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Staying Informed
Students identify the various ways the American public can stay informed on the news. In groups, they brainstorm reasons why the public should not stick to one source for their news. They use this information to examine their own current...
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Personal and Global Conflict
Students review vocabulary of conflict. In this citizenship lesson, students practice conflict resolution skills by participating in a role play involving national representatives working with a UN Mediator. Students reflect on the...
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Cartoons for the Classroom: All Eyes on the Iowa Caucus
Explore the primary elections through political cartoons. Three talking points guide deeper thinking as pupils analyze a cartoon, which depicts the 2008 campaigning in Iowa. Analysts identify caricatures, research why winning Iowa is...
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Hoop Glider
Fly into an engineering lesson sure to get your scholars' interest off the ground. Young pupils create hoop gliders out of straws and paper hoops. Adjusting the size and number of the hoops lets them investigate the effect on flight...
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Biomechanics of Sports
Students study biomechanics. They apply their understanding of sports to determine what athletes do to improve their performance. They participate in a series of lessons and activities.
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News Coverage
Students compare and contrast methods of media coverage. In this media awareness lesson, students keep track of news regarding a world or national issue for the period of 1 week. Students collaborate to describe the type of coverage...
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Summer: Getting the Bugs Out
Students compare and contrast classification systems used throughout the world. They also examine the importance of preserving biological diversity.
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Biomechanics of Sports
Students examine the body's major organ systems and how they function and influence each other. They examine how the human body moves when involved in sports.
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The Demise of the Great American Frontier
Students are introduced to Frederick Jackson Turner and how early Census data, when combined visually with maps, effectively demonstrated the end of the frontier.
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Active Citizenship: The Civil Rights Work of Bob Moses
Students discuss and describe the impact of Bob Moses as an activist, compare and contrast the work of Bob Moses in the 1960's and today and develop an action plan regarding an issue they feel strongly about.
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Film Study: Albert Maysles and Direct Cinema
Students Discuss the contributions of Albert Maysles to documentary filmmaking and learn how to correctly operate video recording and editing equipment to create a short film.
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The Great Depression: What Would it be like today?
Students calculate the percentage decline in factors affecting the quality of life such as wages and unemployment, from before the Depression to the beginning of the New Deal. Students then calculate what the same percentage decline for...
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Voting
High schoolers investigate voter participation in the U.S. They watch and discuss a Bill Moyers video, complete a handout, and develop a plan to help a community overcome obstacles to voter participation.
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George Lucas and the Power of Myth
Students examine the contributions of George Lucas to society. They analyze the concept of a hero, conduct Internet research on the life of George Lucas, develop a Hero Attribute Chart, and create an artistic rendering representing the...
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The Introduction and Diffusion of Household Technology
Learners conduct research and develop a matrix demonstrating the introduction and spread of common household items from 1900 to 2000 in the U.S. They conduct Internet research, watch and discuss a video, and develop the matrix.
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The Other Roman Empire
Students interpret their findings from resources and explain each Eastern Roman Emperor's policies. They compare Eastern and Western Roman Empires and explain how the transfer of power from the Western Roman Empire to the Eastern Roman...
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Ancient Greece Podcast
In this writing a podcast lesson plan, 7th graders create a podcast involving Ancient Greece. Students follow a rubric and outline to create their podcast. Students present their podcast to their fellow students.
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Media Arts Production
Students learn about the basic legal and ethical responsibilities shouldered by people making "reality" videos (i.e. videos with non-actors).
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Keeping It Quiet
Students consider ways in which countries use censorship to control information. They examine China's recent abridgement of a politician's speech and consider China's recent history with other nations to better explain why censorship is...
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Understanding Persuasive Writing
High schoolers give examples of how the media glamorize violence and desensitize viewers to the horrors of real acts of violence. They identify factors in addition to the media that contribute to the problem of violence in society.
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Slanted Sentences
Students examine biased words in news articles, suggest synonyms, then rewrite the sentences to demonstrate how word choice can alter meaning.
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Using the Synoptic Code for the Prediction of Weather
Young scholars interpret the synoptic code. They construct a thermoscreen with an anemometer. Students identify different types of clouds and understand and read barometric pressure. Young scholars predict weather pattern as they apply...
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Digesting the News
Students explore the editorial concepts, site designs and business models of online news digests. They propose detailed plans for Web sites that demonstrate their own areas of expertise.
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The Great Debate
Students watch tapes of televised presidential debates dating from 1960. They analyze debates and participate in mock debates.