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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Texas Social Studies Controversy

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Examine the Texas social studies curriculum controversy with your class. Using a current events lesson, learners read the article "A Christian Land Governed by Christian Principles," respond to the discussion questions, and participate...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Current Events Affect Us

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Elementary and middle schoolers research a current event using various resources. They participate in a class discussion to evaluate the information they gathered on a particular event. Additionally, they discuss the concepts of common...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let's Discuss Current Events

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Investigate articles from the daily news and share opinions with classmates. Using current events, learners view a news program without sound and predict what news is being discussed by analyzing the visuals. Then they read news articles...
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Lesson Plan
Civil War Trust

Uncle Tom's Cabin

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Through a careful reading and examination of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, scholars take part in grand conversations about the novel's contents, slavery, and the impact the book had on it. Furthermore, learners analyze an...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson: Skin Fruit: Propaganda of the Deed

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Art can express acts of injustice and move society to action. Upper graders analyze contemporary art relating to specific moments in history. They discuss propaganda, anarchy, sociology, and violence as activism. After researching and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Achievements and Challenges of Zimbabwe

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Here is an excellent set of five short lessons and activities intended to help learners not only gain an understand of current issues in Africa, but build critical thinking, synthesis, analysis, expository writing, research, and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Debating the Issues: Ralph Bunche and Civil Rights

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Synthesizing information from a PBS documentary Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey, its companion website, and several other resources (links to which are provided), high schoolers evaluate whether Bunche did all he could to advance the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Geography/Current Events Project

For Teachers 4th
Using the Balkan region as an example, fourth graders review the five themes of geography as a class. They identify the physical and human characteristics of a region before labeling the countries and landforms on a map. They then...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bank Loans Money to Start Businesses

For Teachers 4th - 6th
After locating Latin American countries on a world map, children read about how microbanks are loaning money to help start small businesses. Involving both current events and economics, the teacher introduces the article with a map...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Affect of Music on Visual Images

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders consider cross-curricular connections between social studies, singing, and current events. They listen to the song, "I Can't Cry Hard Enough." view scenes from September 11, then create presentations using images, a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Speaking Out About Kosovo

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Invite your class to reflect on the responsibility of newspapers to act as vehicles for citizens to voice their opinions. Using an article to gain factual info. about gov't strategies in dealing with current events in Kosovo, young...
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Lesson Plan
Facing History and Ourselves

Fishbowl Discussion

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
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.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Political Asylum Talk Show

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Learners view videos, visit websites, and read about the nature and changes made to the idea of political asylum. Beginning with Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany, they will explore policy change throughout the years. The lesson plan...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Leader's Lifetime and Legacy

For Teachers 6th - 12th
In this activity, students consider their prior knowledge about Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat and consider the immediate events surrounding his death. They then create timelines and write papers examining his political career.
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Lesson Plan
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Media Smarts

Bias in News Sources

For Teachers 9th - 12th
As young consumers of media, it is important for high schoolers to explore concepts of bias and prejudice, and how they may be present in media. After discussing ideological messages that media can contain, individuals complete a warm-up...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

NYC Muslim Community Center: Why there? Why not?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine religious diversity issues. In this current events lesson, students read the provided articles "Sacred Ground or Bridging a Cultural Divide?" "Multiple Views of the Proposed Muslim Center," and "Protests, a Bonfire, and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Controversy over the NYC Muslim Community Center & the 9/11 Experience

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students investigate the controversial planned mosque at Ground Zero. For this current events lesson, students watch 3 public service announcement clips sponsored by the Council on American Islamic Relations and discuss their...
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Lesson Plan
Media Smarts

Cyberbullying and the Law

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Dealing with the very topical subject of cyberbullying, this lesson plan will surely create some engaged discussion in your classroom. Young learners discuss the laws concerning cyberbullying in Canada, and then respond to a series of...
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Lesson Plan
Media Smarts

Thinking like a Citizen

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Explore the influence social activism can have on important issues, and create a class full of young citizen activists. This plan calls for learners to participate in a whole class discussion and brainstorm about ways to effectively...
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Lesson Plan
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Smithsonian Institution

Mobilizing Children

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Scholars find out how the government used propaganda to mobilize children to help in the war effort. Lesson exercises include analyzing a quote from Franklin Roosevelt, viewing propaganda images and posters, and participating in a lively...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Leadership:Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students examine the leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi. In this current events lesson, students read a press release from Burma's leader and discuss the impact the she has had on the people of her nation.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How are People Portrayed by Different Media?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Your 9th - 12th graders can hone their analysis and critical thinking skills by studying the way a subject is portrayed across media types. They examine how various print, visual, and online sources have portrayed key players in the 9/11...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Confucianism in a Changing Society

For Teachers 9th - 12th
A great instructional activity promotes thoughtful discussion, global perspectives, and links between economics and culture. Learners view four clips showing how Confucian teachings have shaped Chinese culture and how filial piety plays...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Teacher Notes

For Teachers 10th
Gathering information, distinguishing between arguments, preparing an oral presentation; these skills are fostered as 10th graders explore aspects of global trade and politics. They use the Internet to gather information about NATO, The...