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Speaking Out About Kosovo
Invite your class to reflect on the responsibility of newspapers to act as vehicles for citizens to voice their opinions. Using an article to gain factual info. about gov't strategies in dealing with current events in Kosovo, students...
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That's the Spirit
Is, as Walt Whitman contends, America’s “almost maniacal appetite for wealth,” the heart of the American dream? Class members grapple with this question as they read David Brooks’ article “The Commercial Republic,” and quotes that...
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March 2, 1877: Hayes Declared Winner in Disputed Presidential Election
After reading an interesting article comparing the disputed presidential election of 1877 to a similar event in the year 2000, kids blog a response. They read the article, check out the embedded links, then respond to four related...
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Jan. 3, 1959 | Alaska Becomes a State
Make connections with past history and current events with this critical thinking exercise. Kids read background information relating to Alaska's statehood as well as information on oil drilling and Alaska's economy. They put it all...
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All About Almanacs
Use almanacs to entice your learners to explore non-fiction texts in celebration of Read-An-Almanac Month!
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Executing Justice
Students explore the reasons for postponing the execution of Timothy McVeigh, assess key legal definitions in relation to the case, and formulate personal responses.
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Rights-Minded
Students expand their knowledge and understanding about the civil rights movement by investigating the lives of some of the people who contributed to it.
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Fifty Years: From the Little Rock Nine to the Jena Six
Students discuss how the issues surrounding school integration have changed since the Little Rock Nine entered Central High School. They discuss the recent events in Jena, Louisiana. Students write a letter to a school administrator...
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Lady Liberty
If you're looking for a fantastic cross-curricular lesson on the Statue of Liberty, then this lesson is for you! Learners watch a Reading Rainbow episode which focuses on the Statue, then gather facts about the creation, construction,...
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Creating Historians: Send Them Out
Get teenagers out of the classroom in the pursuit of history; part three of a series on approaching social studies as a group of historians.
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The Final Word
Middle schoolers research biographies of Americans who advanced science. They create an obituary for the person to share what information they have gathered. They discuss the importance of the obituary as the "final word" of a person to...
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Whose "Truth" Is Out There?
Students read article It's a Fact: Faith and Theory Collide Over Evolution, and examine different ways people arrive at what 'the truth' is, focusing on the evolution vs creationism debate that has been a hot topic throughout the 20th...
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Hungry for History
Students examine what their diets would be like without the inclusion of staple crops such as corn, wheat and sugar, and discover the value that chocolate had for the Mayan people. They create display boards for a food festival.
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Empire State-Building
Learners explore how empires around the globe have impacted the world in which they have existed. They analyze whether or not the United States is an imperialist nation and create their own empires based on their understanding of empires...
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A State of Her Own
Students investigate current elected female leaders from around the world and use their research to create challenging crossword puzzles.
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Whitewashing History
Students revisit issues of civil rights in the U.S. They use the recent national discussion of retiring Senator Strom Thurmond's 1948 Dixiecrat Presidential campaign as a starting point.
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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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Land of the Rising Guns?
Students discuss the decision after World War II of Japan's to follow a policy of pacifism. After reading an article, they identify the ways Japan is strengthening its military. They watch a video to discover how their Constitution was...
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Diseases Without Borders
Learners use the European Union's struggle with Mad Cow Disease as a starting point to study the spread of infectious diseases across geographical boundaries.
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Bureau Stats
Students explore the role of bureaucracy in United States government; they then examine the history, leadership, organization, and goals of executive agencies.
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Dude, I'm Interviewing the President
Student define issues and questions they would discuss with a president. Students read "Bill and Leo's Excellent Encounter". Students choose famous personalities, research their celebrity, and create a mock interview with them.
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Has Peace Finally Settled in the Middle East?
Young scholars evaluate the changes made in the Palestine National Council charter and their potential impact on the future of Israeli-Palestinian relations. They write a brief essay focusing on an article from an Israeli or Palestinian...
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Acting Up
Young scholars, in groups, study a Tony Award winner from the past through researching its history, watching the production, and reading the written origin of the production. They create programs for these productions and assess
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Kashmir in the Crossfire
Students, in groups, research specific decades and then create multi-tiered timelines representing Indian and Pakistani relations and politics during those decades.