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
Scooting Away from Justice?
Students 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...
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
Sixteenth Street: Civil Rights at the Crossroads
Learners 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
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.
Penguin Books
An Educator’s Guide to Chraisma by Jeanne Ryan
Often, science fiction makes a lot of connections to real life. An educator's guide for the novel Charisma by Jeanne Ryan, has readers discuss many of the real-life issues that come in the text. A brief summary helps garner interest...
Curated OER
Lesson III: Crisis, Pearl Harbor, Internment
The third in a series of lessons introduced by “A Fence Away From Freedom,” uses the Smithsonian website, “A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution” and focuses on the section of the presentation devoted to the...
Curated OER
Documents of Diversity
Eighth graders explore the cultural diversity in their own families. They examine the cultural profile and historical development of their own community through developing a walking tour, in booklet or web-based form.
Curated OER
Getting Our Facts Straight! Holocaust Group Research Projects
Students work together in groups to research the Holocaust. Using a rubric, they gather information and develop visual aids. They apply principles of justice, equality and freedom to real-life situations. They present their information...
Curated OER
Changing Perspectives on the Japanese Internment Experience
High schoolers explore the issue of Japanese-American internment. In this World War II lesson plan, students analyze historical biases regarding Japanese-American internment as they analyze literature, research print and Internet...
Curated OER
Keeping our Water Clean
Second graders discuss how our actions impact the quality of water. In this environmental science lesson, 2nd graders watch a short film and discuss the problem of polluted water. Students are then divided into groups and record their...
Curated OER
Westward Expansion
Middle schoolers explore the Westward Expansion Movement of U.S. history. For this Westward movement lesson, students use primary and secondary source documents research personal accounts of those who travelled west during the era....
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Trial & Tribulation: Racism and Justice in Minnesota
Part of the Twin Cities PBS digital storytelling project Racism Unveiled, this episode examines 2020 and the last 100 years of Minnesota's deep racist history. The episode examines the following pressing questions: How did this happen?...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Collection: Becoming Helen Keller
Rediscover the complex life and legacy of the author, advocate and human rights pioneer. Helen Keller (1880-1968), who was deaf and blind since childhood, used her celebrity and wit to advocate for social justice, particularly for women,...
Other
Pro Publica: Journalism in the Public Interest
An independent newsroom that covers a wide variety of topics and events, which are often neglected by the mainstream media, and works to promote change. Explore investigative reports on politics, social-justice issues, technology, and...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Boston Public Schools Capstone Project
The (Boston Public Schools) Capstone Project is an opportunity for students to engage in rigorous project-based learning. It is an opportunity for our students to develop skills to be life, career, and college-ready in a culturally...
AdLit
Ad lit.org: The Evidence Suggests Otherwise: The Truth About Boys and Girls
The media has latched on to the story that American boys are falling behind girls academically and are increasingly outnumbered in college. But what do the numbers show? Referencing more than 30 years of test scores and current research,...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Martin Luther King Jr.: Civil Rights Leader Video
In the second half of the 20th century, racial tensions rose in the US as African Americans began to challenge unjust laws that supported discrimination and segregation. This movement found its leader in the patient and inspiring...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Primary Source: Truth, Justice, and the Superhero Comic Book
This collection uses primary sources to explore the emergence of superhero comic books.
Other
The Progressive Magazine
Homepage of the national magazine for peace and social justice, THE PROGRESSIVE. Read recent news regarding social justice here.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Whose Streets?: Lesson Plan Clips
This lesson provides a framework for critical analysis of current and historic race relations in America through the lens of the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown, Jr., a young unarmed black man, by white police officer Darren Wilson in...
Other
Cuso
CUSO is a Canadian organization similar in mission and purpose as the United States' Peace Corps. Founded in 1961, CUSO has grown into a dynamic organization working to combat poverty and inequality, aid human rights, treat HIV/AIDS, and...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Migrant Struggle: John Steinbeck
Pulitzer Prize winner John Steinbeck is the subject of this brief biography, highlighting his ability to write about the injustices in society, particularly with regard to the economic lower class. See "John Steinbeck Activities" for...