Curated OER
Rewrite, Revise, Recycle
Students examine different pieces of literature that have a similiar theme. They read an article about reusing ideas for television shows. They work together to create their own program proposals. They also create backstories for one of...
Curated OER
Exit to the Left
Students 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...
Curated OER
Hark, the Herald Atheists Sing
Students complete a one minute interview on their classmates views on religion and holiday traditions. They read an article about how Americans celebrate Christmas in different ways. Creating in-depth questions, they practice...
Curated OER
A Hard Sell on Stem Cells?
Students examine their prior knowledge of cell regeneration and therapeutic use of stem cells. After reading an article, they discover new techniques for deriving embryonic stem cells. In groups, they research on the different types of...
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Something Fishy?
Students try to draw and identify a jellyfish from a physical description. After reading an article, they discover new information about cnidarians. In groups, they research and develop dioramas about a specific cnidarian species. They...
Curated OER
I Think, Therefore I See
Students participate in a memory experiment to discover how the eye works. After reading an article, they analyze a new technique which examines how the brain registers sight. They develop their own memory game and conduct trials using...
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Who Gives a Hoot?
Students look at owl migration and its impact on the environment and the food chain after reading an article from The New York Times. Students then apply this information to and research different food chain situations for other species...
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Eyeing the Next Einstein
Students complete a KWL chart on Albert Einstein. After they read an article, they discover more about his iconic status and how future scientists view him. In groups, they create trading cards about Einstein and another scientist of...
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Sobering Plans
Students explore the rights they give up while in school and then learn about plans to use breath analyzer tests during school hours. They then debate the issues surrounding this topic and write letters to the principal advocating or...
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Carrot Sticks or French Fries?
Young scholars investigate the influence of fast food brand names on food choices and analyze the factors that contribute to branding preferences. They write an opinion essay on the corporate responsibility to influence food choices.
Curated OER
A Problem with Authority?
Students consider the prospect of inviting a controversial leader to speak in their community. They analyze the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's controversial invitation to speak at Columbia University. Students create...
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All Across America
Students share experiences of places they have visited or would like to visit. They create travel guides for trips to take in the United States based on themes from their studies, incorporating both historical and current data about...
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How I Became Me
Learners examine their own identities and read about the experiences of adopted Chinese daughters celebrating the Jewish rite of passage, the bat mitzvah. They write personal poems or speeches illustrating how their identities evolved.
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Unraveling the Web
Young scholars consider how a message might be traced along a complex network, then explore backbone maps as a basis for understanding the purpose and structure of the Internet.
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Art as Therapy
Learners explore how they connect with artwork on an emotional level through writing and the creation of an original piece of art.
Curated OER
Won't You Be My (E-)Neighbor?
Students explore the concepts of community, belonging and human relationships through an Internet application designed to foster neighborly relations and write a persuasive statement to recruit others to join their community.
Curated OER
Guild v. Google
Students share opinions about what constitutes fair use of copyright materials and participate in a mock trial arguing the case of The Authors Guild v. Google.
Curated OER
Class Actions
Students examine the many facets of the term "class," defining the term and exploring some of the ways that class plays into life in American society. They participate in a poll about class-related issues.
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Taking From the Giving Tree
Students explore the ways in which various American cities negotiate the protection of their "green infrastructure," gaining a broader understanding of proposed and enacted legislation as it relates to preserving and planting trees in...
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Graphic Accounts
Students identify the use of different types of bar graphs. They analyze graphs used in the New York Times to compare the estimated cost of the war in Iraq to other hypothetical expenditures and reflect on how graphs can help illustrate...
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The Art of Violence
Violence and human suffering, as represented in art and film, are the focus of an investigation of the power of visual images and the moral implications of such representations. Class members examine “Guernica,” Pablo Picasso’s massive...
Curated OER
A Place for the Birds
Students reflect on bird migrations and develop a project to collect data on bird species from across North America to further investigate the ranges and migrations of common birds. They create a field guide of North American birds.
Curated OER
Still Suspicious?
Students read and analyze The New York Times news article "An Assessment Jars a Foreign Policy Debate About Iran." They answer comprehension questions, evaluate both sides of the debate, and write a one page report on the article.
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Intervene or Interfere?
Students research the motives, actions, and results of U.S. intervention in foreign affairs between the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.