Curated OER
To Group of Not to Group - That is the Question!
Upper elementary and middle schoolers use their observation skills to group different kinds of candy by similar characteristics. They debate whether or not we should classify objects. Finally, they learn that biologists have developed a...
Curated OER
Food Safety-Consumers Need the Facts
Learners begin by completing a survey asking them to rank their concerns about commercially prepared foods. They develop a definition of relative risk, and complete the "Pro or Con" worksheet. Students work in groups to make a study of...
Curated OER
The death penalty; What is your view?
Pupils write a persuasive essay about the death penalty. Students respond to pupils at St. Ignatius Catholic High School in Cleveland protesting the death of Adremy Dennis. Students research both sides of the debate, before writing why...
University of Minnesota
The Ladder of Torture
The awful practice of torture is the focus of this sociology lesson. High schoolers examine their own personal values regarding torture. They participate in a class discussion that considers the moral issues surrounding the use of...
Curated OER
Angola
Young scholars gather information on the situation in Angola. After reading an article, they answer comprehension questions and discuss with the class. In groups, they debate the situation in the war-torn country and develop possible...
Curated OER
Essay: The Importance of Physical Education
Originally designed for a physical education classroom, this lesson plan asks learners to argue for their school to keep their PE class during budget cuts. Whether your school is facing this challenge or not, it does pose a great...
Foreign Policy Research Institute
Islam and Islamic Culture
Whether democracy will ever take hold in Islamic nations continues to be a topic of great debate. Here, a series of questions, research, and discussion provide a foundation for class members to come to their own conclusion which they...
Foreign Policy Research Institute
Understanding China: The Prospects for Democracy in China
This document provides useful information for a unit on democracy in China. While it does not include detailed activities, it does have a list of democratic principles, and important facts about China that facilitate understanding of its...
Curated OER
My Motto
Students study slogans and mottoes used by modern and historic leaders. They decide on their own personal words to live by and create decorated motto artwork. Afterward, they participate in a variety of activities such as debates,...
English Resources
Buddy by Nigel Hinton
The lessons that come from reading the novel Buddy by Nigel Hinton might be masked by how much you have just enjoyed the story, but don’t let an opportunity for learning pass you by. Let this learning scheme bring clarity to the ideas...
Curated OER
Making Good Decisions
Young scholars engage in some form of classroom decision making and look at possible options and consequences of each decision. In this investigative lesson students look at different options in solving social issues and can debate...
Curated OER
History Personified
In 1856 Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina beat Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts over the head with a cane. This event, which highlighted the acrimonious debate over the expansion of slavery, is the focus of a paper...
Curated OER
North Korea and the United States
Students analyze U.S. policy toward North Korea. In this foreign policy instructional activity, students conduct research on the relationship between the United States and North Korea. Students prepare for a classroom...
Deliberating in a Democracy
Violent Video Games
High schoolers examine violence in video games. In this American history instructional activity, students read an article on the link between video games and violence. High schoolers respond to discussion questions and debate the topic.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: The Future of Newspapers
Are newspapers dying, or fighting to survive? Give your scholars access to this controversial debate using political cartoons. In this analsyis handout, 2 cartoons display the changing role of newspapers in a world of online media....
Curated OER
Extinction Trade Questions
There are many ethical and moral issues surrounding critically endangered species. Use these higher-level thinking questions to help high schoolers examine ecological, socioeconomic, and political scenarios about human impacts on...
Carnegie Mellon University
Hydroelectricity
Use a simple PowerPoint presentation to introduce you environmental studies class to hydropower. Hold a debate about the pros and cons of developing this form of alternative energy. Power up your class with this simple lesson on a topic...
Student Handouts
Compromise, Resolution, and Synthesis
Provide your debaters with a graphic organizer that asks them to select a topic and then list for the first position key points and arguments, possible compromise and systhesis, and key points and arguments for their second position.
Polk Bros Foundation
Organize an Argument
Prepare your pupils for a debate or argumentative writing assignment. Students can use the two columns here to take notes on two different arguments about the same topics. They then note down their own positions and briefly explain their...
Smarter Balanced
Intellectual Property
To prepare for a study of intellectual property rights, (or an assessment) introduce your learners to the legal concepts and key vocabulary associated with the debate. After defining intellectual property, copyright, fair use, and...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Creating the Office of the Presidency
The United States needed an executive power, but it wanted to avoid a monarchy. Using James Madison's notes on the Constitutional Convention, young historians look at the juggling act the Founding Fathers did to create a role for the...
Center for History Education
This Land is Whose Land?
Whose land is it, anyway? Young scholars debate the question using primary sources from a case where Maryland indigenous people petitioned for land rights after they lost their original tribal lands. An included chart helps organize...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Refugees from the Caribbean: Cuban and Haitian “Boat People”
Should refugees fleeing poverty be allowed the same entrance into the United States as those fleeing persecution? High schoolers read about US foreign policy in the late 20th century regarding refugees from Cuba and Haiti, and engage in...
US Institute of Peace
Simulation on Northern Ireland: One Step at a Time - The Derry March and Prospects for Peace
Where does tradition fit in a divided community with violence on both sides? Scholars learn about the marches in Northern Ireland and the many issues surrounding them. They take on roles in the community and try to convince others of...
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