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The Home Front: Convincing Americans to Help America Prepare
Sixth graders examine the actions of the U.S. Government after the attack on Pearl Harbor. In this preparation for war lesson, 6th graders analyze WWII posters and view a clip on the American Home Front. Students discuss and list the...
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Trading Off
Young scholars explore how the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has impacted the people and economies of North America and Mexico.
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The Right to Know Your Rights
Learners read a New York Times article in order analyze the Miranda Rights. They explore various legal views of these rights through group interviews and presentations.
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Gunshots by the Numbers
Students analyze the incidence of gun injuries among children and what can be done about it by reading and discussing the article "Keeping Guns Out of Children's Hands." They convert statistics about gun injuries into visual...
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Give Peace a Chance
Students read and discuss the 1979 occupation of the American Embassy in Iran. They research the nations that are believed to currently pose a threat of terrorism toward the United States and speculate on ways in which these nations'...
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Public Policy Research
Learners explore a public policy issue of local importance. Through research and survey, they identify a public policy issue affecting people in their local area. Students determine how this issue affects the lives of those involved and...
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Of Power and Politics
Learners consider the problems and issues that arise when a government has more than one person at the head of the government and explore the possibility of China's military chief's resignation by reading and discussing the article...
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Let Your Motto Be Resistance: African American Portraits: Grades 3-5
Students explore the contributions of African Americans of the 20th century. In this African American history lesson, students examine portraits of Muhammad Ali, Romare Bearden, Lorraine Hansberry, Judith Jamison, and Leontyne Price in...
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Rights-Minded
Students expand their knowledge and understanding about the civil rights movement by investigating the lives of some of the people who contributed to it.
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Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Power of Nonviolence
Students examine the philosophy of nonviolence developed by Martin Luther King, Jr. and how this turned into practice during the Civil Rights Movement. They compare these teachings to those of Mohandas K. Ghandi.
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Remembering Rosa
Students research and profile figures in American civil rights such as Rosa Parks, from 1955-68, to create commemorative posters.
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Why Can't I Vote?
Fourth graders take an unannounced test (failure is expected) and the top scores are rewarded with candy bars. They compare this test to the literacy tests given before 1960 and votes to candybars. They journal their responses.
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Comparing/Contrasting Northern Life to Southern Life
Students compare and contrast the lives of African Americans who moved North vs. those who stayed in the South during the era of Jim Crow Laws.
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Creating A Bill Of Rights In Space
Students define rights, analyze and apply the U.S. Bill of Rights to hypothetical situations, and create an Intergalactic Bill of Rights.
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Government Lesson Plan: Lesson Plan 9
Students examine and compare/contrast the steps of criminal and civil cases. They define key vocabulary terms, develop an outline of a criminal and civil trial, and analyze the differences in standards of proof in legal cases.
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Using High Stakes Testing to Make Students and Schools Accountable for Learning
Students conduct an informal survey about their views on high stakes testing and use basic computation skills to evaluate results as a group. They participate in activities related to high stakes testing and "No Child Left Behind"...
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One Person CAN Make a Difference
Young scholars illustrate how the actions of one person can make a difference. They identify school and community issues to address and complete group projects and action plans for making changes in the school or community.
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Breaking the Code: Actions and Songs of Protest
Students listen to and discuss the purpose of protest music. They analyze an editorial cartoon related to Jim Crow and read questions from the literacy tests given to African-Americans. They work together to write a song about the...
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A New Generation of Fighters
Students discuss the reasons why people are less likely to take a stand on issues today than they were in the past. In groups, they research the efforts of Kings, Parks and others to end discrimination and racism. They read excerpts of...
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Civil Rights Webquest
Students, working individually and in teams, research life in their community during the civil rights era. They take part in a role-playing discussion about civil rights issues based on their research, and create individual and group...
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Case in Point
Students read about and discuss the re-opening of the Emmett Till murder case. They research and write about a famous civil rights trial and create a poster highlighting the importance of the trial.
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Continuity or Change? African Americans in World War II
Young scholars examine the experience of African Americans during World War II by analyzing primary sources and formulating historical questions. They evaluate if the African American experience during World War II represents continuity...
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Martin Luther King
Students examine the contributions made by Martin Luther King Jr. They discuss civil rights, conduct research in small groups, participate in a discrimination simulation, and create a collage.
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Giving Human Rights a Human Face
Students produce a creative expression of an article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They may also create posters to serve as reminders for creating a human rights environment or community.