Middle schoolers list some ideas proposed and debated during the Constitutional Convention, and discuss the important issues requiring compromise during the Constitutional Convention.

Students read excepts from various government documents on the issue of slavery in America. Using the internet, they research a topic related to slavery of interest to them and present to the class their findings. They examine the life...

Young scholars use newspapers and television stories to search for mysterious behavior. Using mysteries in the airline industry, they identify the economic concept and the steps to unravel the mystery. They answer a mystery question to...

Learners explore differences in cultures while researching Indian boarding schools in the United States. They explore issues related to the forced acculturation of American Indians into the American culture and examine different...

The awful practice of torture is the focus of this sociology lesson. Students examine their own personal values regarding torture. They participate in a class discussion that considers the moral issues surrounding the use of torture in a...

Pupils discuss the issue of refugees being forced to migrate. In groups, they focus on different groups forced to migrate and discover how it has changed their lives. They compare and contrast a forced migration in the past and today.

Students study the history of the United States in the 1800s, including the issue of slavery. They discover that the Underground Railroad was a network of people and hiding places in the United States and Canada, set up to help escaping...

Students become familiar with historic and contemporary issues connected to voting rights around the world. They research the voting rights history of their country and then compare information about voting rights in at least three...

Imagine a meeting between President Bush and Putin. Get your class thinking about global awareness, democracy, and totalitarian modes of government. They examine how two leaders approach major governmental issues and run their countries...

Bring global awareness into the classroom. Young politically minded learners read an article about the ban on arms sales to China and discuss political concerns about this issue. They research other embargos on foreign trade and use a...

Young scholars examine cultural conflict issues. In this global studies lesson, students read the Robert W. Soderstrom essay " A Single Lucid Moment." Young scholars discuss the essay and confrontation that may occur between cultures.

Eleventh graders examine the Adarand case.  In this American Government lesson, 11th graders create a list of reasons for each affirmative action program.  Students develop a defense on certain issues and present it to the...

High schoolers explore discrimination issues in America. In this homosexual rights lesson, students listen to their instructor lecture on antidiscrimination laws and gay rights. High schoolers respond to questions about the Romer v....

Students examine uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa. In this global issues lesson, students view video clips, conduct group research, and present their findings in group presentations about the unrest in Algeria, Bahrain,...

Learners take a closer look at the U.S. presence in Afghanistan. For this global issues lesson, students analyze political cartoons related to the War on Terror. Learners discuss their impressions of the war and then create their own...

Good for setting the context for 20th century foreign policy issues, these slides describe key points in Latin America, the Middle East, the Far East, and Europe. US or World History classes will appreciate the concise list on each...

Use political cartoons to spice up a discussion on national security! Two cartoons, one by Normal Rockwell in 1948, the other a parody of Rockwell's by Chuck Asay in 2010, depict the dangers of leaking information. Background information...

What does your class know about the events occurring on October 21, 2011? Have them skim this issue of the New York Times to answer each of the five related multiple choice questions. A perfect task for early finishers.

Kids take an online quiz to see how much they know about the events featured in the December 14, 2011 issue of the New York Times. They scan each article and then take the five-question quiz. A quick way to see who's reading and who's not.

Should driver's licenses be granted to unauthorized immigrants? That is the question class members grapple with in a lesson that asks them to first read a fact sheet that details the arguments for and against licensing unauthorized...

The assassination of Abraham Lincoln was a pivotal moment in American history, but what were the immediate effects throughout the newly unified country? A document-based question focuses on the consequences of the first...

Letter-writing, e-mail and telephone campaigns, petitions, marches, meetings, with lawmakers. Options for influencing elected representatives are the focus of resource that details how to craft each of these approaches to influencing...

Six diverse activities make up a substantial unit on the women's rights movement in the United States, past and present. A few of the topics at hand: the fourteenth and nineteenth amendments, the Equal Pay Act, the Lily Ledbetter Act,...

As part of the social, economic, and legal/political civil rights study, class members brainstorm a list of current civil rights issues that affect their community. Individuals or pairs select one issue to research further. The class...