he or she believe the school rules are either too strict or too lenient when addressing weapons possession. Students research past situations in their...
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Reporter rights vs. legal access...
Students write an article to inform readers about confidentiality with reporters, attempting to find local lawyers and journalists to explain the issues as they relate to them. Students research past cases and the status of the current...
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Levies to decide school funding
Student write a news analysis or editorial about Ohio schools possibly cutting busing, sports, and other extra-curricular activities. Students interview the district treasurer, and then interview community members. Students write about...
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Picture America's Sweetheart
High schoolers examine Seventeen Magazine's America's Sweetheart contest and one of their finalists by reading about Sunia Arif and what made Seventeen choose her. Students then write a 300-word essay about what would make them or...
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School discipline includes paddling
Students analyze corporal punishment, debating the pros and cons. Students investigate, collecting background information and interviewing school community members. If students disagree with the district's policy, students develop a...
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Police patrol the city's garbage
Students debate the pros and cons of police searching the trash of suspected drug dealers. Students collect background information, and students interview city officials and garbage collectors. Students develop a strategic plan for...
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Right to vote...in the wrong place
Young scholars create a presentation for other class members or for a local citizens' group explaining how they can guard ensure voter rights. Students research the Ohio Secretary of State's stand on provisional voting rules.
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The death penalty; What is your view?
Students write a persuasive essay about the death penalty. Students respond to students at St. Ignatius Catholic High School in Cleveland protesting the death of Adremy Dennis. Students research both sides of the debate, before writing...
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Finding the dress code balance
Students write a persuasive essay, expressing their opinions of how the school dress code should be changed. Students investigate their own school's dress code, developing their own opinions of whether the dress code should be more or...
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Rosa Parks: Mother of Civil Rights Movement
Students read an article from Time and react to the article based upon what they have studied about Rosa Parks. They find that even though Rosa is no longer alive, she still has an impact today. They focus on that impact she has and...
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Beauty Queen Heads to Iraq
Middle schoolers study about Jessica Gaulke, a beauty queen from Minnesota. She is then deployed to Iraq with the National Guard unit she is in. They have to role play her and react to what they think they would feel if they were in her...
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Buckling Up May Not Help Bus Safety
Students discuss the issue of putting seat belts in all school buses. Using the internet, they research how other districts are solving this problem. They interview school administrators about the pros and cons of putting seat belts in...
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Outsourcing City Hall
Students examine how some city halls around the country are using private companies to run them. After watching a video, they write a reaction paper to some part of it. They write an article for their school newspaper discussing whether...
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Evaluate Ecosystems
Ninth graders conduct an environmental inventory on one ecosystem. They collect data, and write an environmental impact statement on that area. Students explain the interactions between different systems found within an ecosystem....
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Project Playhouse
Students read about Kent State's ongoing support for Hurricane Katrina victims by building and auctioning off playhouses for children. They create an ad for the playhouses, including a headline and some copy (words) plus visuals that...
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Panther Prime Time Morning News Show
Students write, direct, produce and star in a morning news show to be aired live to the student body three days a week. Fourth graders are the show's anchors amd fifth graders man the production equipment.
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Tie Dye
High schoolers practice writing research proposals to test the color fastness of a dye once it has been exposed to a t-shirt. Each proposal needs details of experimental design, length of treatment, and means of cleaning the shirt. All...