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Current Events Research
Learners monitor current events using on-line and traditional resources. They explore issues such as what trends they see developing in specific news issues over time and how different news stories might be interrelated.
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Scientific Detectives
Students examine the legitimacy of advertisers' claims about products using science and critical thinking. They view and discuss ads, read a case study, and conduct an experiment to demonstrate whether a product lives up to its claims.
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Current Events Lesson Plan 10
Students take a closer look at world events. For this current events lesson, students discuss the role of the newspaper throughout history. Students also discern which sources for news are credible and look at international newspapers...
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Nobel Peacekeeping
Students examine the goals of eradicating poverty, preventing conflict and promoting democracy--outlined in Kofi Annan's 2001 Nobel Peace Prize lecture--as they apply to today's news.
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Where Do I Begin: Writing an Effective Feature Story
High schoolers write an effective feature story. In this journalism lesson plan, students learn through 6 activities to ask open-ended questions, write effective leads, and handle quotes, and write headlines for news stories.
The New York Times
'The Century's Bitterest Journalistic Failure'? Considering Times Coverage of the Holocaust
Rich with primary sources and additional resources, this plan asks class members to think critically about newspaper coverage of the Holocaust. Focusing in particular on the analysis of the article "150th Anniversary: 1851-2001: Turning...
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Are Gay Rights "Special"?
Inspire critical thinking with this activity, which prompts students to compare lesbian, gat, bisexual, and transgender rights with the rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. By collecting topical articles about...
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Stabilization Wedges Game
Teamwork and critical thinking combine to for a creative activity on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Ebullient environmental studies learners play a game in which they strategize how to place colorful energy wedges together to create...
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Paradise Lost: Problem Situation
Let your class voice their opinions with a group debate activity. Before reading John Milton's Paradise Lost, they work in small groups in assigned roles to form a position about authority and rebellion, comparing a...
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The Boreal Forest "In the News"
Students examine and discuss the current issues surrounding the deforestation of Canada's boreal forest. They also explore the issue through the eyes of the forestry industry.
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The Reformation
Fifth graders identify key events of the Reformation. They recognize the impact of religion during the Middle Ages.
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Reading Clues
Critically Evaluating Alarming News pupils use a guided reading strategy to explore news articles about the Washington-area sniper attacks, and conduct a roundtable discussion to investigate public reaction to the case. October 17, 200
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Discussion Guide: Grades 9-12
Students discover that wars and human rights abuses are going on around the world every day. They discuss how the media decide what should be covered and what should not?
Media Education Lab
Propaganda in Context
"Board Game Helps Fight Real World Ebola," a video produced by Voice of America, provides the text for a guided instructional activity that asks viewers to analyze the propaganda techniques used in the video. Groups then select a example...
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The Media and Parliamentarians / Lessons 1 : The Medias and Parliamentarians
Eleventh graders recognize the paradox which exists in the views of Parliamentarians: the perception that the media misrepresents in its reporting of Parliamentary business the view of Parliamentarians.
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Non-Fiction Texts
Third graders examine different types of non-fiction texts. In this non fiction lesson, 3rd graders use different types of texts to gather information. Students work in groups to analyze the texts for author's purpose, common...
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Smoking On TV and In Films
Students identify and discuss young peoples' attitudes towards smoking and the power of TV and film on their daily lives. They critically evaluate comments about tobacco smoking. In addition, they place on a graph the reasons people give...
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Binge Drinking and Drug Use
Students critically evaluate young peoples' comments on under age drinking. They map out valleys tieing together communities and drinking problems in a variety of situation. In addition, they correlate drinking and education in schools...
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Teaching Controversial Science Issues Through Law Related Education
A set of lessons help aspiring scientists practice the critical thinking skills required for facing controversial issues such as evolution. As a group, they discuss what controversy consists of. They compare and constrast the concepts of...
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Transportation Fuels: Biodiesel
Students examine biodiesel as a fuel for transportation. In this biodiesel lesson students complete activities using their critical thinking.
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Social Problems
An adult ESL class brainstorm what they believe to be the major problems in Namibia. In groups, they use the list of problems and put them into the order of the most critical and the reasons why. They research possible solutions and...
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Ethics and Hazelwood: What Journalists Should and Can Write
Students explore the code of ethics in journalism. For this journalism ethics lesson, students use Hazelwood and Tinker to explore journalism ethics. Students compare ethics of journalists and pirates, read a related article, write their...
Global Oneness Project
Far From Home
A timely and provocative activity inspires high schoolers to tackle the Syrian refugee crisis. They analyze a compelling photo essay before discussing and writing about it.
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Read (or Scroll) All About It!
Students compare written headlines found in print and online news sources while using The New York Times. They conduct research with the top stories from the newspaper and have discussion that involves critical thinking skills.