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A System of Rules
Students write letters, create models, create a photo display, and make charts about the rules that a state has. In this rules lesson plan, students learn about and make different displays of how states come up with rules, change them,...
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Cartoons for the Classroom: Drawing the Line
In this current events worksheet, students read about the attributes of political and editorial cartoonists. Students then respond to 2 short answer questions.
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Hazardous Waste Issues in the News
Students work together to research hazardous waste in the news. They discover how large the hazardous waste issue is. They complete an experiment and discuss how the issues affect their community.
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The Ancient Times
High schoolers create a newspaper sharing stories of Cleopatra before her death. They use the internet to research information about her and the time in which she lived. They share their newspaper articles with others.
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Identifying Watersheds with Topographic Maps
Middle schoolers model a watershed and delineate one using topographic maps. For this hydrology lesson, students use aluminum foil to model a landscape and observe how water moves on it. They also observe the features of a topographic...
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Cartoons for the Classroom: 9/11 Revisited
Political cartoons about the September 11 terrorist attacks provide an opportunity for class members to analyze the inferences embedded in the drawings.
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Do the Right Thing
Students 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.
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Visual Composition
Students study how elements of visual composition and group storyboards for a one-minute videotaped commercial.
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Making the Personal Political
Students identify controversial topics on which they have strong opinions and model their own persuasive opinion pieces after the featured article. They compose persuasive essays on controversial issues that "hit home" for them.
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The Long and Short of It
Students take a look back at the week's news by exploring the news summaries article offered in The New York Times' Week in Review section each week. They look further into ongoing news stories of interest to them in order to create...
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It's a Draw!
Learners assess the ways in which editorial cartoons, both current and historic, offer insight into events that shape our world. They create a poster that includes a current editorial cartoon and their explanation of the details of the...
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National Security; The Rosenbergs, Espionage
Students research the history of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg as a lens through which to consider that cases involving a breach of national security tend to be very complicated. They reflect that problems with national security have...
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A Civil Action
Students explore the roles of law enforcement officials, the news media, and civilians in crime prevention and criminal apprehension. They envision ways to build and strengthen community partnerships to address concerns about crime.
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Taking to the Airwaves
Students consider the purpose of talk radio and examine its importance in the new democratic Iraq. They enact mock talk shows based on current events and reflect on the value of free speech and the role audience members play in radio...
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The "Ad" Survey-What Makes a Print Ad Convincing?
Students develop opinions from a variety of materials, recognize and analyze bias, propaganda and stereotypes, and evaluate effectiveness of print advertisements.
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Soccer Fever Gets Hot
Students examine rules of soccer, focusing on basic skills necessary to play, create imaginary team, match players with positions that best fit their skill levels and personalities, and practice new skills with classmates.
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Oil Spill!
Students examine how oil spills are cleaned through an interactive program. They review the facts of oil spills and how the oil spreads. They discuss the short and long term effects of a spill and how they can be avoided.
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9-1-1: Response, Rescue and Recovery
Students discover the many types of emergency management teams through an interactive program. They review the history of FEMA and the Red Cross. They focus on terrorist attacks and how different groups are trained to respond to the...
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Get Ready to Rumble
Students use the Internet to examine earthquakes. They discover the theory of tectonic plates and analyze faults throughout the world. They also examine the science of seismology to explain how earthquakes are measured.
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Heroes and Role Models
Students identify heroes and role models they are familiar with. They write a paper about people they know or celebrities they admire. They research people using the Internet and other research materials.
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Real Life Or Broken Mirror? Examining Media Representations of Teenagers
Students analyze representation of teenagers in the news and other media, discuss importance of media literacy in interpreting media portrayals of reality, and discuss and write about accuracy, or lack thereof, of media images of young...
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Exit to the Left
Learners share their own thoughts about the United States' involvement in Iraq. They read an article about what the Democrats would do if they were in charge. They develop a poll for members of their community to take and analyze the...
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Your Angle on the Story
Students review several articles on same current event, and then cover news issues themselves while assuming secret identities of various individuals who have vested interests in issue. Students write newspaper articles from these...
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Advertising
Students explore the advantages/disadvantages of advertising and all it entails for the consumer. Public relations is examined in depth. In addition, media, slogans, promotion and elements of print and color are examined in detail.