Eighth graders investigate the Holocaust and the persecution of specific ethnic groups in Europe during World War II.

Learners examine the issue of religious freedom in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They annotate on maps places where religious persecution has occured. Students in pair participate in an active listening exercise as each one...

Students read a scene of "The Merchant of Venice" and write remarks by Antonio and Shylock that indicate traits of their personalities. They enact both characters and discuss the treatment of anti-Semitism, bigotry, persecution and mercy.

Students study the life of Anne Frank. In a class discussion, students discuss the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany. They analyze the sacrifices Anne Frank and her family made in order to assist others.

The focus of this, the third in a five-activity unit study of human rights, is on individuals who made a difference. Billy Bowlegs, Dr. Sun Yat Sen, Fannie Lou Hamer, Michi Weglyn, and Yuri Koshiyama are some of the people class members...

Use this cross-curricular history lesson to work on your learners' informational writing skills. After listening to songs and stories related to Sultana, they engage in a several activities to boost their understanding of slavery and...

Collaboration and complicity. Class members examine a series of photographs and consider how active participation and passive complicity represented in the photos contributed to the Holocaust. 

A timely and provocative lesson plan inspires high schoolers to tackle the Syrian refugee crisis. They analyze a compelling photo essay before discussing and writing about it.

Gain an understanding of the complex topic of immigration with a collection of resources. Class members engage in a series of activities designed to give them insight into the factors that influence immigration policies and the effects...

Upper graders listen to the blues. They discuss blues scale, read a description of the blues, and work together to write an original piece. A instructional activity like this ties into American history and African-American musical...

Discover the ways America has opened its borders to international refugees, and the ways other countries have been more or less welcoming, with an informational passage about United States and international policies on refugees....

Five lessons display the art created by Germans under the Weimar Republic. The focus of these lessons is to help learners understand the role of art in politics, government censorship, and Nazi tactics. Web links are included.

Fourth graders tour the Carlyle House and Gadsby Tavern while working on worksheets covering both places. They are to write an essay and thank you notes to finish the lesson.

This is a fantastic resource designed for learners to envision what it was like for the three million African-Americans who migrated to urban industrial centers of the northern United States between 1910 and 1940. After reading a...

Art can be a vehicle for social change and cultural expression. Upper graders examine the art of photographer David Goldblatt, as it pertains to apartheid, South Africa, and the AIDS epidemic. Discussion questions and image links...

Analyze the process of printmaking and explore how prints reflect an artist's view of society. After viewing and analyzing the prints of Elizabeth Catlett, class members create an inner tube and a linoleum block print. They then research...

While examining slavery's impact on women, historians compare and contrast the perspectives of a plantation mistress and an enslaved woman, both reflecting on the system of forced prostitution. Text analysis and written responses create...

Art, power, and commerce are often the hallmarks of a mighty empire - and the ancient world of India is no exception. The presentation explores the Maurya, Asoka, and Gupta Empires, detailing the territorial and artistic changes that...

Explore legendary cartoonist Herb Block's bold challenge of McCarthy-era politics through this analysis activity. Two cartoons are included, along with talking points to prompt analysis and background information to help pupils "read...

The suffix, -tion is used with great frequency in our language. This presentation challenges learners to fill in charts with words that use this suffix. They must think of words that end in -cian, -sion, -ssion, -tion, and even words...

Lesson 1 from a Refugees and Human Rights unit is based on the UNHCR video “Working with Refugees.” Pupils gain an understanding of the role the United Nations plays in protecting and assisting refugees worldwide and have an opportunity...