ProCon
Student Loan Debt
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...
Anti-Defamation League
The Movies, the Academy Awards and Implicit Bias
"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...
Curated OER
Dealing with DNA Controversy
Pupils research controversial statements about biological applications and write a persuasive essay. For this biology lesson plan, students are assigned a controversial statement as a research topic, then they use this topic to create a...
Curated OER
The Death Penalty
Middle schoolers examine the controversy surrounding the death penalty in the United States. In this current events lesson, students research the history of the death penalty as well perspectives on the topic. Middle schoolers interview...
Curated OER
"Whispering Wires": Public Law vs. Individual Civil Liberties
High school student love discussing controversial issues like those brought up in this fourth amendment case study. They examine the 1928 Olmstead vs. U.S. prohibition court case, applying the fourth amendment to determine whether or not...
Facing History and Ourselves
Fishbowl Discussion
Filter young teenagers' opinions and perspectives with a classic fishbowl discussion. Given any topic relevant to your curriculum, a group of class members engage in discussion for their peers to observe.
EngageNY
Analyzing Different Mediums: Advantages and Disadvantages
How do authors play to people's moods? After briefly reviewing mood using a Conditional and Subjunctive Mood handout, learners practice identifying conditional and subjunctive sentences in the Montgomery Bus Boycott speech before reading...
Curated OER
Evolutionary Exchange
Learners discuss the difference between designed and natural elements. After reading an article, they discover information about current controversies in evolutionary science. In groups, they research and write dialogues between two...
Curated OER
Immigration: U.S. Policy in the New Millennium
Students explore U.S. immigration policies. In this immigration instructional activity, students read about the history of immigration policies in the U.S., uncover controversial issues regarding immigration, and speak to immigrants as...
Curated OER
Racial Profiling
Young scholars debate both positions on the controversial topic of racial profiling with support for each and then develop a consensus position on how racial profiling as a law enforcement tool should be used.
Curated OER
The Row Behind Death Row
Students investigate several controversial issues in the criminal justice system relating to death row and give oral reports explaining how their issues safeguard or contaminate the issue of fairness in capital punishment. They offer...
Anti-Defamation League
‘Migrant Caravan’ and the People Seeking Asylum
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...
Channel Islands Film
Restoration Channel Islands Debate
Introduce learners to the debate format with an activity that uses the National Park Service's controversial Channel Islands restoration program as a topic. Class members learn how to generate provocative debate questions, how to prepare...
ProCon
Death Penalty
Should the United States continue the practice of capital punishment? Scholars set out to answer the question in preparation for a class debate or discussion about the death penalty. They watch videos, analyze charts about death penalty...
ProCon
School Vouchers
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...
Curated OER
Who Are You Calling a Yob?
Students examine anti-social behavior issues. In this current events lesson, students discover the attributes of Asbos and discuss the controversial use of Asbos by British police agencies.
Curated OER
G8: A Guide for Schools
Young scholars take a closer look at the G8 Summit of 2005. In this economics lesson, students listen to a lecture about the summit and explore the meaning of terminology related to the topic.
Curated OER
Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: Does it Violate 'Due Process' and 'Equal Protection'?
Learners examine due process and equal protection. In this current events instructional activity, students read the provided article, "Due Process and Equal Protection for Gays and Lesbians." Learners respond to the provided discussion...
Curated OER
The Last Abortion Clinic: Key Constitutional Issues of the Abortion Debate
Learners 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...
Curated OER
Air Pollution: The Issue of Global Warming
Here is an outstanding 10-page lesson plan on global warming. Learners discover that there is a lot of controversy surrounding this topic in that the science behind global warming is difficult to prove. The best thing about this plan is...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Issues of Asylum in the U.S.
Who gets to come to the United States? Examine cases of individuals seeking asylum with an informative reading passage that includes examples, statistics, and representations of public opinion regarding asylum. Groups then go on to...
Curated OER
Superhero Science
Young scientist explore the various positions in the debate on stem cell research and then discuss these perspectives before formulating their own positions. They must research the topic and beliefs that others have. They will also look...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Educating European Immigrant Children Before World War I
As if surviving a journey to America wasn't enough of a feat for early 20th century immigrants, they then needed to settle into American life. Learn about the ways New York public education attempted to meet the needs of its students,...
Curated OER
Current Topics in Biotechnology
Eleventh graders are introduced to the concept of biotechnology. Using the internet, they research the latest developments in this field and the tools used by biotechnologists. They share their information with the class and create a...