Curated OER
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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Running of the Bulls
Students examine what might be in store for Wall Street following the NASDAQ's 547.57 point plunge on Tuesday, April 4, 2000. They evaluate how they might manage a heavily laden high-tech portfolio before deciding how to invest in the...
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When Distress Spells S.O.S.
Students discover various equipment and technologies used for distress signals, then prepare skits and make recommendations based on information gathered about signaling devices.
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Fighting Fire With Satire
Students consider satire in the news by exploring various sources of "fake news," and then creating their own political satire in the form of a skit, news article, or cartoon.
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A Good Government Is Hard to Build
Students explore the challenges that Iraqi leaders are facing while working to create a new government. They engage in a class simulation in which they create a new governing council to preside over their school.
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Feeling Vulnerable
Students discover some of the ways the developing world is vulnerable to the impact and effects of natural disasters. They investigate some "natural disaster hotspots" around the globe and assess how vulnerable these areas are.
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Let the Music Play
Students create auditory presentations on festivals and celebrations around the world. They begin by reading about how the New Orleans high school marching bands have overcome many obstacles to keep their music traditions alive. Then...
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Separation Anxiety
Young scholars examine the instances in history in which groups of people were segregated by race or ethnicity. After reading an article, they discover how apartheid impacted people's attempt to an education. Using the internet, they...
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Why is Evolution Controversial?
Students examine the controversy surrounding evolution --- the challenges to science, the battles over teaching evolution in the schools, and the reconciliation of religion and science. They also examine an interactive time line of...
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Students brainstorm and share opinions about products that can be reused or recycled after reading the article, "Seattle's Recycling Success Is Being Measured in Scraps." They then investigate, analyze and evaluate articles on recycling...
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A Prescription for Drug Success
Students explore criticisms of the pharmaceutical drug industry. They also become aware of the difficult and lengthy process of testing new drugs by inventing fictional drugs and testing plans.
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Recognizing and Combating Segregation in U.S. Schools Today
High schoolers explore the prevalence of racism and statistical segregation in America's schools. They design a project to investigate how the racial makeup of their school compares to other schools. In addition, they evaluate their...
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Going the Way the Wind Blows
Students examine the cause and effect relationship between geography and ancient civilizations. After reading an article, they determine how new findings can help scientists examine the migration patterns of these civilizations. Using...
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It's in the Cards
Students discover how art auctions have become competitive after reading an article from The New York Times. Students voice their opinions about specific examples of modern art and create trading cards based on their research of...
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The Amazing Tomato
Learners gain an understanding of where our food comes from. In this plant life lesson, students review what plants need for growth and how long it takes them to grow. Learners research which plants it takes to make salsa. Students then...
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Word Play
Learners define the steps of the formal writing process, consider the value and quality of the work done by Anne Frank in her personal diary, and create their own diary entries using the writing process outlined in class.
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Van Gogh-Getters
Students explore the lives of famous artists and examine ways in which an artist's life affects his or her creations. Each student creates an original work of art in the style of a famous artist.
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Where the Wild Things Are
Learners explore the role of gargoyles in New York City architecture as a starting point to considering architectural structures in their city. They create designs that illustrate ways in which those local structures may be enhanced by...
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Look on the Bright Side!
Students explore solar eclipses by participating in a number of hands-on activities. In class, students work in teams using tennis balls, grapes and flashlights to model partial and total solar eclipses.
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And You Were (Almost) There
Students explore the genre of biography in both its traditional and nontraditional forms. They examine Edmund Morris's unorthodox biography of Ronald Reagan. They conduct research on an historic American and write their own biographies.
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Armchair Travelers
Students consider how other countries and cultures influence furniture and home furnishings. They create a design plan for a particular room using the influences of a particular country.
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Alien Invasions
Students create an educational pamphlet on the origins, spread and impact of invasive plant species in their community.
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Watch and Learn
Young scholars explore a particular problem with the development of new television shows and create original reality-based educational programming.
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Where Will You Be November 2?
Learners consider reasons why many Americans do not vote in national elections and explore the increase in new registered voters. They research a particular demographic and create an advertisement encouraging members of that group to vote.