Curated OER
He Had a Dream...I Have One Too!
What is your dream for a better world? After reading a short article about Dr Martin Luther King, kids identify something they would like to see changed, the steps that could be followed to make the dream a reality, and the effects these...
Special Olympics
SO…What’s the Challenge?
What does it feel like to be the victim of intolerance? Class members engage in activities, watch a video, and reflect on their own experiences with intolerance or discrimination before creating a project designed to combat...
US Citizenship and Immigration Services
Thanksgiving 1—Pilgrims and American Indians
The Pilgrims first arrived in America in order to gain religious freedom. Here is a lesson that takes the class on this journey with the Pilgrims, stopping to look at how they got here, who they met when they arrived, and a peek into...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Federal Policy and Immigration
How is federal policy established? To gain insight into this complex and often messy process, class members read an article that uses information on attempts to establish public policy in immigration to illustrate the role proposed...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Unit 4 Pre-Assessment
Pre-assessments are great to help teachers determine what information their classes lack, what misconceptions they have, and how in depth to teach specific concepts. The first in a five-part series is a pre-assessment of middle...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Scientific Inquiry Using WildCam Gorongosa
How do scientists determine what questions to ask to meet their research goals? Help your class develop an inquiry mindset with a lesson based on studies in the Gorongosa National Park. Partners create their own research questions by...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Gorongosa: Scientific Inquiry and Data Analysis
How does the scientific process begin? Introduce ecology scholars to scientific inquiry through an insightful, data-driven lesson. Partners examine data from an ongoing research study to determine the questions it answers. The resource...
Roald Dahl
The Twits - The Twits Get the Shrinks
Turn readers into investigative journalists. The 11th and final lesson that accompanies The Twits by Roald Dahl asks the question "What happened to Mr. and Mrs. Twit?" The lesson uses mind maps and group discussion to help answer...
US Holocaust Museum
Defying Genocide
Defying death. Defying those who want to do harm. Defying genocide. Pupils research the events in Rwanda to gain an understanding of what it takes to survive a horrific event like a holocaust. They use video, time lines, and Holocaust...
Curated OER
Water Resources and the Role of the Independent Sector
Students explore how water conservation is influenced by the four sectors of economy. In this social studies economics lesson plan, students brainstorm problems and solutions related to water conservation. Collages are created to...
Curated OER
Conscience and Public Service
High schoolers study conscientious observers (COs) in the Civilian Public Service (CPS) during World War II. They explore how the media sources influence public opinion and policy makers, and complete a writing assignment about the topic.
Curated OER
Car Adverts: Tell It Like It is
Students explore the strategies and bias that are sometimes used in advertising with a particular focus on automobile advertising. Working in groups, they read several car ads and discuss the bias, opinion and stereotyping in the ads as...
Curated OER
The Voter
Students identify the constitutional amendments and major federal laws that have shaped suffrage in the United States.
Curated OER
Due Process: Is It Always Due?
Students explore the basic Constitutional protections of due process and then consider the balance of these basic protections with issues of national security. A variety of segments of U.S. Supreme Court cases are examined in this lesson.
Curated OER
These Lakes are Great
Students examine the Great Lakes Basin and water conservation. In this Great Lakes and water lesson, students study the location of the lakes before reading the book, The River Ran Wild. They discuss the associated vocabulary and in...
Center for Civic Education
Responsibility and the U.S. Constitution
When are responsibilities freely chosen, and when have they actually been imposed on us? Here you'll find a unique way to frame your class discussion on civic duty and responsibilities inherent in the United States Constitution.
BBC
Rights and Responsibilities
Middle and high schoolers engage in a lesson about rights and responsibilities, and the differences between them. After a class discussion, pupils break off into pairs and come up with mimes that respect or abuse a specific right such...
Curated OER
Safety And Water Safety
Students investigate the concept of safety in and out of the water. They conduct research using a variety of resources. Students focus upon the role of police officers in the keeping of safety and then discuss the different types of...
Curated OER
Legislators and Representation - Executive, Federal and Interest Group Relations
Students explore the interaction between the legislature and other governmental institutions. They watch videos exploring the relationship between the state legislature and two government institutions, and the role of lobbyists on...
Curated OER
The Homefront: America and WWII
Learners are introduced to the experiences of various groups of Americans at home during WWII, highlighting race, gender, and ethnicity. They improve their ability to analyze and interpret historical documents and images.
Foreign Policy Research Institute
Propaganda - 9/11 and the War on Terrorism
Propaganda is an important topic that most high school social studies teachers address. Here, students compare and contrast methods of public persuasion during WWII with those used in the contemporary War on Terror. Research, discussion,...
Curated OER
Celebrating Caring and Kindness
Students create a poster that represents how to care and give kindness. In this caring and kindness lesson plan, students demonstrate character development by creating a poster in groups on how they can care and be kind at home, school,...
Learning to Give
Start Cleaning the Air
Advocate for the environment! With the short story included, learners are prompted to think about radon (the odorless and colorless gas) and possible ways to get donations or raise money to purchase detection equipment. The plan spans...
Curated OER
Energy Crisis: Then and Now
Using political cartoons, scholars analyze the energy crisis of the 1970s and '80s, comparing and contrasting it to current tensions with oil. Display the 6 cartoons (linked) to the class, and demonstrate analysis using the worksheet...