Use this two page handout to establish the rules for class debate. The four-corners method of debate is one that provides a safe way for learners to engage in a discussion or debate over potentially heated or controversial topics. The...

In this controversial issues activity, learners read 15 famous quotations on controversial topics and identify who said each of them.

In this language arts instructional activity, students practice oral language skills. Students work in pairs and agree or disagree with 16 controversial issues. There is a word bank of phrases to use for the degree of agreement or...

In this language arts worksheet, learners practice oral speaking by agreeing or disagreeing with a controversial sentence. Students read the sentence on each card in front of the group and tell how they feel about the statement made. The...

A very well-done resource includes an informational reading passage describing the controversy and impact of China's Three Gorges Dam. It also includes eight guided reading questions, a pros/cons arguments chart, and a creative writing...

Johnson C. Montgomery’s controversial plea for American social isolationism, “The Island of Plenty,” launches an in-depth study of the structure and logic of the essay. After responding to a series of questions, individuals craft a...

Freedom of religion has been a controversial, yet fundamental, tenet of the United States since even before the nation's birth. In a well-constructed lesson plan, the class compares the Minnesota Constitution to the US Constitution as a...

Students analyze euthanasia as a possible way to die.  For this controversial lesson, students reflect and discuss euthanasia as a possible way to enter death.  Classroom discussion allows students to voice their opinion and...

Approach censorship through the controversy of the Syrian government's violence against kidnapped cartoonist Ali Ferzat. Background information gives learners context of the issue, and a link offers further media coverage of the event....

Open up an intriguing dialogue about Wall Street controversy using political cartoons! Background information gives context, including quotes from various newspapers about compensation caps, bonuses, and the growing disenchantment with...

Canada's financial woes and a controversially suspended Parliament create fodder for political cartoons in this critical analysis handout. Background information clarifies the context, allowing scholars access to the cartoons, which poke...

Young bloggers respond to an article which describes the controversy of Black Friday starting on Thanksgiving night instead of the day after. Target employees were outraged that the store decided to open on Thanksgiving night, which...

How did Charles Darwin support his controversial theory of evolution with evidence? Use an excerpt from his 1859 work On the Origin of Species to reinforce the importance of making inferences within an informational text, and to...

The census has been a part of the American landscape since the Constitution was written; however, it does have a history of controversy. Class members use a guided reading and simulation activity on developing census questions to...

In this Venn diagram worksheet, students use a blank graphic organizer to list the differing characteristics of two issues in the outer circles. Students list the shared characteristics in the middle area.

High-interest articles are a great way to get struggling readers to tackle difficult vocabulary. Here is a lesson that includes such an article. It is focused around a very interesting and controversial article about the teaching of...

Guide your young scientists in reviewing basic animal processes including digestion and reproduction. Learners review the stages of metamorphosis and the different types of body symmetry. This worksheet has 8 matching, 6 true or false, 4...

Are newspapers dying, or fighting to survive? Give your scholars access to this controversial debate using political cartoons. In this analsyis handout, 2 cartoons display the changing role of newspapers in a world of online media....

The ancient Mayans had a complex calendar and number system with a rich history. In fact, the date 12/21/2012 was the center of much controversy as to whether or not it was the end of time. It wasn't the end of time, but...

Designed to accompany a reading of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, this packet includes before, during, and after reading activities. Individuals respond to questions about events in the story, match characters with quotes, and draft...

In this controversial issue worksheet, learners read an article about a controversial issue, then rewrite it from the opponents point of view.

In this personal decision making activity, students read 8 controversial statements. Students rate each according to how believable they think they are-- from 1 ("are you mad?!") to 5 ("of course it is possible"). Example: Some people...

In this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about the health care controversy and respond to 3 talking point questions.

Your teenagers may have heard of fracking, but do they really know what it is? And could they debate the benefits and risks? Educate your environmental science class with a lesson about hydraulic fracturing, non-renewable energy...