• Ballet Russes ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How did the Ballet Russe influence dance as we know it in many forms today?

Grade 6

• The Cay: A Virtual Visit to the Caribbean during World War II ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How will the geographical and historical setting affect the characters in The Cay ?
  
• Cultural Expressions: The Iron Ring  (GT)...Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: What is the role of heritage and culture in shaping a person's perspective?
• Cyber-Survival Guide ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: Which are the most essential survival skills a middle school student needs in order to practice safe and responsible use of the Internet and other digital communication technologies?
• Esperanza Rising ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How does an understanding of the historical and cultural background of Esperanza Rising enhance your reading of the novel?
• Gary Paulsen Slam Dunk!
  Essential Question: How would Gary Paulsen answer the following questions: How does my environment affect me?  What is my responsibility to the environment?
• Giving Back ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How can an individual shape his/her community?
• Meet Mr Shakespeare GT ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: Who was William Shakespeare, and how did he become one of the most popular and influential authors of all time?
• Meet the Olympians Slam Dunk!
  Essential Question: How will the gods and goddesses influence human affairs?
• Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How does learning about the historical period help you to better understand the novel Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes?
• Shaping My Environment ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How can I persuade my local delegate to support my position on an environmental issue?
• Unforgettable Slam Dunk!
  Essential Question: What makes a person unforgettable?

Grade 7

• Apartheid: A Clash of Cultures GT ...Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How do the prejudices of a culture affect the people living within that setting?
• Diary of Anne Frank ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How does learning about the historical period help you to better understand the play, The Diary of Anne Frank?
• Finding Fact in Fiction ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Questions: What's the most effective way to investigate a topic of interest from the novel I'm reading? How accurately did the author depict this topic in the novel?
• The Miracle Worker Slam Dunk!
  Essential Question: Why did the author title this play "The Miracle Worker?"
• Out of the Dust ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How will your understanding of the historical period enhance your reading of the book, Out of the Dust?
• Poet-Pourri ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How can I reflect a poet's style in my own poetry?
• Real People, Real Lives ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: What life lessons can we learn from reading about the lives of others?
• Setting the Stage: The Taming of the Shrew GT ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: What information do theater group members need in order to stage an authentic production of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew?
• Welcome to the Theater ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How do the different roles involved in a theatrical production contribute to the overall success the performance?

Grade 8

• All the World's a Stage: Western Drama from Ancient Greece to Shakespeare's England ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How did Western drama evolve from ancient Greece to Shakespeare's England?
• American Civil War: Background Research for Historical Fiction ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How does an understanding of the historical and cultural background of the American Civil War enhance your reading of historical fiction set in this time period?
• Dickens in Our Day (GT) ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How do contemporary artists use their creative works as a vehicle for social criticism?
• Farewell to Manzanar (GT)... Slam Dunk!
  Essential Question: What kind of emotions did the internees feel as a result of living in the camps?
• Fever 1793 ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How did the the yellow fever epidemic of 1793 affect the growth and development of the city of Philadelphia?
• Persuasion Power...Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How can I use persuasive techniques and information from research to effectively influence the opinions or actions of others?
• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry: Judging the Authenticity of Historical Fiction ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How authentic is Mildred D. Taylor's depiction of African American life in the South during the 1930's in the historical novel Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry?
  
• What's in a Play? A Midsummer Night's Dream ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Questions:
  • What is "real?"
  • Why do people have different perceptions of reality?
  • How is identity defined by how others perceive you and by how you perceive yourself?
  • How are relationships influenced by power?

• Advertising Slam Dunk!
  Essential Question: How do gimmicks and hype  influence spending decisions?
• Consumer Rights Slam Dunk!
  Essential Question: What can you do if you feel that your rights as a consumer have been violated?
• Identity Theft Slam Dunk!
  Essential Question: How can you protect yourself from identity theft?
• Investigating Food Science...Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: What information about food science would enable a consumer to solve problems or make decisions about food issues?

• Drug Abuse...Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How do decisions I make now concerning drug use affect my future?
• What's in a Label? ...Slam Dunk!
  Essential Question: How can you evaluate nutritional information in order to determine which breakfast foods are the healthiest? 
  

• Fractals...Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: What essential information about FRACTALS should you communicate to graphic design company representatives when applying for a summer internship?

• History of American Journalism ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question:
  
• History of Mass Communication Slam Dunk!
  Essential Question: How have specific technological advances in mass communication affected our society and culture?

• Native American Music...Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question:How does music relate to the values, beliefs, and daily lives of the Native American people?

Grade 6

• Biomes Here and There ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How do biotic and abiotic factors influence ecosystems around the world?
• Energy Transformations Slam Dunk!
  Essential Question: What are the specific energy transformations that matter undergoes?
  
• Experimenting with Experiments ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How does conducting multiple experiments and selecting an appropriate variable help you prove or disprove a hypothesis?
  
• Potential and Kinetic Energy Slam Dunk!
  Essential Question: How do you describe the relationship between potential energy and kinetic energy in moving objects?
  

Grade 7

• Bed Bugs and Natural Selection Slam Dunk!
  Essential Question: How does Darwin’s theory of  natural selection apply to the development of pesticide resistance in bed bugs?
• Diseases, Conditions, and Disabilities...Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How might you justify the spending of federal dollars for more research to improve the medical care or cure rate for this disease?
• Earthquakes Slam Dunk!
  Essential Question: What is the relationship between the magnitude and the energy released by an earthquake?
  
• The Rock Cycle Slam Dunk!
  Essential Question: How can the processes that change one form of rock into another be described?
  

Grade 8

• Asian Suminoe Oysters and the Chesapeake DCMM Slam Dunk! (Save PowerPoint for interactivity capability.)
  Essential Question: Will Asian Suminoe oysters help or harm the natural processes of the Chesapeake Bay?
• Bald Eagles and the Chesapeake Bay DCMM Slam Dunk! (Save PowerPoint for interactivity capability.)
  Essential Question: How can human activity affect populations within the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem?
• Energy and the Environment...Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question:How do the differences in obtaining, transforming, and distributing energy from various sources impact the environment?
• Food Chains in the Chesapeake DCMM Slam Dunk! (Save PowerPoint for interactivity capability.)
  Essential Question: How could fluctuations in the population of something as small as a water flea affect predators like raccoons and herons? How do changes in the food chain affect other organisms in the Chesapeake Bay?
• Hangin' in the Chesapeake ... Curriculum Alignment DCMM Essential Question: How does the interdependence of organisms in the Chesapeake Bay affect the natural processes of the Bay?
• How Humans Affect SAV DCMM Slam Dunk! (Save PowerPoint for interactivity capability.)
  Essential Question: How do things you do in your everyday life affect SAV (Submerged Aquatic Vegetation) in the Chesapeake?
• Human Activity and Watersheds DCMM Slam Dunk! (Save PowerPoint for interactivity capability.)
  Essential Question: How does human activity in your neighborhood impact the water quality of the watershed in which you live?
• Land Biomes: Nature's Balancing Act...Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question:How does the interdependency of organisms in an environment affect the balance of an ecosystem?
  
• Our Changing Chesapeake ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How does our use of natural resources impact the quality of the environment?
• Pfiesteria...Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: What impact do humans have on the ecosystem?
• Nonnative Species and the Chesapeake Bay DCMM Slam Dunk! (Save PowerPoint for interactivity capability.)
  Essential Question: Which nonnative species poses the greatest threat to the Chesapeake and why?
• Pollution and the Chesapeake Bay DCMM Slam Dunk! (Save PowerPoint for interactivity capability.)
  Essential Question: How do pollutants affect organisms - like SAV - in the Chesapeake?
• SAV in the Chesapeake DCMM Slam Dunk! (Save PowerPoint for interactivity capability.)
  Essential Question: What is SAV and why should I care?
• SAVing the SAV ... Curriculum Alignment DCMM
  Essential Question: How can human activity facilitate the growth of SAV in the Chesapeake Bay?
• Tornadoes Slam Dunk!
  Essential Question: What conditions are necessary for the formation of tornadoes?

Grade 6

• Arranged Marriages in India DCMM Slam Dunk! (Save PowerPoint for interactivity capability.)
  Essential Question: How does the practice of arranged marriage meet human needs?
• Asian Indian Cultural Festival ... Curriculum Alignment DCMM
  Essential Question:How did various traditions originate and develop in India?
  How are these traditions important to Asian Indian culture?
• Celebrating Cultural Diversity in Our School ... Curriculum Alignment DCMM
  Essential Question: How does our school reflect the cultural diversity
  of our county, state, and country?
• The Holidays of India DCMM Slam Dunk!(Save PowerPoint for interactivity capability.)
  Essential Question: How do traditional Indian holidays impact the culture as a whole?
• The Importance of Dance in India DCMM Slam Dunk! (Save PowerPoint for interactivity capability.)
  Essential Question: What is the importance of dance in India?
• Journey to Japan ...Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How do traditional values, beliefs, and institutions
  play a role in today's Japanese society?
• The Legacy of Ancient China..Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: What were the important contributions from Ancient Chinese dynasties and and how did these contributions influence European and Asian culture?
• Pre-Columbian Societies...Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How can you apply criteria used to define a civilization to the Pre-Columbian societies?
• Traditional Dress of India DCMM Slam Dunk!(Save PowerPoint for interactivity capability.)
  Essential Question:What are some traditional items worn by Indian men and women and what role do they play within the culture?
• The Tokugawa Period of Japan DCMM Slam Dunk! (Save PowerPoint for interactivity capability.)
  Essential Question: What is the Tokugawa Period and what influence did it have on the people of Japan?

Grade 7

• Africa: Opportunities Await!... Curriculum Alignment DCMM
  Essential Question: What factors make a country a favorable place to develop an industry?
• African Quality of Life ...DCMM Slam Dunk!
  Essential Question: Should the United States increase its official development assistance to the least developed countries in Sub-Saharan Africa?
• Ancient Greece and Rome ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: Which achievements of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome have had the greatest impact on the world community?
• Changing World Views: Middle Ages to Renaissance (GT)...Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How did the developments of the Renaissance shift perspectives about personal identity?
• Comparing Economic Development of African Nations DCMM Slam Dunk! (Save PowerPoint for interactivity capability.)
  Essential Question: Which information source yields more important information: photographs or charts?
• European Vacation: Wants and Needs ... Curriculum Alignment DCMM
  Essential Question: Which European country will satisfy the wants and needs of a family vacation?
• Medieval Europe ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How did a particular group or institution influence the culture during the Middle Ages?
• Navigating the Road to the White House ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Questions: How do American citizens decide who to vote for in a presidential election?
• Welcome to Europe! ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Curriculum: How could you "market" a country in order to increase business and tourism and thereby promote its economic growth?

Grade 8

• Billy Yank and Johnny Reb: Soldiers' Lives in the American Civil War ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How did soldiers' expectations about Civil War life compare to their actual wartime experiences?
• British Policies After the French and Indian War Slam Dunk! (Save PowerPoint for interactivity capability.)
  Essential Question: How did colonial Americans react to British policies following the French and Indian War?
• Checks and Balances ... Slam Dunk!
  Essential Question: Why is the system of checks and balances an essential aspect of the American system of government?
• How Successful Was Reconstruction? ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How successful were American Reconstruction policies in helping former slaves to become politically, socially, and economically part of a free society?
• Indian Removal and the Politics of Westward Expansion... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How does the treatment of a minority group impact an entire nation?
• Journey of Discovery with Lewis and Clark ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: Should Lewis and Clark be considered national heroes?
  
• Mid-Nineteenth Century Reforms ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How did life in the Unites States change as a result of
  the reform movements of the mid-19th century?
• Old Ways - New Lives ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How did various social groups contribute
  to colonial American society?
• Reconstruction and the Freedmen's Bureau Slam Dunk! (Save PowerPoint for interactivity capability.)
  Essential Question:
  
• Timeline to Equality... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How have the American people responded to multicultural and multiracial issues based on the Declaration of Independence?
• A Treasure in the Attic ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How did European and Asian immigration between 1800 and 1860 contribute to regional diversity in the United States of America?
• Turnpike to Golden Spike ... Curriculum Alignment
  Essential Question: How did the development of systems of transportation during the 19th century impact westward expansion?