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What Personal Journals Tell Us
Learners read primary source journals from the Nebraska Western Trails Project. They work in groups to analyze the journal entries and complete a worksheet. Students then write an individual essay on the experience and consider what kind...
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Journal of Children of the World
Pupils explore the lives of other children. In this comparing and contrasting lesson plan, students complete a KWL chart on children around the world and use the Internet to compare and contrast these children using different categories....
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Book Smarts
Young scholars identify the ideas and themes that are most significant in a work of literature, then propose ways to visually represent these themes through art.
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Integrating Language Arts and Math
Here are simple ideas to integrate math and language arts skills.
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Automated Intelligence
Students redesign everyday robotic devices to increase their autonomy and their usefulness. Propose ideas that would make directly controlled robotic devices more antonymous and create posters illustrating their ideas.
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Forever in Our Memories
Students consider reactions to various plans for building on the grounds of the World Trade Center. They explore ideas and opinions that went into creating other memorials of events in American history and propose ideas for improving...
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Trendy T's
Students consider popular trends, such as rock fashion. They create designs for t-shirts that represent current pop culture and write pitch letters selling their ideas to the clothing industry in the year 2030.
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Classes For The Masses
Students explore how class is represented in the media by developing ideas for television pilots that deal with class issues. They compile short lists of television characters from working, middle and upper classes.
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College Accept-tion to the Rule
Students extend their ideas about the college application process. They write an informative, persuasive letter about themselves to a college admissions counselor that could be used as a 'cover letter' to college applications.
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Both Home And School On The Range
Students investigate the notion of home-schooling and the use of technology as an instructional tool while comparing these ideas to their own school experiences. They develop and conduct a survey centering around home-schooling and...
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An Egg-celent Gravity Experiment
Fifth graders record at least four hypotheses concerning what happens when they drop an egg from a high spot. They record at least five observations or supporting ideas about the egg drop. Students test gravity by dropping an egg from a...
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Bibliotherapy - Prejudice
Students read and answer questions based on One Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes. In this tolerance activity, students record their feelings and reflections during discussion of the book. Students create a dress using their own ideas.
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Ways to Set Up Creative Classroom Environments
Here are a few ideas to freshen up your classroom environment.
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A Nation Divided
Fifth graders participate in various activities related to the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson students understand the events and feelings of people during the Civil War by studying primary sources, journal writing, readings, viewing...
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Native American Bartering
Fifth graders create items to barter. In this Native American bartering lesson, 5th graders read a book, design and make items, and barter with their peers. Students reflect on the experience through journal writing.
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The Secret is Out
Students explore ideas about journalism ethics as they relate to Watergate and discuss various issues related to an anonymous source being revealed. They write letters to the public editor of The NY Times about credibility and anonymous...
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Trading Places
Students examine the tactics used by groups in the United States to lobby Congress. After reading an article, they discuss the efforts of unions and businesses to lobby Congress regarding the vote on China's trading relations with the...
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Recycle, Reduce, Reuse and Save a Tree
Young scholars examine how to save and protect trees. For this conservation lesson, students read books about the usefulness of trees, write ideas in their journals about how trees can be used, and make a book of ways to protect trees.
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Artscapes
Students consider "The Gates" and other environmental art projects, and create an original public art project for their local community. They draw sketches and write proposals outlining their ideas.
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Electric Blues
Students brainstorm a list of electrical devices used in their home. They read an article about electricity usage in a heat wave. In groups, they create public service announcements promoting energy conservation. They share their ideas...
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The Art of Adaptation
Students examine and discuss animal adaptation. They read an article about snakes, conduct research on ways animals adapt, develop a diagram, and write a short story written from the perspective of the animal they researched.
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Outlining Essays (Grades 3-6)
Students brainstorm story idea in preparation of writing an expressive essay. They study how to outline essays to assist them in writing an expressive essay. Each students conclusion should summarize their main idea and restate their...
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The Weekly News, Part 1
Fifth graders explore things that happen in their schools. In this journalism instructional activity, 5th graders use the writing process to prioritize their collected information. Students write a weekly article for a classroom news...
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Is Evolution Just Monkey Business?
Students examine the presentation of the theory of evolution in the science classroom. They define and discuss aspects of evolution, evaluate the presentation of evolutionary theory, and write a persuasive essay.