Wouldn't it be great to live an a community without pain, without danger? Such a society is the goal of the community in The Giver. Using Lois Lowry's dystopian novel as the core text, class members read primary source materials...

Upper elementary schoolers investigate philanthropy and selflessness by reading a children's book. In this ethics lesson, they read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, and research Mahatma Gandhi's troublesome, yet inspiring, life....

Students cite connections among Franklin's Albany Plan of 1754, his Plan of Confederation of 1775 and the U.S. Constitution and/or the Declaration of Independence. In an essay, they give examples of the philosophical and political...

Shocking! After viewing a short clip from the 1931 movie, Frankenstein and reviewing electricity references in Mary Shelley's novel, class members examine Luigi Galvani's and Alessandro Volta's observations on electricity and muscle...

The emotional and spiritual oppression of slavery in the African-American experience is the focus of this activity. Middle schoolers analyze various texts by Frederick Douglass and Maya Angelou related to freedom and...

Take classes on an in-depth tour of the Declaration of Independence. An informative resource effectively scaffolds learning by providing warm-up and wrap-up activities. It also includes a variety of handouts for individuals to complete,...

Pupils explore the meaning of the ancient Greek word aretê and the place of virtue in historical athletic competition and modern sports. They begin by reading an informational text on the goal of sports in education, and then...

Students examine the contributions of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson to American Independence. In small groups, they conduct Internet research, read and discuss primary source documents, and complete a chart.

Learners examine the time period of the Harlem Renaissance. As a class, they are introduced to five artists and discuss their art and techniques. Using the internet, they also research the philosophers of the time period and how...

Students will compare and contrast famous philosophers with George Washington.  In this history lesson, students work in small groups to define Classicism, Legalism, Democracy, Republic and Civility, then read some short excerpts so...

Learners investigate the childhood of one of the greatest philosophers of our time, Gandhi.  For this biography lesson, students analyze the upbringing and events that finally shaped Mahatma Gandhi's life.  Learners locate...

Students recognize that in the book The Republic, Plato described the ideal society. They adopt, modify, or reject Plato's views as they describe another, smaller ideal society: Utopia High School. In addition, they summarize the...

Students investigate the dramatic elements of The Crucible. In this drama lesson plan, students explore the elements and themes of the Arthur Miller play as they read the play and watch performances of some of the acts. Students...

Henry David Thoreau and Linda Ronstadt? Ann Tyler and Pete Townshend? Joyce Carol Oates and Pearl Jam? This richly detailed plan pairs classic literature with contemporary music and asks learners to analyze how the theme of conformity is...

The core ideas of the Enlightenment—reason, knowledge, and freedom—represented a rebellion against the despotic control of absolute monarchs. As part of the study of the movement, class members assume the voice or either a monarch or an...

Few Americans have heard of the burgeoning scientific community known as the America Philosophical society, started by none other than Benjamin Franklin. With inquiry, research, and discussion, high schoolers come to understand their...

Three annotated passages from Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay on "Nature" provide young philosophers a chance to improve their reading comprehension skills as they gain insight into Emerson's ideas.

Learners examine cultural diffusion. In this Silk Road lesson, students research primary sources to compare and contrast the religious beliefs encountered and shared by those who traded along the Silk Road route.

Students examine the leaders of the Middle East. In this Middle East lesson, students read biographies regarding featured twentieth century leaders of Egypt, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, and Yemen. Students...

Philosophers ask some of life's biggest questions about the nature of mankind, existence, and time, so what's it like to study the subject? A handout outlines different types of philosophy assignments common in college-level courses. The...

Learners research Galileo's work and contributions to science. They make a timeline of Galileo's life, discuss the historical context for his book "Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems" and examine his trial by the Inquisition for...

Prompt your class with the following question: What was the status of American Indians in Massachusetts during Jackson's presidency? To answer this question, class members will read a series of primary source documents (attached),...

Although this lesson plan covers the rather obscure topic of the Japanese "I-novel", it also includes a great deal of historical information and material for an in-depth discussion of universal literary concepts. Specifically, young...

Students reflect on the lives of older people they know, then research and debate the key issues surrounding scientific experimentation in anti-aging. They write a short story that reflects their own philosophical beliefs on aging and...