Students explore the concept of civil rights and the ways in which Dr. Martin Luther Kind and others utilized non-violent protests to achieve their goals. They participate in a variety of discussion and role play activities during this...

Students read essays and participate in a discussion that examines Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s stance on both civil rights and the broader issue of human rights. They conduct research about King's life and work, analyze quotes from his...

Synthesizing information from a PBS documentary Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey, its companion website, and several other resources (links to which are provided), high schoolers evaluate whether Bunche did all he could to advance the...

Fourth graders take an unannounced test (failure is expected) and the top scores are rewarded with candy bars. They compare this test to the literacy tests given before 1960 and votes to candybars. They journal their responses.

Students investigate and read about the life and contributions of Martin Luther King, Jr. They listen to a biography and take notes, complete a pictorial story, and complete a writing assignment in response to questions about civil...

Students, working individually and in teams, research life in their community during the civil rights era. They take part in a role-playing discussion about civil rights issues based on their research, and create individual and group...

Young scholars explain how the Civil War and Reconstruction both solved and created problems for our nation. They study how Reconstruction caused a further decline in relations between the North & South and how racism has been and...

Students discuss how one person's life can affect a community . In this Martin Luther King Jr. instructional activity, students read about Dr. King's life and contributions. They formulate ideas about how they can meet the needs of...

Ninth graders explore civil rights by reading several biographies. In this Nelson Mandela lesson, 9th graders discuss the trials and tribulations Nelson Mandela had to face in South Africa and how they were similar to the problems Martin...

Fourth graders create a time capsule that is representative of their community. They explain why the chosen objects are representative of themselves or their community.

Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this Reconstruction lesson, students research details pertaining to Congress's role in Reconstruction. Students use the provided worksheets to...

Learners interpret historical evidence presented in primary resources. In this World War II lesson, students examine racial relations during the war and then examine propaganda techniques employed by the United States...

Young historians explore the meaning of the Preamble to the US Constitution in this upper-elementary social studies lesson plan. Working with partners or in small groups, children discuss the purpose of government before reading and...

Students read the statement of Alfred Nobel and discuss the Nobel Peace Price and its criteria. They consider criteria and selection process to establish a school or community peace award. Students consider potential recipients for the...

Mamie Till, the mother of Emmett Till and civil rights activist, believed that her son's murder was the last straw before public outrage over racial injustice spilled over into the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century. A history...

Students are able to explain the importance of the fulfillment of responsibilities by citizens if everyone's rights are to be protected and able to describe specific responsibilities associated with five essential rights of citizens.

Students research and report on a important trial from the period 1865 to 1993 from a list of 21 trials.

What's missing from most studies of the American Revolutionary War is information about the role African Americans played in the conflict. To correct this oversight, middle schoolers research groups like the Black Loyalists and ...

Students participate in an interdisciplinary lesson plan to discuss improvements that would make them want to return to a previously poor neighborhood.  In this civics lesson plan, students work in a budget to make a plan...

To launch a study of civil rights, class members brainstorm rules and expectations of behaviors at home, in school, in the workplace, and in sports. They then look at civil rights cases and examine the rules embedded in these cases. 

Dorothea Lange’s photograph, Migrant Mother, and The Paycheck by Rick Nahimias, provide learners with an opportunity to practice their document interpretation skills. After a careful study of the images, class members develop a detailed...

After the events on 9/11 many Muslim-Americans experienced discrimination because of their ethnicity and faith. Help break the cycle of ignorance by educating your students on the history, religion, and beliefs of a different culture....

Should Internet users who send data-heavy content pay higher fees than those who are involved in activities, like sending an email, that have less content? This question is at the heart of the Net Neutrality debate. After watching a PBS...

"Promises Denied," the second instructional activity in a unit that asks learners to consider the responsibilities individuals have to uphold human rights, looks at documents that illustrate the difficulty the US has had trying to live...