After reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and an article about the use of the novel, class members engage in a Socratic seminar focused on whether or not Twain's book should be banned.

Students think critically about artistic freedom and evaluate the aims and effectiveness of censorship and education. They begin an investigation of the ongoing controversy surrounding Mel Gibson's "The Passion of Christ" by reading "New...

Students view video clips from the "American Photography" series. They write an essay about the regulation and censorship of photographs. They share their opinions with the class.

Twelfth graders explore Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In this reading and writing lesson, 12th graders read the book and think of five books to save from the fire. Students write an essay explaining why they'd save them. The essay...

Students defend Mark Twain and the study of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn using persuasive techniques, appropriate word choice, and correct letter format, in response to a fictional letter by an upset parent.

Criticism of news and entertainment journalism is at an all-time high. Help 21st-century learners develop the media literacy skills they need to become critical consumers with a three-lesson guide the looks at persuasive techniques used...

Learners identify the role of free speech in the selection of library books. They choose one banned book to read and evaluate the reason for its censorship. They create an argument for or against the selection of the book.

Fourth graders discuss censorship/banned books. They select and read one banned book. They conduct research to find the pro and con positions on the book. They present the book to the class.

Can an action be so bad that you are sickened with guilt? Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, the main character in Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, believes that committing a crime could be the answer to his troubles. However,...

Should net neutrality be restored? Scholars prepare for a class debate on the topic using the included website. After reading a brief introduction to the issue, they review the main pros and cons in an attempt to arrive at an informed...

These 18 questions for Part One of Fahrenheit 451 assess the basic understanding of the characters and their interactions within the plot. Only recall questions are provided. 

A nice starting exercise that organizes a learner’s persuasive writing assignment by issue, claim, and hard and soft evidence. Definitions of the terms aforementioned are provided, as well as the worksheet needed by the class. The...

Students read The Crucible in order to investigate the McCarthy era and the Hollywood Blacklist. Students watch video clips of the McCarthy witch hunts and investigate the time period through online research. Students recreate sections...

In this literature activity, students respond to 12 short answer and essay questions about Bradbury's Farenheit 451. Students may also link to an online interactive quiz on the novel at the bottom of the page.

High schoolers explore the events surrounding the confrontation at Tiananmen Square between Chinese forces and "The Tank Man." They discover how censorship affects what the media reports and what the public learns. Students research...

Students evaluate Web sites banned in various countries, and investigate the reasons why particular countries would want to block information from its people.

Eleventh graders gain a sense of historical time and historical perspective as they study the massive campaign that the U.S. government launched to convince Americans to conserve, participate, and sacrifice. They study cencorship, and...

Students discover the concepts of Abstract Expressionism. They identify Abstract Expressionist paintings and creat an Abstract expressionist work of art.

In this World War 2 instructional activity, students choose to complete one or more of the three listed extension activities. All activities pertain to daily life of children during World War 2.

Eighth graders analyze lyrics from songs from a variety of genres. In this musical analysis lesson, 8th graders write an essay about their life plans in which they discuss the lyrics of U2's song, "One." They tell how the writings of Dr....

In this Freedom of Information Day worksheet, students complete activities such as reading a passage, phrase matching, fill in the blanks, correct words, multiple choice, spelling sequencing, scrambled sentences, asking questions,...

Young scholars examine affirmative action policies. They analyze the positive/negative aspects of affirmative action. They study historical development and current status of principles, institutions, and processes of political systems.

Fifth graders explore poems of African Americans. They research a famous African American, write a report, create a timeline of events in African American history, create a map of the New World, and research Molly Walsh. After...

Students read the case text of the Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier case. Using the text, they discuss the case history and the implications of the verdict. They share their findings with the class in the form of a PowerPoint presentation and...