Is basketball ladylike? A pressing debate in the nineteenth century explored the issue in the sports world. Using images, news reports, and the rules of the game, young scholars decide whether the sport helped advance the cause of women...

A 28-slide presentation introduces viewers to the process reports go through to track and verify developing news stories. Using the reports of the attacks at Atlanta, Georgia, massage parlors as an example, viewers are taught what to...

The 2016-2017 protests over the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) motivated Camille Seaman to create "We Are Still Here," a photo essay featuring portraits of contemporary Native Americans who protested the pipeline. This eight-page...

Get artsy with this WWII group activity, starting with a whole-class assignment. Create a map of Europe, Northern Africa, and the Pacific using geometric shapes cut from construction paper and placed on the floor. Consider splitting the...

Engaging in topical discussions can be a great way to teach kids how to build strong arguments and support their opinions with concrete evidence. High schoolers choose a controversial topic, build an argument for or against that topic,...

Students research an author and gather information that seems to support that person as author of The Night Before Christmas. They work in groups to gather the most solid evidence and they write a persuasive essay presenting their argument.

Young environmentalists use a conference format to reach consensus on ways to slow deforestation and promote sustainable development. Class members are assigned roles to play during the conference, and work on posters and a public...

Help your class explore the question "Is it ever right to disobey a law?" With a strong base of knowledge about the Civil War, anti-slavery movement, and Underground Railroad, your class explores civil disobedience in Marshall, Michigan...

How many people immigrate to Spain illegally each year? Both the United States and Spain see a lot of illegal immigration. Advanced learners will read various articles, compare and contrast the situation in both countries, and discuss...

What would school be like if you couldn't teach lessons that require technology? Would it benefit the class? Would it hold them back? Have your learners read this article and answer the basic reading comprehension questions. Then have...

Students debate the Federalist and Anti-federal Papers after using the Internet as a research tool.

Young scholars investigate how natural hazards can present personal and societal challenges as well as the cost involved. They assess the risk analysis considerations with global warming and their impacts on an ecosystem. An estimate of...

Students participate in a Model UN Simulation Activity in which they take the role of country delegates and NGO representatives in an attempt to develop and debate resolutions that seek to provide remedies to the problems of...

Students explore American foreign policy regarding the war in Iraq. In this Iraq debate lesson, students examine videos and documents about the pros and cons of keeping American troops in Iraq.

Pupils examine embryonic cell research and the controversy that surrounds it.  In this stem cell lesson students use a debate model and present and defend their positions. 

Students investigate contemporary hate groups and then participate in a debate on tolerating their existence of the Holocaust. They work in groups to conduct research. Students use print and Web resources to identify one or more...

Students discuss possible reasons for the Titanic sinking. They are split into small groups to research a historical figure involved in the sinking of the Titanic. They formulate a way to prove their characters guilt or innocence....

Students identify and interpret what their school is like and how it works. They watch animations and slideshows on the government website. Students also develop thinking skills by examining the way voting and democracy works through...

Young scholars debate government funding of the Human Genome Project. In this ethics lesson, students use the stuctured controversy framework to research the opposing viewpoints regarding project funding.

Being an informed citizen requires distinguishing fact from opinion and understanding persuasion methods. Secondary learners evaluate newspaper editorials. They read opinion pieces, identify the writer's purpose and position on an issue,...

Young scholars research the laws and policies for school dress codes in their school and others in their state or area and explore what others say about these policies. After research is complete, students divide into two teams to...

Middle schoolers research a variety of controversial articles to gain knowledge. They form an opinion and defend their position with supporting data. They evaluate opposing arguments and present their viewpoint both verbally and in the...

This lesson starts out with a guided discussion about the statement "Birds fly in the sky; airplanes fly in the sky; therefore, airplanes are birds" and goes on to cover logical fallacies and reliable sources, relating these to the topic...

Students prepare for and hold a classroom debate via typed text on a literary topic. Two groups conduct an iChat debate using iChat AV software to document the debate as it happens. Pupils conduct a post-debate analysis of the debate...