Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Why is Evolution Controversial?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine the controversy surrounding evolution --- the challenges to science, the battles over teaching evolution in the schools, and the reconciliation of religion and science. They also examine an interactive time line...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dealing with DNA Controversy

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Pupils research controversial statements about biological applications and write a persuasive essay. In this biology lesson plan, students are assigned a controversial statement as a research topic, then they use this topic to create a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Temas contraversiales del mundo hispanohablante:Controversial Themes of the Hispanic World

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders brainstorm controversial themes of Spanish-speaking countries. They read articles written in Spanish. They discuss the articles, practicing their Spanish speaking skills. Students conduct research and design a...
Lesson Plan
1
1
K20 LEARN

To Ban or Not to Ban? Intellectual Rights and Responsibilities: Banned Books, Censorship Part 2

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
After examining different perspectives on book banning, scholars select a book from a list of frequently banned books and research the controversies surrounding it. They then craft an argument about their chosen book, including arguments...
Lesson Plan
3
3
Project Tahoe

Individual Rights vs. The Greater Good Within the Scope of War

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
When, if ever, is the government justified in restricting individual rights? When, if ever, should the "greater good" trump individual rights? To prepare to discuss this hot-button topic, class members examine primary source documents,...
Lesson Plan
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Plyler v. Doe: Can States Deny Public Benefits to Illegal Immigrants?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Illegal immigration is an ever-changing source of consistent controversy. A reading passage about the rights of undocumented workers and illegal immigrants—and the lack thereof—guides high schoolers into a mock trial activity. Three...
Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

Student Dress Codes: What's Fair?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The controversy over school dress codes continues. The debate involves questions like, why is there a policy? Who sets the policy? Who enforces the policy? What is a fair policy? Tweens and teens have an opportunity to engage in the...
Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

Harriet Tubman on the $20 Bill: The Power of Symbols

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
How important are symbols and symbolic gestures in society? Middle schoolers have an opportunity to analyze the importance of symbols on American currency with a lesson that investigates the controversies surrounding redesigning the $5,...
Unit Plan
1
1
University of Delaware

Constructing Text-Based Arguments About Social Issues

For Teachers 8th Standards
Eighth graders take a stand on a variety of controversial topics with a lesson on argumentative writing. As they view an informative presentation and work with collaborative groups, they decide which side of each argument they want to...
Handout
Curated OER

Abortion

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Abortion has remained a highly controversial issue ever since the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Using the website, learners sift through all the information they need to participate in a debate about the topic. They learn about the...
Unit Plan
Weber County Library

Weber Reads: The Adventures of Huckleberry FInn

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
A 32-page instructional pack contains eight lesson plans for use with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  Lessons include an examination of the role of superstition in the novel, Twain's use of satire, and a discussion of the...
Interactive
DocsTeach

The Vietnam War Timeline: Understanding the Nature of a Controversial Conflict

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The story of the Vietnam War is often told through images. Young historians analyze images and primary sources —including the Vietnamese Army's Seven Commandments poster and photos of the daily life of soldiers—to construct a...
Activity
1
1
Facing History and Ourselves

Take a Stand

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Whole-heartedly agree! I sort of agree. Disagree! Class members indicate their stance on a controversial statement by participating in a Barometer activity.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Indian Reservation Controversies

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this American history lesson plan, students research the reservation controversies of the 1870's. Students use problem based learning...
Lesson Plan
University of Oklahoma

Barbie™: Blessing or Curse? - Style, Format, and Genre

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Barbie has been an iconic figure in the lives of girls since the 1950s, but her existence has been full of controversy. A lesson plan on style, format, and genre explores that controversy by looking at three texts with different...
Lesson Plan
Annenberg Foundation

Controversial Issues in Practice

For Teachers 7th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
Personal Genetics Education Project

Introduction to Personal Genetics

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Adolescents have the opportunity to consider how they feel about the possibilities presented by the current availability of genetic sequencing. After some instruction, they participate in a four-corners activity in which you read a...
Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Landmark Supreme Court Case: Roe v Wade

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Perhaps no issue is as controversial than abortion in the American landscape. Go beyond the rhetoric by examining the Supreme Court case that legalized abortion in the United States. A guided note-taking activity unpacks the arguments...
Lesson Plan
NPR

Is There Really an Immigration Line?

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
If you've ever looked at the US immigration system, you know that it is complex and a source of controversy. An insightful lesson plan encourages learners to conduct their own analyses of the US immigration system by asking them to...
AP Test Prep
College Board

2005 AP® Psychology Free-Response Questions

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
How can diagnostic labels help children? Is hypnosis a useful tool or a fraudulent practice? An examination prompt explores controversies in psychology. A second, structured inquiry unpacks perception—and its various influences.
Study Guide
Penguin Books

Teacher's Guide: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelous

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is controversial. Like many other Angelou books, it is frequently challenged or banned from schools. In fact, Angelou is one of the most frequently banned authors in the United States. An...
Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

‘Migrant Caravan’ and the People Seeking Asylum

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The controversies surrounding migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. have recently been a hot topic. To understand some of the issues involved, young scholars investigate the Migrant Caravans of 2018. A 10-page packet, including photos, a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Rosetta Stone

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners examine the controversy surrounding the Rosetta Stone. For this Rosetta Stone lesson, students read an article about the stone and then follow the steps in the lesson to look at 2 sides of the controversy about it. The article...
Unit Plan
C3 Teachers

Celebrity Social Responsibility: Does Celebrity Require Social Responsibility?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Is much required of those to whom much is given? That's the central question asked of middle schoolers in this lesson. Scholars consider the actions of Tommie Smith and John Carlos, Colin Kaepernick, Lady Gaga, and others who have taken...

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