Handout
ProCon

School Vouchers

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Do school vouchers for private schools improve public school education, or do they lead to worse academic performance? Scholars read the top four pros and cons to decide if school vouchers are a good idea. They also participate in an...
Handout
ProCon

Universal Basic Income

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Should the United States adopt a universal basic income? After reading brief background information, scholars research the debate topic by reviewing the top three pros and cons. They also respond to a survey question and review other...
Handout
ProCon

Vaccines for Kids

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
All 50 US states require vaccinations for children entering public schools. Pupils set out to determine whether these requirements are fair with a thought-provoking resource. They read an interesting history of vaccines, watch pro and...
Handout
ProCon

Standardized Tests

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Does the use of standardized testing improve American education? Scholars dive into the issue as they prepare to discuss the debate topic with their classmates. After reviewing the pros and cons, they watch videos to help them arrive at...
Handout
ProCon

Student Loan Debt

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Should college loan debt be easier to discharge in bankruptcy? Scholars sort through the top three pros and cons to decide for themselves in preparation for a class debate or discussion. Learners may also participate in an online poll to...
Handout
ProCon

Social Security Privatization

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Should Social Security be privatized, or is the government program fine just the way it is? Scholars read pro and con arguments and watch videos to learn more about the debate topic. Pupils also have an opportunity to interact with other...
Lesson Plan
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K20 LEARN

Trigger Warnings - Intellectual Rights and Responsibilities: Banned Books, Censorship Part 1

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
"Warning: Conducting this lesson may be harmful." Such statements, called "Trigger Warnings," are the focus of a two-part lesson that looks at censorship, especially the pros and cons of trigger warnings. Class members read two articles,...
Activity
PBS

Presidential Leadership and the Goal to Unify | America’s Great Divide: From Obama to Trump

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Traditionally, a United States President's Inaugural Address establishes the tone and vision for his presidency. It has stressed the goal to unify the country and bring the political parties together after what are often divisive...
Lesson Plan
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Newseum

Reporting Part III: Staying Objective

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed Standards
The third and final activity in the Reporting series tests young journalists' ability to be objective in reporting contentious topics. After brainstorming a list of contentious topics that interest them, the class selects one, and...
Lesson Plan
Newseum

'The Press and the Civil Rights Movement' Video Lesson

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Scholars watch a video featuring journalists who covered the civil rights movement, then respond to questions on a viewing guide. The video features interviews with participants and original news footage from the 1950s and 1960s. In...
Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

The Movies, the Academy Awards and Implicit Bias

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
"And the award goes to. . . " High schoolers investigate bias in the movie industry by reading articles, watching a short video, and examining data about the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) membership, nominees, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Meting Out Justice

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate the murder case of Emmett Till and identify the missing pieces from the case. Through research, they then work to fill in the gaps to create a basis for examining how justice might be served anew in this...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Safety Up in the Air

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the controversy over a bill giving pilots the option to become armed federal law enforcement officers. They brainstorm other possible security measures for airplanes and airports.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Will the Supreme Court Vouch for Vouchers?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate past Supreme Court decisions that have centered on education issues and assess the ways in which those decisions have impacted American education. They consider the controversies surrounding the issue of school...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Legally Wed

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners explore the controversial topic of same-sex marriages in a fishbowl discussion. They write balanced news articles based on interviews exploring people's opinions on laws that define marriage.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Last Abortion Clinic: Key Constitutional Issues of the Abortion Debate

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students discuss the Constitution of the United States and its amendments, then apply this discussion by creating a "Who should Decide What?" list, based upon their ideas about whether controversial issues such as abortion and medical...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Coral Bleaching: Making Our Oceans Whiter

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students study coral reefs and the controversy over coral bleaching. They role-play a debate over the issue and come up with a compromise to protect the reefs and the economies that depend on them.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Chimpanzees: We're Not Entertained

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars explore multiple perspectives to create a talk show that examines the issues facing chimpanzees. They analyze the gray areas of controversial issues to realize that there can be a wide range of possible positions on a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Wilderness Concept: Our National Parks, History and Issues

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the history of the National parks. In groups, they discuss the concepts of conservation and preservation. They discuss the use of natural resources and how some are renewable and non-renewable. To end the lesson, they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Politics of Death

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars examine the topic of euthanasia. In this religion and ethics lesson plan, students investigate the cases of Terri Schiavo and Hugh Finn in order to gain an understanding of the euthanasia controversy.  
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ivory Wars

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the controversy surrounding African trade. In this geography lesson, students research the killing of elephants for ivory. Students collaborate to report on the history of the ivory trade and its modern-day developments....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Orchestra Tax Battle

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Students read a newspaper article about the controversial taxation of an orchestra. They define vocabulary, complete comprehension worksheets, analyze the use of verb forms in the article and take a 'true or false' quiz.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Zimbabwe

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the hardships being faced by the people in Zimbabwe.  For this World History lesson, students research the challenges of Zimbabwe, such as hunger, poverty, low life expectancy and political controversy.  Upon...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Passion has reviewers passionate

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Learners present in writing their reactions to the given prompts. Students watch some of the trailers for filming online. Learners attend a showing of the movie on their own and write a review of it through analysis and utilizing their...

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