Curated OER
Fallout
Students view a short film about the results of dropping the atomic bomb at the end of World War II. They research controversies surrounding the use of the bomb and nuclear weapons. They write two editorials about the issue.
Curated OER
Why Be An Independent Learner?
Learners discuss why research skills are important to have as a skill in life. As a class, they identify their prior knowledge when it comes to researching a topic and discuss why it is important to be an independent learner. In...
Curated OER
Class Forums: An English Language Arts Lesson for Information Resources
Tenth graders listen to a controversial piece of writing. They with opposing viewpoints face one another. After ground rules are suggested and adopted by the group, 10th graders articulate their positions in successive turns.
Curated OER
Language Arts: Climate Change Debate
Learners debate climate change and its causes. They examine articles about the topic and use the information to form their arguments. Students use debate sequence sheets and debater's grids during the exercise.
Curated OER
Why Do People Do What They Do?
Students, in groups, develop questions on topics listed on a worksheet. They compare the results with other groups.
Curated OER
What Causes AIDS?
Twelfth graders in an ESL classroom use the internet to research the causes of AIDS. As a class, they discuss the topics mentioned in the various websites and determine if they are viable causes for the disease. They create a...
Curated OER
I 695 (The 30$ License Tabs Initiative)
High schoolers research the bill I 695 issue. They discuss the topic before they research the issue of I 695. Students discuss how new laws are always being created and the differences in opinion about these laws. They see how this...
Curated OER
Democracy and the Canadian Parliamentary Process
Twelfth graders organize in groups representing a dictatorship, a triumvirate, and a democracy, and defend their position on current topics facilitated by the teacher.
Curated OER
Planning the Persuasive Paper and Debate
Ninth graders work in pairs, using the big six research method, to research a controversial subject of their choosing, write a persuasive paper expressing their views, and then debate with other teams.
Curated OER
Eurovision Song Row
Students read an article about the controversy surrounding the Serbian and Montenegrin entries in the Eurovision music contest of 2006. They examine target vocabulary from the article and take a comprehension quiz.
Curated OER
NCTA Lesson Plan on Japan
Middle schoolers investigate a controversial issue of discrimination based upon a caste system in Japan. It is compared to India and they use research methods to make discoveries concerning the history and similarities to the two systems.
Curated OER
Exploring Treaty Rights and Ethics
Students explore whether the Makah should be allowed to hunt whales. They select a side of the controversy, "Should the Makah be allowed to hunt whales again?" They research the Internet to find sources that support what they believe...
EngageNY
Making Fair Decisions
Life's not fair, but decisions can be. The 17th installment of a 21-part module teaches learners about fair decisions. They use simulations to develop strategies to make fair decisions.
Curated OER
Viruses
A fliud exchange activity using pipettes/droppers to exchange fluids with at least 3 people. your learners are advised not to spill any liquid. Droppers are collected in a large beaker, and students return to desks while holding tubes....
Curated OER
Determining Author's Point of View: The Sneeches
Determine the author's point of view in a text. Young readers read Dr. Seuss' The Sneeches and identify the author's purpose in the story. They identify persuasive techniques in writing, asking and answering questions to better...
Curated OER
Places Where Women Made History
Using places can help students identify with the history-making women associated with them.
State Bar of Texas
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Who decides someone is not a real person? Scholars investigate the Dred Scott v. Sandford court case which deals directly with slavery and citizenship. After viewing a short video clip, classmates work in pairs to assess and discuss the...
Curated OER
Civil War Perspectives
Fifth graders have a debate and defend one of the three different perspectives of the Civil War. For this Civil War lesson plan, 5th graders defend either the North, the South, or the Neutral perspectives.
Virginia Department of Education
Biotechnological Issues and Bioethics
Culminate a bioethics unit with the implementation of a lesson that incorporates the Socratic method to encourage class feedback and participation. Pupils participate in a discussion on bioethics and morality, complete a writing seminar,...
Curated OER
From Quotation to Interpretation in Informational Texts
How to ignite thoughtful written responses with the words of philosophers, artists, and current events.
Curated OER
Draft Dilemmas
Consider the possibility of a new U.S. draft with this lesson, which encourages class debate and persuasive arguments. Middle and high schoolers discuss how such a draft might be enacted and how they would feel about it. They write...
School Improvement in Maryland
Affirmative Action
Do the government's affirmative action policies promote equity in the United States? The Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution and affirmative action policies come under scrutiny in an activity that asks class members to...
ProCon
Illegal Immigration
Should immigrants who illegally reside in the United States be eligible for citizenship? With information about undocumented immigrant population estimates, sanctuary cities, and unaccompanied immigrant children, pupils consider the pros...
Curated OER
Using Aphorisms to Help Dealing with People
Here's a formal plan for what many effective teachers already do: Provide a week's worth of aphorisms and have learners choose one to write about in their journals each day. They reflect on the meaning of each aphorism and project how it...