Curated OER
Urban Legends
Students consider how people of color and minority culture are represented in video games. After debating the issue as representatives of various interest groups, students reflect on their personal feelings regarding this issue.
Curated OER
From the Moon to the Sun and Back Again
Students consider the aims of the space program, create posters comparing the voyages of Apollo 17 and Genesis and write response papers evaluating NASA's current mission statement.
Curated OER
More Power to You
Students explore renewable and nonrenewable energy sources and develop a documentary that explores multiple energy sources and draws conclusions about their uses.
Curated OER
Tell It Like It Is
Students consider the accuracy of the Web sites they regularly use, then prepare for a formal debate on the reliability of Wikipedia and similar Web sites. For homework, they prepare note cards and practice delivering their orations.
Curated OER
Mission Discovery
Students examine the changes to the space shuttle Discovery and its history by creating a classroom exhibition about NASA's space shuttle program. They create an informative and attractive invitation about the gallery for outside visitors.
Curated OER
Liberty, Equality, Uniformity?
Students examine the French draft law to ban religious symbols from public schools. They research "secularist" and "pluralist" positions regarding this ban, debate the topic in class, and draft a position paper on the ban.
Curated OER
Fighting Fire With Satire
Students consider satire in the news by exploring various sources of "fake news," and then creating their own political satire in the form of a skit, news article, or cartoon.
Curated OER
War Fair
Students gather a general understanding of terms related to international rules of warfare and human rights, then discuss hypothetical applications of those rules. They write letters expressing their opinion on the current application of...
Curated OER
Do the Right Thing
Learners consider the relationship between gang violence and the factors that can contribute to its increase. After researching the issues behind one such factor, students make recommendations that may help reduce gang violence.
Curated OER
Turkey Soup for the Soul
Students read an article that tells how a young man turned his life around through the help of a local charity. They create inspirational scrapbooks and posters to help motivate their peers when they are facing adversity.
Curated OER
Plastic Peas
Students consider the life cycle of certain plastics products and propose improved recycling legislation in their own communities.
Curated OER
At Your Service
Learners discuss various volunteer activities and read how New York City organizes its volunteer efforts. They create their own databases compiling volunteer opportunities and write reflective essays on how volunteers help their...
Curated OER
People Who Need People
Students study The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund and several immigrant families who have benefited from it. They assess needs of people in their own community and create a plan for an organization to help address some of those needs.
Curated OER
The Will to Drill?
Students read a New York Times article about plans for oil drilling in the Arctic. They examine and debate both sides of the plan to explore for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Curated OER
Trial By Wire
Learners identify the arguments on both sides of the new Medicare policy debate over claim hearings. They participate in a mock trial to adjudicate the fairness of the new policy.
Curated OER
Security and Savings for All?
Young scholars act as either Democrats or Republicans to debate plans to alter Social Security. For homework, they consider whether Social Security has become too politicized and propose their own solutions.
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Darwinist Dogma?
Learners debate whether teachers should be mandated to present theories challenging evolution in their classrooms. For homework, they write letters to their local school board expressing their own opinions.
Curated OER
Trials and Tribulations
Students explore their beliefs about objectivity and the United States justice system. They examine the facets of a criminal case by researching various aspects of the judicial system and apply what they have learned to the Michael...
Curated OER
Justice For All?
Students study about President Bush's nomination of federal appeals court judge John G. Roberts to the Supreme Court. They compare coverage of the nomination in different sections and articles in The New York Times.
Curated OER
Trading Up?
Students explore the benefits and drawbacks of free trade from the perspective of the United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Chile and Mexico. For homework, they each write a letter to the editor expressing their personal...
Curated OER
In the Wake of a Storm
Students share thoughts about the effects of Hurricane Katrina on Louisiana's natural environment. They read an online article and write proposals to save Mississippi River marshlands.
Curated OER
Whose Fate at the G-8?
Students explore the 2005 Group of 8 Summit, investigating the member countries' views on the summit issues, as well as the views of the African Union and G-8 protesters. They offer predictions on outcomes of the summit given this...
Curated OER
Happy Ending?
Young scholars explore different perspectives on withdrawing troops from Iraq. They examine the endings and consequences of other major conflicts in modern history to gain further insight into the situation in Iraq and its uncertain end...
Curated OER
A State of Her Own
Students investigate current elected female leaders from around the world and use their research to create challenging crossword puzzles.