After a quick warm up activity, learners get ready to use their keen observation skills to examine an ornate Japanese pencil box. They discuss the artistry, skills, and story of the box, paying close attention to details. They then...

Attention! Attention! Scholars investigate the concept of attention-grabbers in advertising a product or a cause. They use the ninth installment of a 10-part County Solutions - High School series to analyze t-shirts, bumper stickers,...

Students investigate art by observing historical sculptures from New Guinea. In this art history lesson, students observe pictures of the "Orator's Stool"from Papua New Guinea, while identifying the small details that make it unique....

How much do we know about our government? This engaging topic for teens is made especially interesting through analysis of 2 political cartoons. Background information on Sunshine Week makes the cartoons more accessible, and 3 talking...

Young scholars compare the Ethiopia of the 1980's to today. In this current events lesson, students conduct research about the poverty-stricken Ethiopia exposed by the media in the 1980's with the conditions there today. Young scholars...

Students investigate a decade of American history when the civil rights movement was a focus of national attention. They create a video essay about a person or event that played an important role in shaping the civil rights movement.

Why did Vietnam POWs and their families receive more media attention than POWs in previous wars?  To answer this question, class members view artifacts, read articles, and engage in class discussion. Individuals then assume the...

Alliterative adjective nicknames generate stories inspired by Rosemary Wells' book Noisy Nora (also a thematic complement to any class with children who make a ruckus to get attention). Class members explore basic story elements --...

Students conduct research to put Anne Frank's diary into historical context. They use maps, timelines, essays and websites to examine the early victories of the German army, paying special attention to the Netherlands and experiences of...

Students examine the use of imagery to hold a reader's attention in an excerpt from John Deever's memoir "Mr. John and the Day of Knowledge". They are introduced to background information about the Ukraine and create original imagery.

Elementary schoolers study the geographic location of the Sonoran Desert. They pay close attention to the characteristics of the plants and animals found in this desert environment. The student handouts embedded in this plan are...

This presentation is a gem. It begins with 20 questions aimed at guiding note taking and focusing student attention. Each slide or topic covered ties to one of the 20 questions. The class will learn about European conquest and need to...

Matt Black's photo essay, "The Geography of Poverty" provides a shocking reminder of the poverty that exists in the United States. The resource not only focuses attention on poverty but also conditions that have given rise to situation...

The second volume of the Core Knowledge History of the United States ebook begins by asking young scholars to consider the impact immigration, industrialization, and urbanization had on the United States in the late 1800s. The text ends...

Trying to expand your scholars' perspectives to think globally? Use this critical-analysis handout. A poignant political cartoon points out the devastation required to get U.S. attention focused on helping Haiti. Background information...

Have your class engage in critical-thinking activities using this resource. Learners discuss a variety of topics they think get too much, or too little, attention from the press. They analyze why these topics are over or underrated....

Middle schoolers examine the world of the Arkansas alligator and topics that are related to wetland environments. They pay attention to the relationship between geography, climate, environment, and the animals who live there. A role-play...

Young scholars are be able to analyze primary sources (photographs and speeches) and write a definition of American Democracy. They are shown a photograph of Martin Luther King Jr. by Ben Fernandez, students are asked what is happening...

Discuss South African apartheid, the anti-apartheid movement, and the literature and music it inspired. Slides contain images and facts about life in South Africa during apartheid, social uprisings such as Soweto, and the various...

Gasoline prices garner a lot of attention in the United States. What can explain a temporary decline in gasoline consumption, and how do gasoline prices spur innovation in the energy and automotive industries?