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The Whole Story
Students collect and convey information about a current event. By focusing on who, what, when, where, why, and how questions, students study to thoroughly analyze and report on important world events.
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Playing With Your Food
Students discover about the form and function of traditional musical instruments, then use this knowledge to create non-traditional instruments that replicate the sounds of traditional instruments. They use vegetables to create their...
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Taiwan on Shaky Ground
Students, in groups, examine how various elements of Taiwan's infrastructure were affected in the September 21, 1999 earthquake by analyzing a number of newspaper articles on the quake and its aftermath.
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Our City, Our Words
Students write poetry that captures their feelings about their city or town. After presenting their poetry at a class reading students compare their poetry to the work of published poets who have written about the same city.
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Crossing Borders, Crossing Boundaries?
Students explore how the United States government is using biometrics to secure American borders. They examine the pitfalls of biometrics programs and propose possible ways to strengthen the program.
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Product Persuasion
Learners examine various products and analyze the marketing strategies used to entice consumers. They bring in a product they like to use, and using persuasive writing, they write their own advertisements for their products.
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Details and Observations IQ or the Eyes Have it
Fourth graders study Chaucer as a master of details. Then, they create a short story linking unrelated details into a logical plot with a clear setting and established characters. This lesson has some excellent worksheets attached!
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Using a Concept Definition Map
Students define "natural disaster" by offering examples and charting them to discover what a concept definition map is. Then students create their own maps using the word "city".
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Much Ado About Something
Learners view video clips of Shakespeare's plays. They discuss issues in his plays that challenge his authorship. They discuss the concept of a genius and identify what qualities a writer has.
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Exhibiting Tools of the Trade
Learners design 'mini museums' that exhibit both historic and current artifacts and information associated with specific professions. They then display and defend their work in class gallery talks and exhibitions.
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Taking the Witness Stand
Students identify a pivotal event in world history that they would have liked to have witnessed. They then research this event and write a first-person account of it as if they had been present. Their first-prerson account is modeled...
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Seems Like a Million Bucks
Students explore philanthropy. For this service learning lesson, students read Sam and the Lucky Moon, identify the elements of the story, and examine the benefits and costs of giving.
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Characterization
Students read the book Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. In this character traits activity, students read the book and identify character traits. Students draw pictures of a character from the book and describe the character traits.
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Cooperative Comics
Students create comics identifying conflicts and their resolutions. In this conflict resolution lesson, small groups of students follow specific mapping instructions to illustrate a conflict and its resolution. Students present orally...
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"Once Upon a Time": Tearing Down Fences
Ninth graders study how individuals take responsibility in reducing societal misunderstandings. They discover the irony in thinking that building fences provides security and solves societal problems. They consider the fences that every...
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Getting the Message Across
Students discover the emergence of e-mail as a popular communication tool and explore its impact on society. They consider the advantages and disadvantages of different types of communication tools in various creative contexts.
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To Kill a Mockingbird - Introductory Role Play and Historical Background
Students participate in role-play activities to explain that emotional and social effects of prejudice discussed in the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.
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Sacred Space
Learners consider the two finalists in the contest for architectural designs for the site of the World Trade Center. They create their own designs for a meaningful public space, then critique each other's designs.
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Paper Sculpture Headdress
Students examine African masks and headdresses, and create their own.
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Thanksgiving Acrostic Poems
Students watch streaming video, Holiday Facts and Fun: Thanksgiving, define and discuss acrostic poetry, complete circle map using words associated with Thanksgiving, and create acrostic Thanksgiving poems to be typed in Microsoft Word...
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Makes Cents to Me: Penny Drive
St that people have wants and must find ways to get them. In this philanthropy lesson, students understand the ways people get things and arrange a penny drive to help others. Students arrange an artistic project to reflect on their fund...
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Frontier Life Story
Students undertake a similar (but not quite as drastic) adventure as that of Frontier House as they explore the day-to-day realities of frontier life through a Laura Ingalls Wilder story, and reflect on which time period suits them...
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Newsworthy Fairy Tales
Third graders review common fairy tales and work in teams to rewrite the fairy tales as news articles. They answer questions using the 5 Ws (who, what, where, when, why). Student articles include eye-catching headlines.