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Has Peace Finally Settled in the Middle East?
Students evaluate the changes made in the Palestine National Council charter and their potential impact on the future of Israeli-Palestinian relations. They write a brief essay focusing on an article from an Israeli or Palestinian...
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Riot, Revolution and Reform
Students examine the student protests and subsequent massacre at Tiananmen Square in 1989 and the current petition by victims' family members to open a criminal investigation of the responsible officials.
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It Comes In Waves
Students investigate the behavior and different origins of tsunami waves, and they then research and chart the path of certain tsunamis from recent history using the Internet, maps and firsthand accounts.
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The Object Is Objectivity
Students search for and read articles about the initial United States strike on Afghanistan from non-U.S. news sources, then describe the journalists' perspectives and reflect on how difficult it might be to maintain an objective wartime...
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Too Free, Or Not Too Free?
Students create a survey that examines what level of electronic surveillance might be acceptable to members of the school and community. They poll the community, and analyze the results in the form of graphs and a written news article.
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I'm The Taxman!
Students develop an understanding of how federal revenues are gained by taxes. This foundation enable students to decipher changes in federal tax policy. Groups of students study different types of taxes and prepare presentations on each...
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Know The Code
Students explore how codes of conduct guide our daily lives. After learning about specific codes of conduct, students write articles exploring aspects of different codes and how they affect people in their community.
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One China, Two Systems
Young scholars study the term 'peaceful coexistence' and the role it plays in the Chinese process for reunification with Taiwan. They research and assess the political ideologies, economic stability and national identities of the...
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Running (Check) Mate
Students consider qualities that the public seeks in a vice president, then analyze statements made by the vice presidential candidates and multimedia commentary on the debate by a Times reporter. For homework.
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It's Just a Game?
Students consider their attitudes toward concrete and abstract violence in the media before developing hypotheses that assess the effect of gender and age on people's attitudes toward such violence and designing a survey to test those...
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Justice For All?
Students study about President Bush's nomination of federal appeals court judge John G. Roberts to the Supreme Court. They compare coverage of the nomination in different sections and articles in The New York Times.
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Devil May Care?
Students study about a deadly disease decimating the Tasmanian devil population. They research diseases that affect animals and write a fictional story about the animals they researched.
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What would you do if faced with this problem?
Students determine how and why an individual from each of four disciplines - Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Legalism - might respond to the same problem.
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200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons
Students discuss the style and characteristics of the Classical era and the genre of opera. They compare and contrast modern day popular icons to musical icons throughout history. They write original librettos to modern entertainment.
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200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons
Students discuss style and characteristics of musical time periods as well as the definition of "pop culture." They compare and contrast modern-day popular icons to music icons throughout history. This lesson requires a video, which is...
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Coming to America
Fifth graders listen to the song America by Neil Diamond, view pictures of Ellis Island, and role play as processing officers who evaluate, classify and recommend which immigrants can stay in America.
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Progressive Era: Public Pressure and Government Actions
Students read sections of the novel, "The Jungle". They identify the problems of the meat industry during the Progressive Era. They discuss food concerns of today and make connections between the two time periods.
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Pop Secret Information
Students design procedures for increasing the popping rate of a set amount of popcorn kernels. They propose and test a "secret" addition to the corn popping procedure which they expect would increase the popping rate and then write lab...
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Mayoral Responsibility
Students profile New York City Mayors Rudolph W. Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg and research the actions they took before and after terrorist incidents since 1993. They then write essays about the contribution made by their own mayors.
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Laws and Force in Law Enforcement
Students investigate the issues of police brutality, use of excessive force, and the underlying issues by participating in a round-table discussion. They compare how these issues are explored differently in different types of...
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Japan's Textbook Case
Young scholars read and discuss "Japan's Refusal to Revise Textbooks Angers Neighbors." They discuss how accurately textbooks account for historical events, then collaborate to write unbiased textbook entries for current events.
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1950's Rock and Roll
Young scholars complete an Individual Artist Information Sheet on famous 1950's Rock and Roll musician. They read one of the chapeters on "Elvis Pressley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Rockabilly, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Everly Brothers,...
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Revolutionary War
Learners identify and research significant people, causes, and primary documents of the U.S. Revolutionary War. They create a class Revolutionary War web using Inspiration computer software, write a journal depicting three days in the...
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Face the Nation! A Panel Discussion
Sixth graders simulate an election-year debate between opposing political parties. In this persuasive-speech lesson plan, 6th graders will work in teams to prepare for and participate in a debate between opposing parties. The lesson plan...