Curated OER
Supreme Court in Our Lives: Key Cases
Learners analyze Supreme Court decisions and their effect on students. They discuss current events realted to the U.S. Constitution and review cases that impact learners. They identify each case with its facts, issues, and arguments.
Curated OER
"Whose (Is)land is This?": topics in Immigration and The Tempest
Class members compare the ways the subject of immigration is treated in The Tempest, Act I, scene ii, Act II, scene i and Act III, scene ii with patterns in American history. After tracing their own family’s journey, a series of...
Curated OER
Political Cartoons and Dr. Seuss
Students study political cartoons by Dr. Seuss. They create their own political cartoons on a current event.
Curated OER
News From Home
Students investigate the feelings of Iranian immigrants in California by reading an online article. They write an article on immigrants' thoughts on current events in their home countries.
Curated OER
Macbeth
Learners discuss the changes the characters go through in Shakespeare's play Macbeth. They discuss the themes of the play write an essay comparing current events to the themes of the play.
Curated OER
Lesson: Tlatelolco: Mexican Student Massacre 1968
The Massacre of Tlatelolco is the focus of a discussion-based instructional activity. Civil-minded learners consider the nature of student movements that have ended in violence based on over-reaction and government oppression. They...
Anti-Defamation League
Is Olympic Coverage Sexist?
Women Olympians have come a long way since 1900 when 22 women competed for the first time. News coverage of the Olympics has also changed dramatically. What has been slow to change, however, is the language used in the coverage of female...
Curated OER
Missions Accomplished?
Learners examine how the war on Iraq is progressing by looking at current events and comparing them to the goals outlined by General Tommy R. Frank; they then create a progress report assessing how close the coalition forces are to...
Curated OER
Driver's License Task Force
Students read a handout on unauthorized immigrants and discuss questions. In this current events activity, students engage in a simulation in which they are advisers to the state governor. Students analyze several proposals and try to...
Curated OER
A Song for Every Headline - Lesson 1
Young scholars identify popular songs from 1968 and make connections with the year's current events They recognize popular music as a reflection of the culture. They focus on songs of the Vietnam War era.
Curated OER
Is Gandhi Right: Analyzing His Ideas
Students explore the connection between Gandhi and the Independence Movement in India. For this lesson on social change, students examine the ideas of Gandhi to analyze non violent change. Students consider the impact of British...
Curated OER
Story Generators
Students develop news stories for the high school paper based on current issues in the local news. Students identify different sources for articles, and develop interviews questions. In this news ideas and sources lesson plan, students...
Smithsonian Institution
Solomon G. Brown: Letter Writing
Personal correspondence in the form of letters is not as common as it once was. This resource presents an opportunity for you to introduce your class to letter writing and cover topics in social studies. Learners read a letter written in...
Curated OER
Treaties - Grade 12
Twelfth graders explore the history and current issues facing First Nations treaties. In this native studies lesson, 12th graders research modern land claims in Canada and write reports based on their findings.
Curated OER
Community Heritage
Young scholars discuss cultural issues in their community. In this cultural lesson plan, students meet a local Hispanic activist and discuss current issues in the community.
Curated OER
Convey Ideas in Writing
Use the platforms of the 2004 presidential candidates to bring persuasive writing to your class. Young voters identify the three issues most important to them in the election and research the issues and candidates' positions. They write...
Learning to Live
Attributes of a Civil Society
What makes a society civil? High school freshmen search for examples of justice, kindness, peace, and tolerance in news media and brainstorm how they can promote these attributes in their schools, communities, and world. The well-rounded...
Curated OER
Vocab Grabbing the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution
Students identify concrete and abstract nouns in the preamble to the Constitution, and complete Frayer Model graphic organizers using history and current events as examples of American values. In this preamble lesson plan, students use...
Curated OER
An Introduction To NGO's Gender Equality Program
Eleventh graders are introduced to the hardships women are facing to the projects of a variety of organizations. They assess Canada's participation in world affairs with reference to human rights and modern conflicts. Pupils compare...
Curated OER
During Reading Strategy: Literary Newspaper
Add some writing to your class's reading of Cold Sassy Tree! With this plan, readers assume the role of journalist and create a segment of a paper with their peers. Suggested segments are included, and a worksheet dividing the text into...
Curated OER
Information Overload: Looking at News
How do events reported in mainstream newspapers, on television news, blog posts, and social network sites differ? Ask your class to investigate the way the same news item is presented in the many information sources available. Groups...
Curated OER
Political Cartoons: Literacy
Readers decode and deconstruct political cartoons to heighten critical thinking, extra-textual literacy, and making meaning from symbolism and metaphor. A compatible activity to use in English class when your 8th or 11th graders are...
Shmoop
ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.7
When your pupils read an account of an event, are they conscious of the fact that this particular account might focus on certain details, while ignoring others? Open their eyes to bias and varying interpretation of facts with the...
Curated OER
A Day of Infamy:Analyzing FDR’s Pearl Harbor Address
In 1941 FDR spoke out on the events at Pearl Harbor. The class will get to analyze word choice, word meaning, author's craft and structure by analyzing an actual draft of this speech. They will look critically at the words used,...