Climate change isn't just about a warming planet; it will affect humans' health, spread of disease, changes in heat waves and droughts, and changes in storms and wildfires. Participants explore global climate change through discussions...

As part of a series of critical thinking exercises, kids consider issues of social justice, especially the factors that must be considered when trying to balance conflicting rights and freedoms.

When slavery ended, what did the government do to help African American during Reconstruction? An interesting instructional activity uses primary sources such as newspaper articles to help scholars analyze Reconstruction policies and how...

Find out how international government organizations work to face global issues. Learners examine if major organizations like the EU, UN, and Commonwealth are effective at tackling big issues like animal protection. They think about...

Imagine having no control over your life and then suddenly having to provide for yourself. Such was the challenge faced by many American slaves after emancipation. Class members are asked to consider these challenges are they examine...

From indentured servitude to involuntary race-based servitude, slavery has taken many forms in American history. Class members examine three manumission petitions that reveal how the rights of African Americans and African American...

Wow! This resource provides three related lessons on the First Amendment that challenge US government students to explore their personal opinion on the separation of church and state. Each lesson can be adjusted in length, but is...

Young scholars participate in a simulation activity where they must decide whether or not to preserve an untouched forest. During the role play, students attend public hearings, discuss the pros and cons of nature development, create...

Young scholars compare and contrast assimilation and acculturation. They explain the idea of "The Melting Pot" as it relates to what it means to be American. They write an 8 page response paper on a selected author.

In this reading worksheet, students answer 10 multiple-choice questions about the book. For example, "Why did Judd change his parakeet's name?"

Students analyze the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. In this U.S. government lesson, students examine books, movies, and music that influence them today and then investigate writings that influenced the framers of the...

Women's lifestyles before the Civil War made a huge impact as a point of causation. Give middle schoolers the opportunity to view firsthand the lives of women before the Civil War. They analyze primary source documents, view photographs,...

Approach the 2nd Amendment and gun laws through this political cartoon analysis handout, which outlines the tragedy of the 2011 shootings in Tuscon, Arizona in the context of gun control. Background information gives scholars access to 2...

Here's an exercise that will help learners develop their vocabulary. The eight sentence completion problems are followed by an answer key that explains why one answer is correct and why the other possibilities are not. Richly detailed,...

How have groups struggled to have their unalienable rights recognized in the United States? Acting as a research team for the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, your young historians will break into groups to research...

What does a true American represent? Scholars investigate the equal rights era of the 1960s and 1970s in the 20th installment of a 22-part series on American history. Using photographic, magazine, written, and video evidence, groups...

OSHA confirms that rules governing worker safety at nuclear power plants ranks higher than worker safety in offices. Scholars must consider safety, cost, alternatives, and other factors before recommending whether a town should build a...

Students research on the Web and in magazines and newspapers what a variety of school districts have decided on student travel during the War in Iraq. Students examine the rationale the administrators or state officials use for canceling...

Students research the laws for telemarketers in your state. Are any in place? If not, are any under consideration? They explore the situation to find out about any national legislation to regulate telemarketing.

High schoolers research concealed gun legislation in the various states and create a chart for the class that shows the similarities and differences between what has passed and what has failed.

Young scholars examine the relevance of the Bill of Rights. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students study the parts of the Constitution and the ten amendments. They investigate the rights and responsibilities that accompany being an...

Students examine how the Fifth Amendment protects against self-incrimination. They apply it to hypothetical situations by role playing as judges.