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Civil War Letters
Students put themselves in the shoes of American Civil War soldiers. In this Civil War lesson, students examine letters from the time period written by soldiers, edit the letters for grammatical errors, and then present the letters to...
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Intervene or Interfere?
Learners 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.
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Imperial Notions
Students research how and why different parts of the world were colonized, considering the pros and cons for both the rulers and the ruled.
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What Constitutes a State?
Learners examine the differences between various state constitutions in the United States. Then, using their own
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Empire State-Building
Learners explore how empires around the globe have impacted the world in which they have existed. They analyze whether or not the United States is an imperialist nation and create their own empires based on their understanding of empires...
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Delegating Authorities
Students compare and contrast democracies around the world after reading a New York Times article. They create posters and participate in a "democracy roundtable" in which they discuss two democracies.
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Where Does History Stand on the Last Stand?
Students examine the Battle of Little Bighorn and its impact on United States and Native American culture through reading current and historic New York Times articles and by creating a research-based exhibit about this historic event.
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Fighting for Fair Farming
Students consider various economic terms, examine the impact of subsidies on farmers and other industries, write essays explaining the subsidy process, and illustrate through posters how subsidies affect both domestic and foreign markets.
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To Tell the Tale
Students explore how themes common to the human condition can be found in literary and oral traditions across cultures. They compile traditional folk tales around these themes and write their own tales to reflect their own cultural context.
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Fair Judgment
Students consider the demands of the judicial process and work in small groups to write editorials in response to the one that is read in class. For homework, they grade a television judge and write reflective essays.
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Reality Film
Learners propose and create documentary films depicting a slice of "ordinary" life that reveals something unique or surprising about its subject. They, in groups, make films and present them to the school.
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Just Can't Get Enough
Students research modern addictions and create public service announcements about them. They research modern additions such as food, shopping, and video games.
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Opinions, Please!
Students discuss the meaning and purposes of polls and surveys. After reading an article, they analyze the results of a poll given to residents of New York City. They create a survey of their own and analyze the data to write a written...
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Laurence Yep's Dragonwings
Middle schoolers read independently the novel, "Dragonwings," by Laurence Yep and make connections between a text and the world. They summarize, paraphrase, analyze and evaluate skimming and scanning techniques when reading a novel. Each...
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Wolf Fact Cards
Students write a non-chronological report about wolves. They read and discuss wolf fact cards in small groups, complete a KWL chart, observe the teacher model the steps of writing a report, and conduct research and write an original...
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Entrepreneurs in History
Students examine the contributions of American entrepreneurs. In this industrialization lesson, students complete the provided handouts to determine how Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Hill, and Rockefeller impacted American society. Students...
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Online Reading Logs
Students record book reading and practice spelling and vocabulary on this free online reading-log site. In this lesson, students work online to complete reading logs. Students are assigned 30 minutes a night in reading.
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Non-Fiction Texts
Third graders examine different types of non-fiction texts. In this non fiction lesson, 3rd graders use different types of texts to gather information. Students work in groups to analyze the texts for author's purpose, common themes, and...
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Deep Roots of Ancient Greece
Young scholars investigate Greek contributions to modern America. In this ancient Greek influence lesson, students watch videos, listen to lectures, and conduct research regarding ancient Greek ideals in order to analyze and trace Greek...
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Getting to Know You
Fifth graders identify strategies to assist in choosing a book. In this book selection lesson, 5th graders discuss ways to determine if a book is the right reading level or on a topic of interest. Students preview several books and...
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Spelling Success: ends with el
Fourth graders come up with a word that ends with the "el" sound for every letter of the alphabet. For this spelling lesson plan, 4th graders use all 26 letters to come up with these words.
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Giving and Taking Directions
Learners identify the difference between commands and a declarative sentence. They complete a diagram with verbs, prepositions and numbers. They follow directions using a map and give directions to another location.
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Giving and Taking Directions (Middle School)
Students describe the difference between a declarative sentence and a command. They complete a diagram verbs, prepositions and numbers. They follow directions on a map and create directions of their own to another location.
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Words in the News: Oscar Nominations Announced
Students examine the oscars and the nomination process. They practice using new vocabulary words associated with the event. In groups, they match the vocabulary with the definitions.