Unit Plan
Crabtree Publishing

Why Does Media Literacy Matter?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Criticism of news and entertainment journalism is at an all-time high. Help 21st-century learners develop the media literacy skills they need to become critical consumers with a three-lesson guide the looks at persuasive techniques used...
Activity
News Literacy Project

News Goggles: Covering a Newsworthy Trial

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed
The trial of Derek Chauvin, former Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd, is the focus of a lesson that asks pupils to compare how local, nationial, and international news organizations reported the testimony of...
Lesson Plan
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K20 LEARN

Trigger Warnings - Intellectual Rights and Responsibilities: Banned Books, Censorship Part 1

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
"Warning: Conducting this lesson may be harmful." Such statements, called "Trigger Warnings," are the focus of a two-part lesson that looks at censorship, especially the pros and cons of trigger warnings. Class members read two articles,...
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Lesson 2: Religion and the Argument for American Independence

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Young scholars examine how religion affected arguments justifying American independence. They read and analyze primary source documents, and write an essay analyzing how Americans used religious arguments to justify revolution against a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Short, Short Lesson on the Fourth Amendment

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students read text of Fourth Amendment together as class, discuss necessity of Constitutional right to be free of unreasonable searches, and analyze landmark Supreme Court cases dealing with Fourth Amendment rights.
Lesson Plan
Facing History and Ourselves

Us and Them: Confronting Labels and Lies

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Stereotyping and discrimination based on religion catalyze many atrocities in the world. Explain the awful treatment of Jews and the lies Nazis spread by using an informative yet sensitive resource. Learners participate in a warm-up and...
Lesson Plan
University of North Carolina

Symbols and Words of Hate

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
This resource is structured with exercises that ask class members to explore hate symbols and hate speech. Learners examine the historical significance and harmful effects of these words and symbols, examine the First Amendment and...
Lesson Plan
Carolina K-12

Minnesota v. White: Exploring a Judicial Candidate’s First Amendment Rights

For Teachers 10th - 11th Standards
After watching a documentary on the Supreme Court case Republican Party of Minnesota v. White, class members research how the First Amendment and free speech issues influence judicial elections and then conduct a mock judicial election.
Activity
Administrative Office of the US Courts

Morse v. Frederick

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
If you stop a student from expressing views that advocate drug use, are you violating their right to free speech? Use the 2007 Supreme Court case Morse v. Frederick to discuss a nuanced interpretation of the First Amendment....
Activity
Administrative Office of the US Courts

Snyder v. Phelps

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Does the Westboro Baptist Church have the protection of the Constitution when protesting military funerals? High schoolers examine the 2011 Supreme Court case of Snyder v. Phelps before comparing the situation to a fictional...
Activity
Administrative Office of the US Courts

Texas v. Johnson

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Which right does the Constitution weigh more heavily: the sanctity of the American flag as a symbol of national unity, or the right to burn the flag in protest? The 1989 Supreme Court case of Texas v. Johnson explores a...
Activity
National Constitution Center

Born in the U.S.A: Music as Political Protest

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
Though often used in shows of patriotism, Bruce Springsteen's 1985 song "Born in the U.S.A." is critical of America's role in the Vietnam war and its treatment of American veterans. High schoolers analyze the song's lyrics in an activity...
Lesson Plan
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Social Media Toolbox

Law Review

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
How can your journalism class ensure they use social media responsibly and legally? The sixth lesson in a 16-part Social Media Toolbox series asks pupils to dig deep into the legal aspects of social media use by school publications....
Lesson Plan
Australian Human Rights Commission

An Introduction to Human Rights and Responsibilities

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
How are your young scholars' rights protected? What are their responsibilities in protecting the rights of others? A lesson on human rights and the responsibilities therein introduces class members to the concepts of global citizenship,...
Lesson Plan
Australian Human Rights Commission

Introduction to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Human rights became a global focus after decades of war, recovery from war, and uncountable war crimes committed throughout. Social studies class members discuss the Universal Declaration of Human Rights before completing an interactive...
Lesson Plan
Stanford University

Declaration of Independence

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Scholars work in pairs to decide whether leaders wrote the Declaration of Independence for the rich and powerful or for every man. To draw their conclusion, pairs read excerpts from two historians and complete a graphic organizer...
Lesson Plan
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Prayer and Friday Night Lights? An Establishment Clause Case from Texas

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Is a Christian prayer before a Friday night football game a nice gesture or the imposition of religion on the rest of the community? A resource asks the question using a clip from the popular movie "Friday Night Lights" and readings...
Worksheet
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Elections, Money, and the First Amendment

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Those who spend the most, win.  Academics read informational text, participate in group discussion, and defend campaign reforms to understand the correlation between money, the First Amendment, and election results. The resource...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Civic Engagement and How Students Can Get Involved

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
There is no age limit on civic engagement. Even if your pupils are not old enough to vote, they are old enough to get involved. Show them how with a PBS lesson that underscores the importance of civic participation and models ways young...
Lesson Plan
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Facing History and Ourselves

Free Press Makes Democracy Work

For Teachers 9th - 12th
A unit study of the importance of a free press in a democracy begins with class members listening to a podcast featuring two journalists, one from a United States public radio station and one from Capetown, South Africa. The lesson,...
Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

The Tyranny of the Majority

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
In American democracy, majority rules but what prevents the voices of the few from being crushed? Using excerpts from Alexis de Tocqueville's writings, young historians explore cases where minority rights were trampled upon. Extension...
Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Democratic Ideas of the 1776 Maryland Constitution

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
1776 was a year of political upheaval in the American colonies. Academics examine the Maryland Constitution to understand the desire to break with Great Britain. Young historians learn about Maryland's efforts to extend rights to its...
Lesson Plan
Newseum

Civil Rights: Reporting Out

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
After brainstorming a list of contemporary local, regional, and national civil rights issues, pairs of scholars select one of these issues and design an information campaign to spread awareness of the issue.
Lesson Plan
Newseum

'The Press and the Civil Rights Movement' Video Lesson

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Scholars watch a video featuring journalists who covered the civil rights movement, then respond to questions on a viewing guide. The video features interviews with participants and original news footage from the 1950s and 1960s. In...

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