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Dig Those Descriptions
Students practice writing descriptions by researching various artifacts from ancient Egypt and writing captions for them. They read and discuss the Times article, King Tut, Museum Trailblazer, Begins Encore.
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Press-ing Freedom
Students consider how free speech applies to journalistic practices in light of a legal case involving two reporters. They participate in a fishbowl discussion about journalism codes of ethics and write response papers.
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Judicial Void
Students explore the impact of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court. They research potential nominees to replace her, in light of her resignation, and write letters to President George W. Bush to share opinions of the...
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I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Young scholars write a first-person narrative from the perspective of a runaway slave, or a historical character of the period, and present their story orally.
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Sadness in Srebrenica
Students explore the atrocities committed during the war in Bosnia from 1992 to 1995 that prompted an apology from the international community in 2005.
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Art as Therapy
Students explore how they connect with artwork on an emotional level through writing and the creation of an original piece of art.
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Alien Invasions
Students create an educational pamphlet on the origins, spread and impact of invasive plant species in their community.
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Adding Fuel to the Fire
Students consider global warming and the greenhouse effect, then explore how these issues affect other countries. They graph findings and write papers considering how continued usage can affect the future of the atmosphere and the global...
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Ad Nauseam
Students explore the role of special-interest groups in American campaigns. They create their own political advertisements.
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Justices for All
Young scholars examine role of Supreme Court justices in the American political process, research the qualities of the current Supreme Court justices, and write opinion papers evaluating the current justices and recommending future...
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Two's Company; Is Three a Crowd?
Students explore the history of third-party politics in America. They research the impact of one third-party or independent candidate for president and develop a poster and stump speech representing that candidate's motivation for running.
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The Eleventh Hour
Students examine their own understanding of the issues and events that are framing this year's presidential race. They explore the candidates' stances on eight issues and present their findings to the class.
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Legally Wed
Students explore the controversial topic of same-sex marriages in a fishbowl discussion. They write balanced news articles based on interviews exploring people's opinions on laws that define marriage.
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Civil War
Students explore rules of conduct in a political body, first drafting rules that apply to their classroom, then adapting them to political actions in Congress.
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Red, Undecided, and Blue
Students analyze voter preferences in past elections, and then write letters to a presidential candidate, recommending winning strategies drawn from their research.
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It's an Ad Eats Ad World
Students explore the power and influence of television advertisements in presidential campaigns. They choose issues in the 2004 campaign and create promotional materials addressing these issues from varying points of view.
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Winning Tickets
Students research background, personal interests, family history, and positions on current issues of the leading presidential and vice presidential candidates. They create unbiased presentations aimed at informing voters about...
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Check the Mates
Students explore John Edwards, the running mate for 2004 Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. They research the ways in which vice presidential candidates have impacted presidential elections in modern United States history.
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Hollywood Candidate
Students consider how a political candidate creates a campaign image. They, in groups, create short biographical films promoting various candidates currently running for office in the United States.
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Where Will You Be November 2?
Students consider reasons why many Americans do not vote in national elections and explore the increase in new registered voters. They research a particular demographic and create an advertisement encouraging members of that group to vote.
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Running (Check) Mate
Students consider qualities that the public seeks in a vice president, then analyze statements made by the vice presidential candidates and multimedia commentary on the debate by a Times reporter. For homework.
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The Final Countdown
Students examine the United States electoral college system as it applies to the 2004 presidential election. They investigate the impact of the twelve battleground states in the 2004 election and develop informative pamphlets on the...
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Keeping an Appointment
Students studey about Bernard B. Kerik's decision to withdraw his nomination as homeland security secretary by President Bush. They hold a mock vetting process for other potential nominees for this position.
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Love It or Leave It?
Students identify flags by country, then research the symbolism and history of those flags in preparation for writing and delivering oral presentations. For homework, they write essays reflecting on the relationship between flags,...