The Great Fire by Jim Murphy provides the text for a study of the Chicago fire of 1871. The plan is designed as a close reading activity so that all learners have the same background information require for writing. Richly detailed, the...

Using an online internet simulation, learners will role-play various members of a family living in rural Haiti. The objective is to increase global awareness by requiring them to consider poverty as an obstacle to education in Haiti....

New ReviewTwo short PBS videos introduce young scholars to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1968 Poor People's Campaign, his support for the Memphis sanitation worker's strike, and the plans for the march on Washington, D.C., to fight poverty. Viewers...

New ReviewYoung political scientists investigate the Poor People's Campaign protest held in Washington, D.C., on June 18, 2022. They research how the event was reported in various news outlets and consider their stance on whether "poverty is...

Good primary resources, offering different perspectives on important issues and events, are hard to find. A packet of 12 primary source images, videos, audio recordings, records, and newspaper articles related to the 1960s civil rights...

The Poor People's Campaign of 1968 marked a shift in the civil rights movement to economic issues. Speakers in four C-SPAN video clips discuss different aspects of the campaign including Resurrection City, the Economic Bill of Rights,...

The American dream is to climb the social and economic ladder, but is it really possible? Using an online opportunity atlas, class members explore income and social mobility throughout the country. Discussion prompts allow learners to...

Photos can capture a complete story in a single image. Class members closely examine a photo of a homeless camp and attempt to read the story told by the picture. They then read the caption for the photograph and compare their notes with...

The Fair Deal was meant to give Americans after World War II a basic standard of living. Those in public housing often found that promise fell short. Learners consider whether the effort was successful by evaluating images, testimonies,...

Spend some time with lines of best fit. An informative unit has learners investigate government spending. They research data on poverty, educational spending, social security, and defense spending, and then analyze lines of best fit for...

The United Nation's role in world diplomacy is critical, but its enforcement is limited. Using activities such as role plays and simulations, classmates consider the role the UN plays in world peace keeping. The unit plan includes five...

While Benjamin Franklin enjoyed fame and success in colonial Philadelphia, that was not the experience of all coming to the British colonies. Young scholars trace the life of an indentured servant using a scholarly biography and reading...

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world. While poverty has led to challenges like a high rate of child marriages, it also has created a spirit of ingenuity. A video resource profiles the intricacies of the nation known as the...

What role do women play in agrarian economies? How has gentrification affected neighborhoods in positive and negative ways? To what extent has language evolved over time? Learners consider these questions using authentic test questions...

Here's a resource that's rich with learning opportunities. Future mathematicians investigate the poverty rate in America over time. They use an interactive to compare the poverty rate during the Great Recession of 2008 to other years,...

All work and no play? Sounds like the lives of children during the Victorian Era! A photographic presentation shows case studies, images, and easy-to-understand language that effectively explains the working conditions of children at the...

Can beautiful words change the world? Literary scholars discover how to paint their visions of change using poetry in a series of three workshops. Each independent topic gives participants a chance to examine their feelings about...

Take learners on a journey throughout the world to discover how other people live. Scholars experience a taste of what life feels like for those in poverty and without housing. Activities include discussions, building a cardboard house,...

Creating an environment where learners feel both educated and empowered challenges any teacher when discussing a sometimes bleak topic. A respectful resource provides them with the details and permits them to make a plan of action....

What better way is there to teach about human rights than by seeing them firsthand? Introduce your class or club to the spirit of service through a myriad of service project ideas. First in a series of human rights instructional...

How do you solve a conflict that's been around for so many years? Scholars discover the viewpoints of stakeholders in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during an emotionally charged simulation. A facilitator moderates discussions between...

Is providing aid to foreign countries always beneficial? High schoolers explore the basics of foreign aid and remittance, including the percentage of the United States budget that is allocated to foreign aid, and the ways that nonprofits...