War brings a whole new set of ethical dilemmas. From deciding whether to enlist in a segregated and racist Army to whether to sacrifice civilian lives to prepare for a critical D-Day invasion, leaders during World War II faced many...

Students investigate the Gettysburg Campaign and the major actions for each day of the battle. They read primary source documents, write a diary entry, analyze the Gettysburg Address, and write a persuasive speech regarding an issue in...

While the use of the atomic bomb was the definitive end of World War II, the terrible weapons left new questions. Young scholars use primary sources and analytical worksheets to consider the implications of the fateful decision. Then,...

Middle schoolers and high schoolers examine the ethics of using human test subjects in scientific research. They do a simulation which focuses on yellow fever and how human subjects were used to develop a treatment/cure for the disease...

Students examine the arguments for and against the United States involvement in the Vietnam War. In groups, they must assign the Vietnam War a just or unjust war using the techniques used to fight and the reasons used by the government...

Upper graders investigate how the Seventh Day Adventists are objectors to the practice of war. The lesson covers the Civil War and examines the church's position about the practice of war. The research extends to modern wars and learners...

Reporting the news is easy, right? Think again! Show young scholars the difficult choices journalists make every day through a lesson that includes reading, writing, and discussion elements. Individuals compare the language and sources...

Why did so many go along with Nazi policies during World War II? An investigatory unit includes four handouts, reading analyses, classroom discussion topics, and intriguing philosophical questions, helping learners understand the...

Students acquire information about the Vietnam War Era from the internet, textbook and various sources. They transfer the information that they have acquired into a newspaper format. Students create editorials, cartoons, graphics and...

Students research the use of the atomic bomb in WWII, analyze the human costs of dropping the bomb and identify the pros and cons. They develop a PowerPoint presentation on the effects of an atomic bomb dropped on their hometown.

Students examine the process of ethical decision-making during wartime. They read three case studies from World War II, and in small groups discuss, debate, and present their findings to the class.

Students read and analyze the play "The Diary of Anne Frank" based on the book of the same name. They identify philanthropic concepts and values in the play and discuss the ways in which specific characters actions affect the events....

Students express the meaning of the Star-Spangled Banner. In this American history lesson, students read through the national anthem and complete an activities from a list of choices. Some choices include: writing the anthem in your own...

Pupils examine the life and actions of Max Schmeling during World War II. They read and analyze an article, compare/contrast Schmeling's choices with other people during this time period, and write a journal response.

Fifth graders study the Civil War. In this US history instructional activity, 5th graders simulate what life was like during the Civil War by having two groups with one group given more materials than the other group. Students...

Students research on the Web and in books the "age of majority" in general and how it applies in their particular states. Explore, too, "emancipation" and whether this is another way for teens to earn additional rights. Students write a...

Students examine the characteristics that define a sustainable community at the local and global level. They create and prioritize a list of traits, read and discuss a magazine article, and create a poster.

Students read a story by James Clavell about propaganda and they discuss how it was used in the story. In groups, they decide what they would do if faced with certain situations.

Students perform a role playing exercise set in the next century after a nuclear war that destroys most of the present civilization. Groups of students act as genetic technicians making difficult choices concerning survival in this grim...

Students perform research on the internet in order to create an examineing of World War II. The integration of technology into research gives them access to more information.

A great idea for showing language arts pupils the universality of themes, even in the real world! Have class members choose an idea-noun (peace, justice, war, love, etc.) at the beginning of the year or semester. They complete weekly...

Students examine the experience of Anne Frank during the Holocaust. Using the text, they discover how propaganda was used to impact the lives of young people in Germany. They answer discussion questions as a class and relate her...

Learners view artworks that make a statement about social conditions. They discuss the artworks, write about them and present their ideas to the class. They create socially conscious art pieces of their own.