Curated OER
Solutions or Impossibilities? HIV Prevention for African Children
Students analyze maps for clues as to why students and mothers in both urban and rural areas of Africa may not fight HIV the same way as those in wealthier countries. They write an essay outlining solutions to the AIDS epidemic.
Curated OER
Monkey See, Monkey Do
Students consider the influence of bullies and map the social ecosystem of their schools. They create lifelines that compare baboon and human development and write an essay that considers the relationship between psychosocial development...
Curated OER
Medical Pioneers
Students use research skills to take notes over fifteen current medical innovators or innovations. They prepare a PowerPoint presentation over their chosen fifteen medical innovators and innovations. Students show a correlation between...
Curated OER
Emission Statement
Students investigate the emission of greenhouse gases by industrialized nations. They present their findings in a simulated international global warming conference. They then whether or not the United States should take part in the...
Curated OER
Tibet and China
Students explore the geography and history of Tibet and China. For this Asian studies lesson, students study the Tibetan situation. In this global issues lesson and conduct research on its ties to China. Students then create political...
Curated OER
Compassion on Death Row?
Students analyze and debate, through writing and discussion, the politics and ethics behind the ability of governors to grant clemency to inmates sentenced to the death penalty.
Curated OER
Constitutional Convention
Students engage in a role-playing situation to illustrate the kinds of compromised that were made a teh Constitutional Convention. They write three short 1-2 paragraph arguments and then present their arguments to the class at the...
Curated OER
Land of the Rising Guns?
Young scholars discuss the decision after World War II of Japan's to follow a policy of pacifism. After reading an article, they identify the ways Japan is strengthening its military. They watch a video to discover how their Constitution...
Curated OER
The Chinese Expulsion Act of 1880
Students examine the Chinese Expulsion Act of 1880. In this History instructional activity, students explore the issues of immigration and exclusion surrounding the Chinese Expulsion Act. Students will use a variety of primary sources to...
Curated OER
Football: It's Not Just for Jocks!
Eighth graders complete a variety of football-themed activities. They develop creative writing projects with a football inspiration, research and interpret football statistics and practice football skills in P.E.
Curated OER
Limited Resources - Understanding Our Cultural Resources
Students examine and compare preserving natural resources and preserving cultural resources. They conduct Internet research on two topics, and write a position paper on whether cultural resources or natural resources are more important...
Curated OER
Lesson C: Shall We Go Dutch?
Students, in groups, read and discuss why the Dutch began a colony at Zwaanendael. They compare and contrast the language and culture of the Indians and the Dutch. Students examine the significance of the Coat of Arms. They research and...
Curated OER
Who or What is Un-American?
Students explore concepts about civil liberties, research the history of sedition-related legislation in the U.S. and create a position paper on the topic.
Curated OER
Persuasive Text: Vocabulary Charades
Students play charades to act out vocabulary words that have recently been introduced in class. In this vocabulary lesson students may work in groups or in pairs.
Curated OER
How to Move the Crowd: The Persuasive, Powerful Rhetoric of Mark Antony -Folger Shakespeare Library
Tenth graders explore a close reading of the speeches of Brutus and Mark Anthony in 3.2. They identify the effects of the rhetorical appeals used. Students explore the variety of ways in which Anthony might have delivered the speech....
Curated OER
Writing About Outdoor Activities
Students discuss what they like about parks and make a list of different things they like to do there such as swing, run, play ball, ride a bike, or go on a hike. They discover the locations of some examples of National Parks and that...
NPR
Is There Really an Immigration Line?
If you've ever looked at the US immigration system, you know that it is complex and a source of controversy. An insightful lesson plan encourages learners to conduct their own analyses of the US immigration system by asking them to...
Prestwick House
Understanding Language: Slant, Spin, and Bias in the News
We live in a time of fake news, alternative realities, and media bias. What could be more timely than an activity that asks class members to research how different sources report the same topic in the news?
Curated OER
"I Believe..." Podcast Style
Use this communication skills lesson to emphasize evaluating a speaker's main point and argument. After reading Martin Luther King's, "I Have a Dream Speech" and John F. Kennedy's speech, "I Believe in an America Where the Separation of...
ReadWriteThink
Analyzing Famous Speeches as Arguments
A speaker, a message, an audience. After analyzing these elements in Queen Elizabeth's speech to the troops at Tilbury, groups analyze how other speakers use an awareness of events, and their audience to craft their arguments....
Curated OER
Weighing the War
Study opposing viewpoints with this lesson, which examines President Bush's September 2004 address at the United Nations. Middle schoolers study the text of the address, and then stage formal debates arguing for or against the reasons to...
Curated OER
Breaking Barriers
Determine how African-Americans have broken barriers in this history lesson. Middle schoolers discuss the 15th Amendment and the American civil rights movement prior to analyzing Barack Obama's speech "A More Perfect Union," taking care...
Museum of Tolerance
Music Evokes Memories and Emotions
Dim the lights, take a deep breath, and press play to explore the emotions and memories that music elicits. Class members begin using relaxation techniques designed to create a positive listening experience. As music plays, learners...
The New York Times
Great Debate: Developing Argumentation Skills
"Advertising has no impact on whether people buy something." "Looting is morally permissible during national disasters and emergencies." "Gay teenagers should be allowed to take dates to the prom." Considering a class debate? Check out...