Students take a medical issue and explore it, debate it, and convince others of their point of view. They improve research skills and writing skills. Students are able to define a problem, debate it, and identify which is the best...

Students discuss the Constitution of the United States and its amendments, then apply this discussion by creating a "Who should Decide What?" list, based upon their ideas about whether controversial issues such as abortion and medical...

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....

Read and examine primary source material in order to analyze, synthesize, and debate information about the Great Depression. Critical analysts research various source materials related to the Great Depression. They work in teams to...

Here is a different approach: emerging epidemiologists first go home to interview family on the topic of infectious disease. Then they come to class and view a video and PowerPoint that explore how climate change may increase the...

Students conduct research using multiple sources to support a position in a debate. They put information from multiple sources into correct debate format. Students participate in a debate arguing one position in a focused manner.

Students debate and role play about whether the colonists should declare independence from England or not. In this American history and oral communication lesson, students read informational text about the colonists and their...

The debate over genetically modified organisms is on! Young biologists imagine that they have been asked to choose which corn chips will be sold for a fundraiser, one made with GMOs or one without. This four-day lesson plan requires...

Students prepare for and hold a classroom debate via typed text on a literary topic. Two groups conduct an iChat debate using iChat AV software to document the debate as it happens. Pupils conduct a post-debate analysis of the debate...

Want to teach your pupils about debate, effective speech techniques, propaganda, and the women's movement? The first in a sequential series of three, scholars analyze real propaganda images from the the historic women's movement, view a...

Students conduct a debate. In this wildfire and controlled burning lesson, students watch the video "Legacy of Fire" and discuss the topic of wildland fires and controlled burns. Half of the class researches the arguments for these...

Learners debate both positions on the controversial topic of racial profiling with support for each and then develop a consensus position on how racial profiling as a law enforcement tool should be used.

High schoolers engage in the democratic process and to learn how a bill become a law. Then they write a bill they would like as law in their classroom. High schoolers also form committees that will review the list of bills to determine...

Your class may not be able to vote yet, but that doesn't mean they can't feel like they're part of the presidential election! The resource creates a symposium where pupils debate about a selected topic in current events during an...

Students explore and engage in the art of debate. When both sides have been presented each pair have a few minutes to prepare a rebuttal based upon what the opposing side has said. A rubric imbedded in this plan is used as an assessment...

So many politicians, so many endorsements! Learn to differentiate between facts as well as the process of endorsements with an informative resource. Class members watch current endorsement videos, research candidates from three different...

Has United States military intervention in the conflicts of other countries always been warranted? After reviewing a brief background on contemporary US conflicts and reading articles describing the civil war in Syria, your learners...

Tenth graders watch excerpts from a parliamentary session, assume membership in a political party from a fictitious country and conduct a parliamentary session of their own covering a range of topics of current relevance.

Illegal immigration is an ever-changing source of consistent controversy. A reading passage about the rights of undocumented workers and illegal immigrants—and the lack thereof—guides high schoolers into a mock trial activity. Three...

Students research how the development of the atomic bomb affected people in World War II.  For this American History lesson, students participate in a debate about the bombs use.  Students investigate how it has affected...

Review concepts of cloning and genetic engineering and participate in a round-table discussion based on the ethics and potential of cloning with your class. Each learner then writes a formal essay on the topic, stemming from the debate.

Discuss the differences in dialogue and debate when considering a controversial topic. Your class can work in small groups to complete a guided discussion of this controversial topic and then participate in a simulation of the Scopes...

Explore the current political debate over regulating power plant emissions. Critical thinkers research, formulate, and present arguments regarding selective catalytic reduction systems for coal-burning plants.

How do new amendments become part of the US Constitution? AP government students explore, analyze, and use the US Constitution to develop a deep understanding of the interworkings of law and government while practicing synthesis and...