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The Great Computer Debates
Students research controversial Internet technology issues concerning security, privacy, and intellectual property. They formulate and present various perspectives on these issues in a mock television panel discussion.
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A Community Responds
Students explore the recent case of police brutality in Inglewood, California. By exploring the case in detail and discussing possible responses, students examine how such events can be transformed into learning experiences.
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Diseases Without Borders
Students use the European Union's struggle with Mad Cow Disease as a starting point to study the spread of infectious diseases across geographical boundaries.
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Strength-Training for Both Body and Mind
students take part in a variety of writing exercises about the most important pastime or activities in which they participate and the personal growth gained through this participation.
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Special Treatment
Students determine the role of the FDA in approving new drugs. They investigate some of these new drugs and consider the pros and cons of taking part in a clinical study.
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Photo Forgery
Young scholars inspect examples of manipulated photos and explore the technology and issues behind doctored photos. They hold an in-depth discussion about the responsibility of the photojournalist and news editor to show true photos.
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Legally Wed
Learners 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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Still Burning
Students study about an infamous 1964 crime and discuss opinions on a recent verdict in the case from different perspectives.
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Losing Face or Saving Face?
Students examine the recent partial face transplant in Ameiens, France and the ensuing public debate on extreme plastic surgery. They participate in a fishbowl discussion on the ethics and implications of future face transplants.
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Asking About Armenia
Students explore the modern history, culture, economy, conflicts, social conditions, and geographical boundaries of Armenia and present their findings to fellow classmates at a teach-in.
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Plight or Progress?
Students read an online article to study the positive and negative aspects of nuclear energy, biotechnology, and nanotechnology. They conduct a debate on technology of the future.
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social Studies: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorow
Sixth graders take an Internet trip back in time to explore ancient cultures. Working in teams, they assume the roles of theologian, cartographer, economist, political analyst, and anthropologist. The same groups then create time...
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Pet Detective WebQuest
Students take an online tour to learn about pets and their care. They click on selected Web links and answer questions about the material they encounter. They share something they learned from the WebQuest with a partner.
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What's All the Buzz About
Young scholars participate in a game of charades to examine different animal behaviors. After reading an article, they discuss why bees waggle and how that behavior applies to humans. They research the behaviors of an animal of...
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Check Mate
Students share opinions about the goals and strategies of the games they play. They investigate the World Chess Championship by reading and discussion the article "In Major League of Chess, Next Year Comes So Soon." Students study the...
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Night Lesson Plan: Stereotypes and Scapegoats
Students read the novel Night by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel and complete related activities. In this novel analysis lesson plan, students prompt write and discuss the answers. Students take notes on stereotypes and scapegoats and...
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Rushing the Border
Students discuss the issues of immigrants who overstay their legal welcome. They explore the recent changes in immigration registration, and participate in a roundtable discussion.
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I Will Survive!
Students define and explore the term "survivor" through the study of real-life stories of survival. They interview a person whom he/she considers to be a survivor, and share their interviews with the class.
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Tell It Like It Is
Students consider the accuracy of the Web sites they regularly use, then prepare for a formal debate on the reliability of Wikipedia and similar Web sites. For homework, they prepare note cards and practice delivering their orations.
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Old Kids From The Bloc
Students study about wide scale construction and development in Moscow and its impact on cultural and historic preservation. They research the political, social, economic, and cultural changes in the former Eastern Bloc and create a...
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Flight of the Imagination
Young scholars study the success of video games by reading an online article. They work in groups to design settings, storylines, characters and technical features for their own fantasy video games. Finally, they write scripts for...
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Gunshots by the Numbers
Young scholars analyze the incidence of gun injuries among children and what can be done about it by reading and discussing the article "Keeping Guns Out of Children's Hands." They convert statistics about gun injuries into visual...
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Shaping the View: Composition Basics
Students view images from the Metropolitan Museum of Art web site, and list the objects and figures in the image. They discuss the way their eyes move around the canvas and take note of where their eyes fall, follow and finish. Students...