An interesting activity that will spark a great class discussion on globalization and wealth distribution around the world. Each group is asked to accomplish the same task, but are not given equal access to materials. It is up to them to...

Learners write an opinion piece, including facts of this situation and any other statistics about helping others during a fight. Students offer suggestions about how to break up a fight, or when not to try (based on what national experts...

Students gather information on the situation in Angola. After reading an article, they answer comprehension questions and discuss with the class. In groups, they debate the situation in the war-torn country and develop possible solutions.

Students identify and demonstrate various emotions. In this philanthropy lesson, students listen to the book, The Brand New Kid by Katie Couric, and brainstorm ideas to help new children feel welcome at school. Students role play the...

Students complete conflict resolution skills training as a part of creating a caring school community. In this conflict resolution lesson, students work with a group of peer student leaders to resolve conflicts. Students visit freshman...

Famous people in the history of Arkansas are the focus of a history lesson for kindergartners. Pupils identify important Arkansas citizens, such as President Bill Clinton. They create an illustrated poem that features some of the...

The struggles of Sam McCulloch, a free black man, to be recognized as a citizen entitled to own land in Texas are the focus of research project that ask groups to examine a series of primary source documents and piece together...

Investigate ethical issues surrounding the Decode project in Iceland. Middle and high schoolers take the positions of the Icelandic government, scientific researchers, and citizens and defend or refute the Decode project in a Reykjavik...

Help your middle and high schoolers reflect on the responsibility of newspapers to act as a vehicle for 'everyday citizens' to voice their opinions. Then, using an article about the first day of the Senate impeachment trial of President...

High schoolers learn about citizens who were actively involved in the civil rights movement, and the strategies they used to overcome the Jim Crow laws that were so prevalent in the 1960s. They investigate the voting amendments of the US...

High schoolers focus on the 14th Amendment of the Bill of Rights to decide whether or not racism denies citizens of their rights under the amendment. They watch a movie, Every Two Seconds and complete a worksheet (included in the plan)...

Active Citizenship Today (ACT) is a "unique social studies service learning program" that requires learners to learn about the public policy associated with community issues they identify in their local community. This web site...

Key in the struggle to gain the rights of democratic citizenship was the April 1963 arrest of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for civil disobedience. To deepen their knowledge and understanding of events during the civil rights movement,...

Students explore teamwork, decision-making, and ways to communicate. They discuss their favorite activities, places they would like to travel and set ground rules for their groups. After identifying their feelings toward the program,...

Students identify and disuss the various laws that are in place in their commmunity. In groups, they illustrate the different laws and write a description. As a class, they discuss the reasons why the laws are necessary and their...

Sixth graders investigate the problem of crime in the United States. They conduct class discussion and roleplay the types of actions that should be taken when witnessing a crime. They discuss the roles of social responsibility and its...

Build on high schoolers' awareness of what's wrong with society. Here they examine Jimmy Carter's extensive involvement in volunteer action in the local, national, and global arenas. Define and explore concepts -- philanthropy, citizen,...

In an engaging simulation, class members imagine immigrating to the United States in the late nineteenth century and arriving at Ellis Island. They then write creative journal entries about their experience and chart their journeys.

Students describe the objectives of the Department of Health and Human Services. They list the agencies within the Department that deal with health issues in America. Students explain the role of government in skin cancer prevention.

Students examine the origins of well known charities and the impact of the first Band Aid single 20 years ago. They explore what is involved in turning the dream of a different kind of world into a reality. They complete a worksheet...

Middle schoolers explore how people viewed George Washington in the 19th Century.  In this U.S. History lesson, students create a timeline of events during the Civil War, including government and court decisions.  Following...

Students explore the meaning of quality of life. Also, the need to prioritize means that government spending decisions are political, with winners and losers. Discussion platforms are on the six dimensions to a child's well-being:...

Students explore heroism. In this character development and Holocaust instructional activity, students generate adjectives that describe familiar heroes. Students view a video clip that includes testimonies of Holocaust survivors, and...

Students locate the geographic origin of a variety of products used in our society. They find countries in an atlas or on a wall map. They define the term imports and emphasize the theme of MOVEMENT and use it to explain interdependence.