Constitutional Rights Foundation
Special Order 40
The city of Los Angeles' 1979 Special Order 40 states: "LAPD officers shall not initiate police action with the objective of discovering the alien status of a person." After reading a fact sheet that details the history of Special Order...
Curated OER
Pig Products
How do you feel about cloning? This issue is highly debated, so educate your class before they participate in a similar debate! Read a New York Times article related to the use of cloned pig organs for human transplants. Groups develop...
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Face the Nation! A Panel Discussion
Sixth graders simulate an election-year debate between opposing political parties. In this persuasive-speech lesson plan, 6th graders will work in teams to prepare for and participate in a debate between opposing parties. The lesson plan...
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The Great Computer Debates
Students research controversial Internet technology issues concerning security, privacy, and intellectual property. They formulate and present various perspectives on these issues in a mock television panel discussion.
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What's Legal with Music on the Web?
Student research legalities of downloading music from Internet, gather information on citizens who have been charged with downloading/copyright crimes, find out who is working to create new laws dealing with this technology, explore what...
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Roe v. Wade: A History of Controversy
Students research what is legal now as far as abortions are concerned. Does it matter what state you live in? Does it matter how old you are? If you are a teen, does the doctor have to notify your parents? Students prepare a panel...
University of Pennsylvania
Using Comic Strips to Teach Multiple Perspectives
Scholars view comics from two different perspectives; one paints the Alfred Dreyfus as innocent, while the other portrays the exact opposite. They solve the mystery of what happened by analyzing the source, working in groups, and...
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The Call of the Wild
Students read The Call of the Wild, noting its theme of survival. They investigate the book's concepts with word webs, spider maps, or graphic organizers. They conduct a panel discussion on dogs and wolves. They write a letter to the...
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Global Warming: Life in a Greenhouse
Students investigate the evidence and consequences of global warming. They read and discuss an article, conduct a debate, evaluate their community's climate statistics, log their gas consumption for a week, and develop a panel discussion...
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The Debate Over Stem Cell Research
Students complete a variety of activities as they examine the ethical issues behind stem cell research and cloning. They make their own ethical decisions on both subjects.
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Islam-Hajj and Eid-Ul-Adha: Panel Debate
In this panel debate worksheet, students in teams assume one of the character roles for role play in a mock panel discussion which focuses on Islamic religious beliefs.
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Running on Renewables
Students investigate the costs and benefits of switching their school to sustainable technology energy production. They use software called HOMER developed by the National Renewable Energy Lab to do the cost/ benefit analysis. They then...
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Shasta Dam: How High is Too High?
Research water use in California, environmental protection laws, and the proposition to raise Shasta Dam by 200 feet. Researchers use their findings to build an argument which will be presented at a mock decision panel. Groups then...
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
To Boldly Go, or Not
Here is a different way to combine social studies and science. Have your high schoolers read a passage about the 2004 vision for space exploration and then discuss the practicality, costs, and reasons for returning to the moon. Then, the...
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To Declare Independence or Not??
Young scholars debate and role play about whether the colonists should declare independence from England or not. For this American history and oral communication lesson, students read informational text about the colonists and their...
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GLOBAL WARMING
Students form definitions of the greenhouse effect based on prior knowledge, class discussion, viewing diagrams, and participate in group brainstorming sessions and class discussions related to the impact of the greenhouse effect and...
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Debating the Over-the-Counter Sale of the "Morning After" Pill
Students examine the controversy at the F.D.A over Plan B. They read an article, answer discussion questions, conduct research, role-play a panel of experts at a mock conference, and write a letter to the editor their own opinion about...
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Does Climate Change Exist? Healthy Skepticism? Debating the Truth, Evidence, and Certainty of Climate Change
Learners study climate change and the arguments of scientists that it exists. For this climate change lesson students complete a class activity and answer questions.
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Spinning Your Wheels
Students read various articles related to transportation and land use. They cite textual references as they engage in panel discussions, shared inquiry discussions and debates. They write a persuasive essay on the topic.
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Freedom to Worship
Fifth graders read the biographies of seven colonists and determine their position on the freedom of religion. They conduct a panel discussion of seven personalities and debate the religious freedom in America.
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Commercial Surrogacy: Questions & Considerations of Parties with Vested Interests
Teenagers explore the topic of surrogate motherhood. They examine the technology involved, types of surrogacy, interested groups, and current laws. Each collaborative group is assigned an interest group. They work together to develop...
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How Science Works: Fossil Record - Televised Debate
Students compare the three theories used tp interpret fossil records. In this earth science lesson, students create a production of a televised debate. They collaborate with group members to generate relevant questions about the topic.
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Lights, Camera...Ticket...2
Students research the pros and cons of traffic light cameras that generate tickets and interview local city officials to see if they have considered this for the community. Students then prepare a panel to present the advantages and...
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Coral Bleaching: Making Our Oceans Whiter
Students study coral reefs and the controversy over coral bleaching. They role-play a debate over the issue and come up with a compromise to protect the reefs and the economies that depend on them.