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Going For The Gold
Students share opinions about athlete endorsements. They write articles that provide an economic profile of an athlete for submission to their school newspaper.
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Speaking in Tongues
Students examine their own family history of languages and investigate local and regional resources available to immerse themselves in a foreign language and culture. They write applications seeking an imaginary grant to fund their...
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All Those In Favor
Students share opinions about measures recently passed in their school, vote on and argue for and against hypothetical school policies, and respond to a "president's" decision to pass or veto the measures.
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Be Our Guest
Students share their own opinions about proper and poor etiquette in school. After reading an article, they discover matters of etiquette and conflict that occur during holiday rituals. They role-play the potential conflicts and...
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You Bet!
Learners explore the mathematical probabilities involved in gambling and how these factors affect people's behavior. They work in pairs and conduct and experiment pertaining to blackjack. The class creates a graph showing the trends found.
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Magazine Dollars and Sense
Students analyze magazine advertisements that appeal to them. They explore how tobacco companies continue to target teens in magazine advertisements. They explore how advertisers select magazine ad space.
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Media Literacy
Students evaluate the effectiveness of Internet book clubs, present their findings to the class, and design their own on-line book club (under the umbrella of a fictional television program) to encourage non-readers to read more.
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A Snapshot Of Fame
Students debate the limits to celebrity privacy and to paparazzi rights after learning about some recent incidents. They imagine how their private lives might change if they became overnight celebrities.
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Judicial Void
Students explore the impact of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court. They research potential nominees to replace her, in light of her resignation, and write letters to President George W. Bush to share opinions of the...
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Allow Me to Demonstrate…
Learners examine the causes, actions and results of different demonstrations from around the world in modern history.
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Remembering Rosa
Students research and profile figures in American civil rights such as Rosa Parks, from 1955-68, to create commemorative posters.
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Stamp of Approval
Students share opinions about what constitutes a worthy design for a postage stamp. They research a subject and design a postage stamp to submit to the United States Postal Service.
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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.
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Over-the-Counter Culture
Learners explore the changing consumer habits of Americans of various socioeconomic classes. They examine the exact costs of products, services and interest rates mentioned in the article and reflect on their own spending habits and...
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Can Peace Prevail?
Students examine terrorist attacks in Amman, Jordan, and consider how events like these affect the global war against terrorism. They write reflective pieces exploring their own opinions about terrorism and the state of current affairs...
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Rat-ional Pet Concerns
Students explore a recent salmonella outbreak in young students linked to pet rodents. They create pamphlets to help assist and inform pet owners about the disease and necessary health precautions.
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Fantastic Foods
Students explore the health benefits of dark chocolate. They research other foods which they consider to be both healthy and delicious for a "classroom pantry."
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The Science of Aging
Students reflect on the lives of older people they know, then research and debate the key issues surrounding scientific experimentation in anti-aging. They write a short story that reflects their own philosophical beliefs on aging and...
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Not Just a Corny Idea
Students explore ways in which ethanol can be created using alternate energy sources.
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Snow, Sweat and Tears
Students, in pairs, explore the sports featured at the Winter Olympics and prepare related news broadcasts.
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Older, Wiser, and Making a Difference
Learners reflect on an adult who plays a significant role in their lives. They conduct peer interviews and write newspaper articles about these important individuals.
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Lura Pierce
Students express opinions on eavesdropping on citizens, read the article "GOP Senators sat Accord is Set on Wiretapping", and debate issues presented in the article. They create letters to send to Congress presenting their concerns.
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Printmaking for Grades 6-8
Students create a relief print. The chosen image for this print be a setting from a novel that played an important role in the plot of the story. They conclude this instructional activity by writing a literature response about their...