Curated OER
What is Your Issue?
Students discuss and debate critical political and social issues facing the United States today.
Curated OER
A Life in Politics
Students answer a quiz about congressional leaders. They research former majority leaders and create charts about them. They write letters to the current majority leader about a current issue.
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Documents about the Boston Massacre and the Biases of Their Creators
Students compare and contrast writings about pre-American Revolution events. In this political agenda lesson, students conduct research to determine how bias and perspective have made their way into historical documents. Students examine...
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Islam and Terrorism
Students explore Muslim beliefs. In this Muslim extremist instructional activity, students research Internet and print sources regarding Muslim beliefs and examine how Muslim extremists have interpreted the tenets of the religion to...
Student Handouts
Writing Exercises: The Presidency of Bill Clinton
How much do your pupils know about the Clinton administration? For this resource, class members respond to five questions about the Clinton presidency. They may need to research online or in their textbooks to find the information...
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Operation Iraqi Democracy
In this lesson, students consider various forms of government and examine the idea of political sovereignty, then prepare outlines for oral presentations on international models of government. For homework, they write response papers...
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Europe in Upheaval (1850 - 1914)
Europe was in a state of transition and upheaval that spanned a time of 60 years, beginning in 1850 and running through the first World War. Uncover the wars, key players, politics, and social movements that marked this time period in...
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Religions
Students study different religions and factions within the religion. They examine the political agenda of religious factions in civil war zones in Africa, Asia, or Latin America. They investigate high crimes against humanity in the name...
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Putting a Spin on Current Events
High schoolers explore the artistic value of propaganda. In this visual arts lesson, students analyze antique artistic pieces for their political agenda perpetuation. High schoolers discuss propaganda techniques of the past to today...
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THE MASSACHUSETSS FRONTIER:TURNER
Young scholars examine the political, social, religious, and economic world and national context in which the settlement of Deerfield occurred and the competing political agendas, and competition for land, power, and wealth in Deerfield.
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REEL POLITICS: HOW HOLLYWOOD EXERCISES ITS FREEDOM OF SPEECH
Students list the five best films of the year, in their opinion; brainstorm a list of criteria for a "good" film. They compare their own lists with the nominees in this year's Academy Awards; consider patterns in Academy Award winners of...
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Join Gloria Steinem
High schoolers research events relating to the Chicana rights movement and analyze the 1973 Chicana Caucus Resolutions. They draft a set of Chicana rights resolutions.
Classroom Law Project
Should we believe everything we read? Becoming a discerning consumer of media
Class members investigate the role media should play in a healthy democracy. As part of this study, groups analyze political advertising, use FactCheck to assess not only the veracity of but the persuasions techniques used in candidates'...
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Minorities Ruled
Students investigate various European political parties with anti-immigration agendas. They examine and write written reports concerning the party goals of exclusion or restriction of immigrants in their societies. Students present...
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The Story of How Deerfield Came to Be
Eleventh graders explore how the native peoples had lived in the Connecticut Valley for nearly 10,000 years, prior to the English settlement and how their culture and life ways were markedly different from that of the English settlers.
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Petition of Amelia Bloomer Regarding Suffrage in the West
Young scholars investigate the role of Amelia Jenks Bloomer in the struggles for suffrage and political reform. They consider the factors involved in political socialization and compile webliographies of their research materials.
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Fighting The Horse Race: Creating Ads Which Explore 2008 Presidential Candidates & Issues
What is advertising? What role does it plan in an election? Middle and high schoolers discuss advertising and its purpose by sifting through different magazines and discussing the products they find. Then they relate advertisements to...
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Select-a-Lawmaker
Students are assigned a party faction, examine bills voted on by their party faction last year, and find a candidate with a similiar view of government.
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Influencing the Agenda: The Impact of Interest Groups on Policy Making
Students examine the role of interest groups and how they affect voters. In groups, they research how the groups have affected policy making in the county. They examine a specific issue and discover whether or not a vote was changed...
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Religious and Political Changes in Europe
Eighth graders examine the Protestant Reformation and the Spanish Armada. After taking notes, they read an excerpt of their textbook and complete a worksheet. To end the lesson, they complete a timeline of the major events of both time...
Annenberg Foundation
Making an Issue-Based Video
Encourage class members to become engaged citizens by researching an issue they are passionate about and then producing a video to present to policymakers, the public, and their peers. Everything needed for the unit is contained in...
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Backward Lesson Plan
Learners explore and analyze the position of freedmen in the post Civil War period as well as the impact of Andrew Johnson's presidency on Reconstruction. In addition, they evaluate the laws and amendments that were put in place during...
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Woody Guthrie: Ain't Got No Home
Students examine the music of Woody Guthrie and how the political and economic climate influenced his work. They read and discuss online articles, define key vocabulary words, take a Political Orientation Survey, and write a position...
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Alphabet Soup Job Descriptions
Eleventh graders investigate New Deal programs. In this Great Depression activity, 11th graders read the provided source materials that detail the agendas of 3 New Deal agencies. Students complete the provided analysis sheets and then...