How has the Internet of Things affected our lives? Scholars examine the massive influence of mobile devices in this analysis instructional activity, which begins with a seven-minute documentary clip. They also read a New York Times...

Difficult redistricting concepts are covered in a context that will make it understandable to your government scholars. They begin with a KWL on the term redistricting and then watch a video to answer some questions. They...

Aspiring journalists learn about media literacy, journalism, and the press. Units come complete with handouts, assignment rubrics, notes, and extension suggestions. Each unit also comes with a list of vocabulary words and learning...

Government surveillance is an enduring conflict that has become increasingly complex with our nation's use of technology. Add to the understanding of Orwell’s 1984 by using the resources here that display the contemporary actions of Big...

What rights are guaranteed to students? Do they align with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was approved by the United Nations in 1948? Middle and high schoolers present persuasive arguments about the rights they believe...

How much of your daily life is influenced by Latin American music? Take a listen—the answer may surprise you! High schoolers keep a journal to note any instances they see Latino culture represented, including the media, their school, and...

Introduce class members to journaling with a colorful packet that suggests various purposes, formats, and topics for this very personal form of expression.

Whether it's an election year or not, a unit on voting patterns and political campaigns will awaken the civic pride in your high school citizens. Divided into six parts, the curriculum covers various facets of an election, including...

How do journalists balance bias and ethical reporting? The final lesson plan in a series of five from iCivics examines the different types of bias and how they affect the news we read. Young reporters take to the Internet to find...

Young journalists learn about topics such as newspaper ethics, parts of a newspaper, credible sources, and different types of articles. The lesson empowers individuals and gives them the capability to express their voices through the...

Ever feel disengaged? Let's talk about it! Learning how to create podcast lessons in the classroom fully engages scholars and educators. Participants learn how to conduct simple podcast lessons, then evolve into creating more complex,...

Young scholars compare their school to other student's schools around the world. They evaluate the education system and discuss how they can improve it. They write paragraphs explaining the different schools and place them with pictures...

Students participate in a collaboration activity. In this My Hero Project lesson, students discover what a hero is to someone halfway around the world and themselves. Over the 16-week session, circles, made up of between 6-9 classes from...

Students conceive and create works of visual art that demonstrate comprehension of how the communication of their ideas relates to the media, techniques, and processes they use. They initiate, define, and solve challenging visual arts...

Young scholars inquire about the politics and culture of Ancient Rome. In this Ancient Rome project/unit, students research life during ancient Roman times and create a newspaper with articles on politics, sports, culture, and economics.

Khaled Hosseini’s video “Using Real People and Events” motivates learners to reflect on their own experiences and to use those experiences as the basis of a graphic novel that expresses a universal truth. The richly detailed plan...

I can't wait to try this activity with my class. It's versatile and could be modified to fit any character analysis lesson. To analyze characters thoroughly, learners create life boxes. Each box will pertain to a character from any...

Tenth graders debate a resolution about a planned waterfront community from the point of view of various interest groups. They have a "Town Meeting" in which members from each interest group debate their researched opinions for points....

Go beyond counting calories with a healthy eating unit that focuses on reading nutritional labels, making healthy choices, and incorporating fitness into daily life. After four lessons about the different ways kids can improve their...

The topic of gun control is vast, controversial, and difficult to introduce to learners. This gem of a resource covers both sides of the issue and provides topic background, various multimedia and print resources, analysis questions, and...

Young scholars read "I Had a Hero" a memoir written by a Peace Corps volunteer serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They discuss the story, respond to it in writing, complete comprehension activities and relate the account to...

An Online NewsHour article about scholarly ethics launches this study of plagiarism. Since historians are supposed to bring original ideas and perspectives to their publications, they must give credit to the ideas of others. After a...

Working in groups, middle and high schoolers describe and discuss photographs depicting working conditions experienced by child laborers in the 19th century. They then write a persuasive paragraph supporting an amendment to regulate the...

Peer review of science laboratory reports? You bet! First, learners work in pairs to review a scientific article. Then they trade lab reports for peer review. The end result is the publication of a classroom scientific journal!