+
Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

8 Ideas for Teaching National Hispanic Heritage Month

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
Here are eight ideas to celebrate National Hispanic Month! Scholars have the opportunity to read and discuss literature, include people and events in history, examine art, watch and discuss films, listen to and dance to music, explore...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Facing History and Ourselves

The Challenge of Confirmation Bias

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Confirmation bias makes it difficult to overcome our preconceived notions of others. That's the big idea in a lesson that teaches learners strategies to recognize and question their biases.
+
Unit Plan
3
3
Curated OER

Farewell to Manzanar

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Examine human resilience across two texts with a detailed unit. Over the course of a week, learners will conduct a close reading of excerpts from Unbroken and Farewell to Manzanar. The resource includes clear procedures for reading and...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Laughing Matters

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Is laughter really the best medicine? Middle and high schoolers discuss the truth behind this adage by reading and discussing a New York Times article about Dr. Patch Adams. They participate in a round-table debate in response to...
+
Lesson Plan
3
3
Curated OER

Twisted Tales

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Experience how a story can drastically change when the point of view is altered. Young scholars first read a review of Disney's film Tarzan, focusing on how the point of view in the classic story is important. They then select another...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Good for Goodness Sake?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
After discussing their opinions of performing community service, young learners read an article about different benefits of serving the community. They participate in a debate about whether their school should require pupils to perform...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Curated OER

A Test of Faith

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Secondary schoolers investigate the debate surrounding the current sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church with this New York Times lesson. Through discussions and written reflection, they explore their own thoughts and opinions on...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The First (and Last) Words

For Teachers 6th - 12th
What does "freedom of speech" mean to your class, especially in the context of Internet communications? In round-table discussion format, middle and high schoolers address the issues discussed in "State Legislatures Across U.S. Plan to...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Beginning of the War -- Two Views on Texas

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars discuss the factors that can lead to war, and the motivations of countries going into war. They research two viewpoints on Texas during the Mexican War and participate in a debate with their classmates.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hey, Teacher, Leave My Kids Alone

For Teachers 6th - 12th
What are the differences between homeschooling, traditional schooling, and unschooling? Middle and high schoolers examine the opinions of their peers on these varied types of education. After reading a New York Times article, they...
+
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

The Way I See It: Point of View

For Teachers 9th - 11th Standards
Robbers see a house from a different perspective than real estate agents. That's the big idea in a lesson about point of view. Groups assume the role of either robbers or real estate agents, note important details in a description of a...
+
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

The Power of Poetry: Perspectives in Poetry

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
What do Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Amanda Gordon have in common? They all believe in the power of words—the power of words to create change. After analyzing the rhetorical strategies in several poems and speeches,...
+
Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

Analyzing Primary Source Documents to Understand U.S. Expansionism and 19th Century U.S.-Indian Relations

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Historical events can be viewed from multiple perspectives. This simple truth is brought home in a lesson that examines primary source documents related to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Doctrine of Discovery and Manifest Destiny,...
+
Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

Viewing History from Multiple Perspectives

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Celebration or protest song? The full text of Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land" opens a study of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Louisiana Purchase, and Western Expansion from various perspectives. Middle schoolers examine...
+
Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

Should Washington's NFL Team Change Their Name?

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
"What's in a name?" Is it irrelevant, as Juliet suggests in Shakespeare's play, or is nomenclature deeply significant? Young scholars weigh in on the debate by examining the controversy over the NFL's Washington, D.C. Redskins. Groups...
+
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

The Sirens: Is It a Bird or Is It a Fish?

For Teachers 9th Standards
Fish, fowl, foul fish, or foul fowl? Just what is a siren? Young scholars listen to a video clip and draw what they imagine when they hear the word "siren." After watching several videos depicting sirens, class members read "The Sirens'...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
K20 LEARN

Lord of the Flies Unit, Lesson 2: Leader of the Pack

For Teachers 9th Standards
The second lesson in the Lord of the Flies unit asks scholars to consider the characteristics of a good leader. After generating a list of these qualities, they annotate a passage from the novel highlighting the leadership qualities of...
+
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Conflict And Choice In Tangerine: Character Development

For Teachers 7th Standards
Introduce middle schoolers to Edward Bloor's novel Tangerine with a lesson that asks scholars to make predictions about events in the novel based on an article written by the Smoop Editorial team. Predictions are posted in the classroom...
+
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Ichabod and Brom - Two Wild And Crazy Guys: Characters' Differing Perspectives

For Teachers 9th Standards
After reading Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," class members compare the characteristics of Ichabod Crane and Brom Van Brunt. Next, they read an article about ghosts that supposedly haunt the campus of Oklahoma...
+
Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

Diverse Books Matter

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
A campaign by Marley Diaz sheds light on the importance of diverse books. Scholars explore the campaign and identify "window" and "mirror" books. They look closely at their library and classroom bookshelves and reflect on why diverse...
+
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

But What About Me?: Teaching Perspective In The Social Studies Classroom

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
How would the story of the discovery of America be different if indigenous people told it through their eyes? Individuals compare the conventional account of this moment in history to an account given by one of the native peoples. After...
+
Activity
1
1
Facing History and Ourselves

First Chapter Fridays

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Fridays can be a challenge with learners already dreaming about their weekends. Here's a routine that will bring their minds back to the classroom. Read aloud the beginning of a story, sure to engage your listeners.
+
Lesson Plan
PBS

Connecting Post-Civil War Mob Violence and the Capitol Hill Riot

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Anti-democratic violence is not new in the United States. Learners watch videos and then compare and contrast the 1873 Colfax and the 1898 Wilmington massacres. They then watch a video about the Capitol Hill insurrection of 2021 and...
+
Lesson Plan
Newseum

Persuasion Portfolios

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
After class members brainstorm a list of current social and political issues, groups each select a different topic from the list to research. Teams create a portfolio of at least 10 examples of stories about their issue, stories that...