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Fifty Years: From the Little Rock Nine to the Jena Six
Students discuss how the issues surrounding school integration have changed since the Little Rock Nine entered Central High School. They discuss the recent events in Jena, Louisiana. Students write a letter to a school administrator...
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A Penny for Your Thoughtfulness
Students reflect on the value of a penny. They examine how working families endure economic hardships with the help of charities. They create their own philanthropic event to raise money for a charity.
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A Nation in Mourning
Students reflect on what the deaths of John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and Lauren Bessette mean to them. They then work to compose and read aloud found poems from The Times' coverage of the burial and memorial services.
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Generation TeXt
Students write sentences using different writing styles. Through peer editing, they hone their writing to create effective thesis statements. They create a glossary of text messaging terms.
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Homegrown Terror
Students investigate history of domestic terrorism in six European countries; they analyze and write about differences between terrorist acts planned and committed by a country's citizens and those planned by groups or individuals...
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GET UP, STAND UP: Fighting for Rights Around the World
Students explore basic human rights as they explore music by black artists. In this human rights lesson, students examine music as a cultural reflection of the justice issues. Students analyze Jamaican roots reggae of the 70s, American...
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The Puzzle of Philanthropy
Students research community organizations in their area. They identify three acts of philanthropy and three resources in the community that could help the common good. They reflect on their research in journal writings.
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Disaster Victims and Relief Efforts
Students examine the challenges faced by relief workers. In this earth science lesson, students brainstorm on things they want to find out about relief agencies. They research the answer to these questions and write a reflection journal.
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The Final Word
Although this instructional activity is based on “Final Word,” Craig Wilson’s USA Today column, the strategies could be adapted to any local columnist. After reading three articles independently, groups share observations about content...
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Getting Started with Interactive Math Notebooks
Set young mathematicians up for success with this interactive math notebook. Including a list of rules and expectations for using the notebooks, as well as templates for a creating a cover page and table of contents, this resource...
Illinois Music Education Conference
Taking the “General” Out of Middle School General Music!
Middle schoolers will sing the praises of this music program. The resource, designed as an overview for music instructors, is loaded with ideas, activities, and links. Not a sour note in the packet.
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Studying Pillow The Book
Learners investigate the content of The Pillow Book. They conduct research and complete journals about the readings. There are target questions to guide the writing and reflection process.
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Introducing the Incredible RBT-2000
Fourth graders construct a miniature robot using recyclable materials. They write a descriptive explanation from the robot's point of view explaining how it aid in protecting the environment.
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Biographical Research Paper
Students choose a subject for a biographical research paper. They use books, the Internet, encyclopedias and articles to gather information on a determined subject then follow a rubric to write a research paper.
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Arkansas Black Pioneers: A History of African-American Colonies in Arkansas
Students research regions of early Arkansas as they relate to African American colonies in Arkansas after the Civil War. They discuss the characteristics of the regions, view a Powerpoint presentation, and write reflective journals.
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It’s Your Trash!
Students identify the different sections of a landfill. For this ecology lesson, students brainstorm ways that they can help in proper trash disposal. They write a reflection journal about their thoughts on the subject.
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A Life to Remember
Students test and discuss their ability to remember events in their recent and past history and reflect on cases of dissociative fugue and amnesia. They graph and analyze data to look for patterns in the ability to recall a list of...
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Democracy in Action
Students consider words that reflect their knowledge and opinions about democracy. They work in groups to research countries that have recently transitioned to democratic forms of government.
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Penguins Nesting Know-How
Students maintain a field journal as they follow penguin parents raising their chicks during the breeding season. They formulate testable questions. Students reflect on animal behavior in the field related to survival and chick rearing.
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Radio Free School
Students explore radio news formats, styles, and sequences, and then write segments for a student-centered news radio program. In small groups, students develop and write news segments for a student-centered radio program.
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Approaching Walden Curriculum Unit
High schoolers engage in a literature study unit. They use various exercises to build reading comprehension using a wide variety of literature texts. While reading the books, students are encouraged to think reflectively in order to...
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Where Were You?
Students examine various New York Times readers' reflections on the life and death of President John F. Kennedy, by reading and discussing "Readers Reflect on President John F. Kennedy." Students then write their own personal...
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Start Book
Students review their notes, drawings, photos and writing from the field trip to share with the whole group. They make a fiction or nonfiction storybook as a group. They include writing from all students and can include artwork and...
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A Chorus For Us
Students examine "serious" choral music written for student choirs and the composers who write it. They reflect upon the notion of "serious" music, and examine the trend of concert composers writing pieces for student chorus