21st Century Themes Lesson Plans

Young scholars discuss a meeting between Bush and Putin. In this global awareness lesson, students examine how two leaders approach major governmental issues regarding how their countries are run.

Students examine the transition of power that occurs with the election of a new president. In this presidential government lesson, students will use complete a series of online activities. This lesson includes benchmarks, assessment tools, online resources, hand-outs, and cross curricular connections.

Young scholars examine the stereotypes used to classify the Middle East. After taking a regional literacy survey, they discover their own global awareness. They discuss how stereotypes are formed and how they persist over time if not stopped.

Young scholars will read an article about the ban on arms sales to China and discuss political concerns about this issue. Students then research another embargo on trade and the impact having it lifted would produce, using a graphic organizer for this purpose.

Learners examine primary sources about historical perspectives on the US presidential Inauguration. In this lesson on the US Presidency, students view video clips, research time-lines, and explore Internet resources concerning the Inaugural process. This lesson includes activities, worksheets, and games.

Learners examine the global economy. In this economics lesson, students participate in reading and research activities about gross domestic product, consumer prices, inflation, consumer price index, industrial production, and unemployment rates in the global marketplace. Learners examine the global economic crisis of 2008 as they conduct further research on the economies of selected nations.

Introduce your class to technology tools that allow them to communicate with other classes. Using the Internet, they will send pictures of their class along with the school website to another class. To end the lesson, they practice using a digital camera. Extension: Continue this interaction with a blog that both classes participate in.

Learners read about how scientists are arriving at current theories of human origin and migration through mitochondrial DNA analysis. They then piece together a map showing the data from mitochondrial DNA analysis to plot the migration pattern of early humans.

Students identify the innovations created from plastic and give examples. They investigate future uses of plastic and visit a NASA Website to view the Transhab capsule. In small groups, they brainstorm lists of innovations from the past ten years and create drawings of new plastic products.

Many historical innovations were created for the common good. Get your students ready for life as a critical thinker with this lesson which defines the differences between innovation and invention. They will conduct Internet research, engage in a class discussion, and then create a virtual innovation. They will describe the problem their innovation was designed to solve, how it works, and why it's innovative.