The New York Times
A Worker's Compensation
Middle schoolers read about the history of Labor Day in a newspaper article. They discuss difficulties American employees of the past had to face, learn about labor rallies, and conduct Internet research. Part of the intention of this...
The New York Times
Kidding Around Down Under
After reading an article, "From an Alternate to a 'Miracle Kid' in a Flash," youngsters discuss the kind of commitment required for a teenager to become an Olympic athlete. A variety of activities is suggested, and the popular topic...
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Planet Earth: Almost 6 Billion Served
Young scholars investigate the global population explosion, by comparing India's and China's population control efforts and results. They interpret the UN's Human Development Report, and conduct research on another highly-populated country.
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Consider the Source
Young scholars explain how to critically compare news reporting from around the world, focusing on coverage of the Taliban regime. They compare and contrast television and print media reporting on the issue.
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The Long and Short of It
Students take a look back at the week's news by exploring the news summaries article offered in The New York Times' Week in Review section each week. They look further into ongoing news stories of interest to them in order to create...
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Notable "Quotables"
Young scholars select their own Quotes of the Day from articles of their choosing for analysis on a Quote of the Day poster for the classroom.
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High Profiles
Students research and write newspaper articles about current world leaders, using a New York Times International article as a model. They research a current world leader's personal background and political history.
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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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Legally Wed
Students explore the controversial topic of same-sex marriages in a fishbowl discussion. They write balanced news articles based on interviews exploring people's opinions on laws that define marriage.
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Trading Up?
Students explore the benefits and drawbacks of free trade from the perspective of the United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Chile and Mexico. For homework, they each write a letter to the editor expressing their personal...
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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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Re: Forest Station
Students read an online article to explore rainforests of the world starting with the Barro Colorado reserve in the Panama Canal. They participate in a mock international summit about rainforest conservation issues.
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A Delicate Balance
Students reflect on racial balance in their own schools, debate merits of policies that seek to create and maintain school racial diversity, and write essays on whether their school should promote racial balance.
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Invisible Enemy
Young scholars investigate parasites and the diseases they can cause and carry. They read and discuss an article, conduct research, and create a fictional studenT story about the parasite they researched.
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The Life of a President
Young scholars examine the life of President Gerald R. Ford. After reading an article, they discuss his legacy. They collect articles written during his time in office and examine the key issues of his presidency. They write an article...
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Advising China
Students express their opinions about how growth and modernization affect nations. Reading an article on China, they discuss the causes and effects of exponential growth in a single town. They research how China has changed by writing...
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By Any Other Name
Students examine the differences between the definitions of race and ethnicity defined by the United States government. After reading an article, they discuss the possiblity of the elimination of some races from the 2010 census. They...
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Children's Accountability for Their Crimes
Students participate in a round-table discussion about the juvenile justice system and investigate the 'age of accountability' debate. They write a persuasive essay supporting or refuting the punishment received by the children discussed...
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Altered Genes
Students describe the economic relationship between farmers, consumers, and food companies. They examine the issues regarding the reactions of consumers in this country and other countries to the use of gene-altered crops in food...
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What's in a Name?
Students explore how one uses examples from history to inform themselves of past and present events. After reading an article, they examine the significance of renaming a base in Germany after a soldier who survived the Holocaust. They...
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Off the Record
Music reflects culture and culture is reflected in popular music. Reading an article on how hip-hop has affected the lives of two young men of different races launches an investigation of the development and influences of various musical...
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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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Rock Around the Map
Students research the geographical histories of various musical genres and make maps that note important places in music history. They Write geographical biographies about one of their favorite musical artists.
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The Right and the Power
Students read, discuss and analyze the New York Times article "In Wartime, Who Has the Power?" and relate the article to the Constitution. They then brainstorm how the president and Congress make decisions about the war in Iraq and write...