PBS
Ken Burns: Jackie Robinson - A Journey Back to Separate but Equal Conditions
Baseball great Jackie Robinson fought for social justice. His efforts to push for equal access are detailed in an episode from from the Ken Burns: The Jackie Robinson Collection. After viewing the clip, class members engage in a...
Curated OER
Paradigm Shift: Gandhian Nonviolence and the Concept of Power
Young scholars interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this social justice lesson, students examine sources regarding the teachings of Mohandas Gandhi pertaining to nonviolent...
Curated OER
Idea-Noun Definition: Source Searching
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...
Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights
Van Jones: Police Brutality
Develop an understanding of how the media and society are connected and responsible for the defense of universal human rights. Learners investigate and examine the conflicts of police brutality as it is portrayed in the media and through...
Curated OER
Environmental Justice in Chester, PA
Over several days, learners communicate and defend an argument regarding environmental justice issues in Chester, PA. After discussing the issue and viewing a video about the location of several toxic waste facilities in Chester, they...
Curated OER
Developing a Media Portfolio
students discuss the vehicles used by media to feed images to consumers. In small groups, 9th graders are given magazines and asked to pick out the ads that appeal to them. They write responses to the questions:
Curated OER
You and the Judicial System
Students explore how the structure of the state and federal judicial systems affect them. They select an appropriate media and create a presentation on the structure of the judicial system, the criminal judicial system and a guide to the...
Curated OER
Fair Use and Music
Young scholars examine fair use. In this character education lesson, students discover copyright and fair use laws regarding media. Young scholars discuss the ethics of movie and music sharing.
Judicial Branch of California
Where We Fit In: The Judicial Branch
An interesting resource addresses the role of youth in civic participation and community events. It also explains the role of the justice system in creating boundaries and how citizens play a part in the judicial process. Pupils...
Curated OER
Confronting the -Isms
Young scholars keep "Mindwatch" diaries to chart their own prejudices and stereotypes. In this social justice lesson plan, students monitor their own reactions to people who are different from themselves. Young scholars identify and...
Curated OER
The Truth About Human Rights
Students explore the concept of human rights. In this human rights lesson, students watch 2 videos regarding human rights violations around the world since 2001. Students explore several websites that feature human rights violations....
Curated OER
T-shirts for Change
Can school children change the world? With a social or environmental issue in mind, 5th graders use what they know about advertising media to make t-shirts that have something to say. They research the issue they'd like to focus on,...
Curated OER
Food Makes the World Go Round
Fifth graders investigate the origins of foods they eat while they consider social justice issues. In this food sources lesson, 5th graders play a game and then research food distribution, food security, and hunger in the world today....
Curated OER
Broadcast from the Past
Students will be responsible for presenting (either performing live or videotaping and playing) a newscast dealing with an aspect of the Civil Rights Movement that connects to the unit topic of media and social justice. During the...
Curated OER
Scooting Away from Justice?
Learners examine President Bush's July 2007, decision to commute the 30-month sentence of former White House official, I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby by reading a New York Times article. They scan editorial sources on various sides of the...
Curated OER
The Role of Television in Social Justice
Learners will discover the direct impact television coverage had on the African American Civil Rights Movement. They will employ listening, information processing, and critical thinking skills while watching the film clips and answering...
Amazon Web Services
Brexit Debate
Should we stay or should we go? Class members debate whether Britain should exit the European Union. While the resource predates the exit vote, the materials provide class members with an opportunity to explore some of the many...
Curated OER
Assassination and Aftermath: The Death of JFK and the Warren Report
Students examine the ways in which the assassination of President John F. Kennedy affected American history and American culture. They explain the role of the media in documenting American history and also influencing that history.
Curated OER
Images, Empathy, and the Humanitarian Impulse
Students study humanitarian intervention and its role in society. In this politics lesson plan students view a video on Darfur and discuss what they learned.
Curated OER
Sixteenth Street: Civil Rights at the Crossroads
Students study the Civil Rights movement constructing definitions of discrimination, prejudice and racism. They use varied media to study the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, write a newspaper and complete a mock trial.
Curated OER
What is Public Use?
Explore the Fifth Amendment by examining the meaning of "public use" as learners read a scenario and role play their assigned parts to determine "public use." They also read Supreme Court Cases regarding the amendment and present their...
Curated OER
"Whispering Wires": Public Law vs. Individual Civil Liberties
High school student love discussing controversial issues like those brought up in this fourth amendment case study. They examine the 1928 Olmstead vs. U.S. prohibition court case, applying the fourth amendment to determine whether...
Curated OER
The Spanish Belief in Justice and Values
Fifth graders study "justice" and "values" as illustrated through fables. The determine that some of the fables in the U.S. are relatively similar to those fables in other parts of the world. They write and illustrate their own fables.
Curated OER
Shizuko’s Daughter: Unsent Letter
Have you ever wanted to tell a character what you really thought of him or her? Use a lesson based on Kyoko Mori's Shizuko's Daughter to encourage learners to write a letter in response to a character's actions.