Center for Instruction, Technology, & Innovation
Did African American Lives Improve After Slavery?
The Civil War made slavery illegal, but all ex-slaves were not totally free. Scholars visit eight different classroom stations to uncover life during the Reconstruction Era in America. Groups discover items such as Black Codes, 13th,...
ProCon
Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
Should physician-assisted suicide be legal? Using a debate topics website, pupils prepare to discuss the morality and legality of euthanasia. Scholars discover historical case studies involving assisted suicide, explore state-by-state...
ProCon
Electoral College
The Electoral College's role in elections is sometimes confusing and controversial. Pupils use a debate topics website to research the pros and cons of the practice to debate whether the United States should still use the Electoral...
Curated OER
Campaign Hot Buttons
Students participate in a simulation that asks them to work as staffers for a candidate running for office. They are assigned to design, administer, and analyze a simple poll on an important community issue. Students develop a position...
Curated OER
Multas
Combine history and Spanish instruction with an exploration of descriptions of fines given in Florida in 1790. Partners read the brief text, fill out a graphic organizer about the crimes described, and interview each other about fines....
Constitutional Rights Foundation
U.S. Immigration Policy and Hitler’s Holocaust
Though the Statue of Liberty welcomes political refugees to her shores, the welcoming sentiment has not always been reflected in the American citizenry. High schoolers read about the regrettable period in United States history when the...
Curated OER
Exit to the Left
Students share their own thoughts about the United States' involvement in Iraq. They read an article about what the Democrats would do if they were in charge. They develop a poll for members of their community to take and analyze the...
Curated OER
Finding Political Answers
Students discuss the 2006 midterm elections. They read an article about exit polls. They create a scavenger hunt using articles of the New York Times. They write a paper about the importance of midterm elections.
Curated OER
Iraq In-Depth
Students examine public opinion about the war in Iraq. They read and discuss an article, participate in a poll, analyze statistics, create annotated scales demonstrating their findings, and write a reaction paper.
Curated OER
Press Perception of Jack Johnson
Students role-play the role of journalists during the 19th and 20th centuries. They create their own sports newspapers. They report on Jack Johnson's life and career.
Curated OER
Hark, the Herald Atheists Sing
Students complete a one minute interview on their classmates views on religion and holiday traditions. They read an article about how Americans celebrate Christmas in different ways. Creating in-depth questions, they practice...
Curated OER
Poets of Christmas Past
Students consider the meanings of Christmas by reading an op-ed. As a class, they then create a sequel to the poem "A Visit from Saint Nicholas," in which "Mamma" tells a story about the history of Christmas.
Curated OER
Election 2005: Campaign Issues
Students take a closer look at the election of 2005. In this British politics activity, students listen to a lecture about the 2005 campaign and active citizenship. Students then create collages and news boards about the election. Older...
Curated OER
Nuclear Storage on the Goshute Reservation
Students discuss weather or not the Goshutes should be allowed to store nuclear waste on their reservation. They work in groups and research an assigned topic, locate relevant sources then present their investigation to the class
Curated OER
To Vote or Not to Vote? that is the Question!
Students examine voting rights provided by the United States Constitution. For this voting lesson, students focus on 3 amendments that extended voting rights to all citizens. Students discuss the importance of expressing opinions through...
Curated OER
What Is Hot?
Middle schoolers explore why: Schools are hotbeds of popular young opinion about what to wear, which music to listen to, and what TV shows to watch. In this activity, students extend their fascination with "what's hot" to the books they...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan 3: Publishing
Students, in groups, publish an integrated and functional web page. They create action plans and establish daily and weekly objectives, and then use cameras and video cameras to tak epictures and short movies of school activities.
Curated OER
Behind the Ad: The Process of Producing a Political Commerical
Learners examine how advertisements are produced for political campaigns. In groups, they view various examples of different advertisements and create their own ad by completing the steps listed in the lesson plan. They share their ad...
Curated OER
Graphs
Students list their favorite cars and create graphs of their favorites. Students determine how the graphs would change as their choices change.
Curated OER
One Survivor Remembers: Anti-Semitism
Learners analyze and discuss how propaganda influenced anti-Semitism and it's role in World War II. In this propaganda instructional activity, students define the terms involved in this assignment. Then they will discuss their reactions...
Curated OER
High-end/Low-end: Exploring Price and Value in Design
Learners analyze elements of design and compare/contrast elements of price and design. In this design lesson, students consider the differences between high-end and low-end design. After completing an analysis of design in small groups,...
Curated OER
Our Constitutional Connection Lesson 3: To Vote Or Not To Vote? That is the Question!
Students design colorful posters to "get out and vote" after studying the three amendments to the US Constitution that extend voting rights. They analyze the importance of voting to a healthy democracy.
Curated OER
How Did Humans Evolve?
Students complete an online activity in which they examine fossils to find possible hominid family trees.
Curated OER
Religion and Ethics: Living with Special Needs
Students explore human behavior by exploring mental and physical disabilities. In this learning disability lesson plan, students identify the different disabilities students have which prevent them from working at the same pace as the...