Newseum
The Fundamentals of News
A short video introduces middle schoolers to different media-related news terms. Viewers then complete a worksheet and discuss the differences between news and journalism, between facts and opinions.
Curated OER
Taking Age into Account
Have your class consider the issue of minors' accountability for their crimes. They discuss specific cases and the general issue of juvenile crime in round table discussions. Use this lesson to emphasize the rules and individual roles...
Curated OER
The Five Pillars of Islam
In order to better understand Muslim civilization, culture, and politics one must first familiarize themselves on the 5 Pillars of Islam, ideas which dominate much of Muslim societal and cultural norms. Provide your learners with a...
EngageNY
Grade 9 ELA Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 18
As first-year students continue to investigate how sugar changed the world, the focus shifts to a consideration of why people with limited job options take on dangerous or subjugating work. Class members read an opinion piece by Nicholas...
Newseum
Is This Story Share-Worthy?
Young journalists use a "Is This Story Share-Worthy?" flowchart graphic to decide whether a story is worth sharing online. Instructors provide groups with fake news, poor quality stories, opinion pieces, biased news, and high-quality...
Anti-Defamation League
Dealing with the Social Pressures that Promote Online Cruelty
Why do people engage in cyberbullying? What can be done about it? These are the questions middle schoolers consider in a very timely lesson. Participants view PSA announcements, read a case study, and participate in scenarios designed to...
Curated OER
Reading Club: Sex Ed
If you teach health, sociology, ethics, or a class that addresses controversial issues, this resource related to schools' sex education programs may be useful. The New York Times' Learning Network provides a lengthy article on a unique...
Global Oneness Project
The Consciousness of Nature
Scholars voice their opinions about animal consciousness with an article that challenges common ideas about nature. After reading the article, learners engage in a thoughtful discussion before writing out their arguments in a persuasive...
Curated OER
GMOs: Should We Grow Them?
Students examine the ethics of biotechnology and genetically modifying various organisms. They complete various activities and labs on GMOs and then write a position paper regarding their individual opinions on the subject.
Curated OER
To Cut or Not To Cut
Students examine the pros and cons of animal dissection and discuss various case studies in animal dissection. They research various perspectives of using animals as learning tools and write a position paper which tells their opinion on...
Gene Jury
DNA Detectives
Police find a man murdered in a local hotel, DNA everywhere, and now they need scholars' help. Budding detectives step into a crime scene playing the roles of victim, suspects, and investigators. They apply knowledge of criminology and...
Curated OER
The Secret is Out
Students explore ideas about journalism ethics as they relate to Watergate and discuss various issues related to an anonymous source being revealed. They write letters to the public editor of The NY Times about credibility and anonymous...
Curated OER
Ethics Search Project
Students question, imagine, and investigate certain scientific environmental issues. They organize their data and present a PowerPoint presentation. They include include a complete analysis of St Ignatius commitments and ideas.
Personal Genetics Education Project
Genetics and Reproduction
Disease prevention or designer babies? Use a set of slides to introduce the growing practice of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD. Teens read related articles and then break into groups to address different scenarios. Afterward,...
Curated OER
The Ethics of Embedded Journalists
Students reflect upon the role of embedded journalists in today's media climate. They write about why would journalists not want to consider themselves part of the "group" that makes up the military unit they are assigned to. Also,...
Curated OER
Sharing Or Stealing? Debating the Ethics of Napster
Pupils debate ethics of free Internet file-sharing of copyrighted materials.
Curated OER
Conservation vs. Economic Growth
Investigate the choices people make between economic growth and personal growth and development using the ethical/decision making model. Small groups create and present a position paper describing their feeling for or against the...
West Virginia Department of Education
Editorials: The Guiding Voice of Authority?
How much can opinion influence a news story? A standalone resource discusses the importance of John Brown's Raid through the lens of journalism. Learners analyze two different texts, one from the perspective of the North and the other of...
ProCon
Drug Use in Sports
The ancient Greeks used performance enhancing drugs, such as opium juice, when they participated in the original Olympic Games. Pupils research a website with debate topics to decide if athletes' use of such drugs in modern sports is...
Curated OER
Bioethics And Fetal Tissue Research
Students are introduced to the topic of fetal tissue implantation. In groups, they examine a case study and share information with the rest of the class. Then they do a reflective writing assignment to assess understanding of the ethical...
Curated OER
Religion and Ethics: Living with Special Needs
Students explore human behavior by exploring mental and physical disabilities. In this learning disability lesson, students identify the different disabilities students have which prevent them from working at the same pace as the rest of...
Curated OER
Reality Ethics
Students suggest ethical decisions to problems and determine the basis and authority for them as ethical decisions.
Simon & Schuster
Curriculum Guide to: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The activities in a curriculum guide to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein provide readers with an opportunity to explore various concepts in depth. First, groups research controversial scientists, examine their work, and decide whether or not,...
Odell Education
Building Evidence-Based Arguments: "Cuplae poena par esto: Let the punishment fit the crime."
Should a criminal's punishment match the crime? An argumentative writing plan explores this question as class members investigate a variety of mixed-medium sources by experts in the field, form evidence-based claims, and support them...