Curated OER
Pestilence and Plague
Learners investigate various disease epidemics that have devastated the world population at different points in history and examine the diseases' effects on the countries they impacted.
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Too Free, Or Not Too Free?
Students create a survey that examines what level of electronic surveillance might be acceptable to members of the school and community. They poll the community, and analyze the results in the form of graphs and a written news article.
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The Power Of Words
Students respond, in writing and in discussions, to statements of various world leaders about the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. They keep quotation scrapbooks, responding to various quotations about the...
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On the Attack
Students explore how government restrictions and over fishing impact the ecosystems of sharks and contribute to or curb their danger to humans. They synthesize their understanding of the issues by creating board games in groups.
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Vision Of The Future
Students investigate ways in which new vision tests and technologies can be used to help detect and correct vision problems. They begin by reading the Times article, Software May Replace the Eye Chart on the Wall. They stage a medical...
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What a Cosmic Web We Weave
Students explore, using journals and discussion in small groups, how the universe has evolved since the theoretical Big Bang and create dramatizations of various eras in cosmic evolution.
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Delegating Authorities
Students compare and contrast democracies around the world after reading a New York Times article. They create posters and participate in a "democracy roundtable" in which they discuss two democracies.
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Beating the Odds
Students act as medical researchers and investigate the development of artificial heart, heart assist devices and other advancements in cardiology. They report their findings, both orally and visually, to their 'colleagues' at a conference.
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Special Treatment
Students determine the role of the FDA in approving new drugs. They investigate some of these new drugs and consider the pros and cons of taking part in a clinical study.
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Sweating the Big Stuff
Students explore the responsibility of corporations in increasing global labor standards. They read case studies about sweatshops and create a list of human rights violations involved in a sweatshop.
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Isn't It Ionic?
Students research the properties and health risks of organic chemical solvents. They create a Safety with Solvents newsletter to share with others in their school and community.
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Saving Private Pensions
Young scholars consider the importance of financial security after retirement, examine current problems with pension plans in the private sector, research different retirement options, and create a "How it Works" poster.
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Reporter's Notebook
Students research the geography and history of a major city in Iraq. They write a journal from the perspective of a war correspondent stationed in that city.
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Keeping It Quiet
Students consider ways in which countries use censorship to control information. They examine China's recent abridgement of a politician's speech and consider China's recent history with other nations to better explain why censorship is...
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Designing Databases
Students explore the basic concepts of a relational database by designing a questionnaire to gather information about their school's student body for use in designing more effective school programs.
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All Work and No Pay Makes Workers Angry
Students examine and react to a current cost-cutting dilemma faced by store managers. They then study the rights of worker and employers, and draft their findings in chapters of a book examining labor laws in the United States.
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Unionized We Stand
Students compose a statement of basic rights to protect their own health and well-being. They research the history, power and purpose of unions in the United States before creating their own union to promote the interests of students.
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Phishing Tales
Students research different types of identity-theft fraud and ways to avoid falling victim to various scams. They create focused public service announcements in different media, targeted to individuals most susceptible to consumer fraud.
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Photo Forgery
Students inspect examples of manipulated photos and explore the technology and issues behind doctored photos. They hold an in-depth discussion about the responsibility of the photojournalist and news editor to show true photos.
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The Sporting Life
Students read and discuss "When the Games Began: Olympic Archaeology," examining the significance of the first Olympic Games in Greece. They research and reenact scenes from these Games and reflect on the Games' original importance.
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Government Gripes
Students, in groups, investigate the purpose and jurisdiction of government agencies assigned to regulate different science/technology/health issues, then describe situations in which agencies might have a disagreement, and stage a mock...
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User Friendly
Students explore how consumers have become as proficient in computer technology as specialists were a decade ago. They create and conduct a test to determine the proficiencies of people in their school community.
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To Tell the Tale
Students explore how themes common to the human condition can be found in literary and oral traditions across cultures. They compile traditional folk tales around these themes and write their own tales to reflect their own cultural context.
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Reason to Celebrate!
Students consider the importance of secular holidays celebrated around the world, researching holidays in various countries and creating patchwork quilts to illustrate their findings.