Students read articles relating to Jackie Robinson's breaking of the racial barrier in professional baseball. This leads to a deeper exploration of racism in the United States. They use a variety of worksheets imbedded in this plan to...

Learners go through the process of creating and passing a federal law. They select an environmental issue, research related policies for the issue, draft the bill, discuss it among committee members, bring it before the class and bring...

Students participate in finding the slope of a sand pile and then other materials. In this geology lesson, students describe what happens to the piles of materials when they are poured through a funnel. Students measure the slope using a...

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...

Students interpret history using primary resources and secondary research. The Constitution is examined and changes are explained within the time period they were made.

Stump speeches are the focus of this exercise that combines politics and language arts. After learning about this type of speech, the class listens to Obama's 2008 presidential campaign stump speech and answers a series of questions that...

A set of lessons help aspiring scientists practice the critical thinking skills required for facing controversial issues such as evolution. As a group, they discuss what controversy consists of. They compare and constrast the concepts of...

Spark what's sure to be an interesting discussion in your classroom by introducing the topic of terrorism. Consider the meaning of the word terrorism and examine the associated connotations with a brief introductory reading. With your...

Students read and discuss the history of special education in public schools related to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Students work in groups to design ways to modify classroom activities based on the needs of a...

Students use a month-by-month plan to incorporate the Bird Protocol and vegetation study in an elementary classroom.

A physical activity log will help your elementary students keep track of their activities. Your class will calculate the average number of physicaly active minutes per day. They compare with other students and then estimate the relative...

Using Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, guide your class in the process of identifying unknown terms using context clues and formulating text-based answers. The lesson plan includes a useful worksheet incorporating scaffolding questions on an...

Assess whether your class members can comprehend complex informational text with a series of drills based on selections from Emerson, Thoreau, and G.K. Chesterton. The exercises could also be used for group work or a full-class discussion.

Students explore various cultural identities. They conduct Internet research, develop a questionnaire that profiles information from their selected culture, and write a letter to a pen pal in the U.S. explaining what life in their...

Kids in grade four through eight research Inuit artists and art styles. After a critical look at Inuit sculpture, they use those forms for inspiration as they create one of their own. They practice using the subtractive method of...

Create a digital movie documenting research about an American President. Using internet sources, pupils with special needs gather information about their chosen president. Working in groups, they use this information to create a digital...

A debate continues regarding same-sex marriage as a constitutional right. This instructional activity requires learners to define marriage then formulate an argument that reconstructs the national debate perspectives. Many standards are...

Students explore the plight of John Brown to fight slavery. In this Brown vs. Board of Education lesson, students listen to a lecture regarding Brown's work to free slaves through rebellion. Students participate in classroom discussion...

With a nice description of what the standard means, an idea for a class activity, and a quiz with answers, this resource should deepen your (and your pupils') understanding of the targeted Common Core standard. The provided activity is...

Students examine the intersection between an individual's right to privacy versus the public's right to know, through the lens of the relationship between public figure Gary Condit and missing intern Chandra Levy.

High schoolers consider colonial rights. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students complete an activity guide that requires high schoolers to analyze taxation without representation. Students respond to discussion questions pertaining to...

Students examine the intent  Bill of Rights. In this American government instructional activity, students watch segments of the Discovery video "The Bill of Rights."  Students discuss and debate the 4 Supreme Court cases...

Ninth graders consider how the Bill of Rights impacts the lawmaking process in the United States. In this Bill of Rights instructional activity, 9th graders discuss the amendments and their limitations. Students research the role of the...