Penguin Books
An Educators' Guide to Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Books can help teens understand complex global issues. A helpful educator's guide introduces readers to what it's like to be a refugee. Lesson components for the novel Shades of Gray include an anticipation guide and writing and research...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
The Declaration of Independence
Your class can write a PSA about the Declaration of Independence! They write public service announcements and present them to the class. They also engage in reading and discussion activities to further understand a challenging—yet...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Presidential Succession
"Who takes over if a president dies, resigns, is impeached, or is otherwise removed from office?" That is the question class members research. After listing the 18 successors in order, individuals respond in writing to a series of...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Do the Campaign Math
Follow the money trail! As part of their study of the 2020 Presidential campaign, class members to research how much money candidates have raise and spent, as well as the sources of the funds. They then graph their findings to compare...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Hosting a Diplomatic Reception
The toasts are written, the table is set: it's time to party! Young scholars use a role-playing activity to go toast to toast. After researching and writing toasts for their allied countries during the modern Age of Empires, individuals...
School Journalism
Investigative and Data Journalism – Day One
A free press, free to investigate and report on responsibly, compelling stories, is essential to a democracy. A 10-slide presentation details where to get ideas, how to go about an investigation, gather data, and assure the accuracy of...
Bonneville
Unique Solar Cell Engineering Report
Highlight a unique solar cell with a report and a poster. Scholars complete the ongoing solar cells project by writing an engineering report in the last of 14 lessons in the Cost Effective Solar Cells unit. They also create research...
C-SPAN
Civil Rights Movement: Sit-Ins
Part of the protests of the Civil Rights Movement were small scale sit-ins at lunch counters. This form of on-the-ground activism is the focus of a C-SPAN resource that includes four video-clips about the sit-ins by pupils at a lunch...
C-SPAN
Women's Suffrage and the 19th Amendment
The right to vote was hard-won after decades of organizing by women and their allies. Using a series of video clips featuring women's historians, class members consider the efforts behind the Nineteenth Amendment. Possible extension...
California Department of Education
Name That Job!
Following a brief video, two teams play against each other to read clues from a card and guess which occupation it describes. The team that guesses the most correctly wins. A quick-write poses several questions about one's dream job.
Anti-Defamation League
On-Screen Diversity: Why Visibility in Media Matters
Characters play a significant role in why we like certain shows and movies but are the characters we watch representing the diverse society in which we live? Scholars examine this question through thoughtful discussion about popular...
John F. Kennedy Center
Comparing Cultural Holidays
A lesson examines the holidays, Día de los Muertos and Halloween. After an exciting clip from the movie Coco, class members review vocabulary and discuss what they know about Halloween. The conversation leads into the history of Día de...
Curated OER
Abigail as Letter Writer
The fourth instructional activity in the series of 16 asks researchers to analyze an exchange of letters between John and Abigail Adams for what they each valued in letter writing.
Curated OER
Summer of the Monkeys
While reading the book Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls, the class ties together the core reading objectives, which are making predictions, comprehending new information, reading for author's purpose, independence in reading, and...
Curated OER
Dig In
Students identify where vegetables originate from. For this agriculture lesson, students use a search engine to find out where certain vegetables originate from. Students plot the information onto a world map.
Media Smarts
Movie Heroes and the Heroic Journey
An exciting twist on the study of the classical hero and the heroic quest! Using film to explore modern-day tales of heroes, the resource contains complete, ready-to-use lesson plans for as many as twelve days of instruction. Throughout...
ARKive
Opposable Thumbs
How do opposable thumbs help you complete certain tasks? An activity about evolutionary traits prompts learners to try writing their name, twist the lid off of a jar, and use tweezers to pick up a straw, first with their normal grip, and...
Global Oneness Project
The Consciousness of Nature
Scholars voice their opinions about animal consciousness with an article that challenges common ideas about nature. After reading the article, learners engage in a thoughtful discussion before writing out their arguments in a persuasive...
Carolina K-12
Making First Vote Your Vote: Designing a Schoolwide Election
Encourage pupils to design an election plan for the entire school. They participate in a Board of Elections, create polling rules, discuss election controversies, write questions about the issues, run the election through an online...
Tidewater Community College
Assignment: The “Big Mac” Index
Young economists learn about the method of predicting changes in the exchange rate with Big Macs in an instructional video. After an understanding the index, learners write a post on a discussion board and respond to class members' posts...
C-SPAN
Should Your State Modify Its Voter Registration Laws and Methods for Submitting a Ballot?
What is the balance between democracy and security? Using articles and videos that examine state voting procedures, learners explore the difficult question. After looking at voting regulations in their state and nationally, they consider...
Texas Education Agency (TEA)
Piggy Bank vs. Bank – Choosing and Maintaining Your Account
Cha-ching! Using the practical resource, scholars investigate the different types of bank accounts and banking services available. Pupils view a PowerPoint, practice writing checks, and complete a checking account research project.
Overcoming Obstacles
Perservering
Hang in there! To conclude the Goal Setting module, class members reflect on the importance of perseverance by engaging in an activity that asks them to revise a plan when faced with obstacles. They then review their stepping stone goals...
Global Oneness Project
Today’s Native America
The 2016-2017 protests over the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) motivated Camille Seaman to create "We Are Still Here," a photo essay featuring portraits of contemporary Native Americans who protested the pipeline. This eight-page packet,...