What does it take to be a great negotiator? Learners discover the factors that affect the negotiation process through group discussion and brainstorming. An installment in a series of peacebuilding activities compares the needs and wants...

Why did so many go along with Nazi policies during World War II? An investigatory unit includes four handouts, reading analyses, classroom discussion topics, and intriguing philosophical questions, helping learners understand the...

The basis of sociology rests in leadership, followers, and core beliefs driving a society. Max Weber's 20th century work Politics as a Vocation examines the path ahead for Germany after World War I, and posits that it is the role of...

Can countries avoid global warfare if they all act the same way? Consider the importance of international relations with a video analysis of Hans Morgenthau's 1948 work, Politics Among Nations, which cites liberal idealism as a factor in...

Having a government may feel complicated and cumbersome, but as John Locke contends in his Two Treatises of Government, it is better than allowing human nature to regulate itself. A short video presents high schoolers with an explanation...

How do advertisements evoke specific thoughts and feelings? Class members find out through the exploration of the Internet, videos, television, magazines, radio, and posters. Learners investigate commercial advertisements, political...

How can negative thoughts affect your life? Learn about the ways you think about yourself can define your personality, and how self control can be the answer to higher self esteem.

How far would you go when told to follow orders? High schoolers read about Ron Jones' 1967 Third Wave experiment at Cubberley High School in Palo Alto, California, and use discussion and reading comprehension questions to consider the...

When is it okay to go against authority and what can happen if you do? This is the leading question in this activity to accompany your classroom reading of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. After reading chapter eight,...

How far are people willing to go to obey authority? Shockingly, pretty far. Or that is the conclusion one could draw based on a reading of Saul McLeod's article about the 1963 experiment conducted by Yale psychologist Stanley Milgram....

Young scholars examine the concepts of power and authority as they begin learning about government in this elementary social studies lesson. Through a series of readings, discussions, and problem solving activities, children learn about...

Sensitive material is discussed in this lesson. Please review to ensure that the content is suitable for your class. The topic is the Eighth Amendment and how the U.S. Supreme Court makes determinations about what constitutes cruel and...

Encourage respect, responsibility, and caring within your classroom with a collection of lessons that spark dialogue and self reflection. To address character traits, lessons touch on topics such as staying safe in the cafeteria,...

Is it better to be loved or feared as a ruler? Learners study an excerpt from Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince and consider how power has the potential to both corrupt oneself and influence others. 

Teach young researchers how best to choose sources. This PowerPoint presentation underscores the need for accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, and coverage.

Students work in small groups. They imagine that they are the council committee. Students choose from a list of projects to be funded. They have one hundred thousand dollars to spend and they have to spend the money on a project that...

Fourth graders explore how to hold conversations and respect the privacy of others. They discuss why it is important to ask those in authority for help and to respect others' belongings. They review signs they have observed in public and...

In this career activity, students imagine that they are adopting a baby. They create a budget chart for all of the expenses needed to properly care for a baby. Students calculate the costs for a month, including babysitting.

Young scholars examine the country of Mongolia and how it is trying to form a democracy. As a class, they participate in a class meeting about a new class rule and they voice their opinions. They read excerpts of a letter of a Peace...

Learners, in groups, explore the dynamics between hippies and authority figures and create a T-chart outlining the concerns and arguments of both sides.

Second graders in a 2nd grade classroom review "self control" and begin a lesson on "accepting authority." They discuss people who have authority over them and review what they should do in a variety of scenarios where they will be...

Fifth graders complete spelling bee games and work in groups in order to spell words correctly. In this spelling lesson plan, 5th graders are also focusing on conflicts, behavior, and authority in their group.

First graders study community helpers. In this community helpers instructional activity, 1st graders explore different occupations. Students explore authority figures and investigate how these figures help the community.

Students explore the meaning of totalitarianism.  In this World History lesson plan, students evaluate totalitarianism as it relates to Hannah Arendt's life then share their findings with the class.