Curated OER
Stars and Bars Forever?
Students investigate icons, monuments and places that serve as symbols of American history, assessing how and why the meanings of these historic symbols evolve through time to acquire new or different significance.
Curated OER
We, the First People
Students explore new support regarding the earliest peopling of America by examining multiple theories on the migration of the first people to America, investigating related archaeological finds, and creating research-based scientific...
Curated OER
Making the Invisible Visible
Students evaluate the various ways in which cyberspace is beginning to be mapped by geographers, cartographers, artists, and scientists and use their understanding of the information these new maps can convey to create their own maps of...
Curated OER
Caste In Stone?
Students examine India's caste system. After learning about the history and development of the caste system, students discuss how new political power granted to women in lower castes is affecting the political and social climate of India.
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...
Curated OER
Get Real!
Young scholars reach a consensus as to what makes a good reality-based TV show. They create their own scenarios for a new such show, and critique it, based on the criteria the class establishes.
Curated OER
Stories That Go with the Territory
Students investigate various expeditions throughout history to new and/or uncharted territories. They work in groups to develop and 'produce' television news magazine segments about some of these historic expeditions.
Curated OER
Dot-Gone
Students read "Failed Web Sites Live On, Gone but Not Forgotten." students examine why some Internet businesses have failed and develop business models for successful new Internet companies.
Curated OER
You Say You Want an Evolution?
Students estimate the number of living organisms they might find in their local environment. After researching the types of organisms that existed during various geologic time periods, students describe how life forms have changed over...
Curated OER
Laser, and Pagers, and Cells - Oh My!
Students explore the use of various new handheld electronic devices in schools, and assess the appropriate use of each. They present research to school administrators for possible use in the development of new school policies.
Curated OER
Teens on Screens
Learners articulate the ways in which they use the Internet and envision and propose new uses for the Internet. They examine one teenager's vision and expression of teen culture and individual personality online by reading and...
Curated OER
The ABC's of DNA
Students describe genetics as if they were explaining it to a young child. After reading an article, they discover new discoveries in the human genome project. Using the internet, they research a pair of genetic terms and develop a...
Curated OER
Picking Up the Pieces
Students recall and write about a time in which they felt helpless, focusing on how they coped with the situation then and now.
Curated OER
A Walk Through History
Learners examine the relationship between relics found in history museum exhibits and the meaningful ways in which those relics are presented. They, in groups, select objects for a history exhibit about the event or time period of their...
Curated OER
Tribes And Tribulations
Students explore South African history from pre-colonial times to today. They create a timeline of important events in South African history and reflect on connections between this timeline and the existence of tribal traditions in the...
Curated OER
Getting Fired Up
Students explore first-person accounts of volcanic eruptions throughout time and use second-hand information about volcanoes. They use both types of accounts to write news articles covering the events of a historic volcanic eruption as...
Curated OER
A Picture Changes 1000 Minds
Students choose a Times photograph and write a brief essay explaining what they think is happening in the photograph and how it makes them feel. They select and analyze photographs depicting events in the Balkans and create a news photo...
Curated OER
Mathematical Metaphors in Art
Students investigate the role of mathematics in their everyday lives. They discover, through reading a Times article and through analyzing a specific example of art, that mathematics exists on a deeper 'metaphoric' level in art.
Curated OER
Disaster Talk
Students design new devices to help victims of natural disaster communicate with rescue workers, government, media and loved ones. For homework, they write proposals promoting their technology.
Curated OER
Pitcher Perfect
Students consider how advertising messages are constructed and relayed. They invent fast-food businesses and create presentation posters outlining the first commercials to promote their new brands.
Curated OER
Creative Writing
Students determine what grammar is and how they have learned it. In this creative writing lesson, students read "Style' Gets New Elements," and respond to the discussion questions. Students then present grammatical rules to one another...
Curated OER
Oasis in the Desert
Students explore the challenges of building a thriving human civilization in a desert environment. They design new technologies to assist people living in the desert.
Curated OER
The Who, What, and Y of Design
Students discover how large national chain stores create product lines that appeal to Generation-Y consumers. After learning in-depth about Target's new Dorm Room line, students create their own Generation-Y inspired product line.
Curated OER
Show Me the Story
Students examine the elements of a story, read a review of Chris Rock's new sitcom, "Everybody Hates Chris" and create original sitcom episodes based on their own lives.