The struggle for women's rights is not unique to this generation, or even to the 20th century. Class members explore the conflicting opinions of Alexander Graham Bell and his wife, Mabel Hubbard Bell, regarding women's pursuits of higher...

Young historians consider the far-reaching effects of traditional teachings on the debates about the current attitudes toward women in society. The discussion begins with a list of New-Confucian sayings and expands to a global perspective.

Can the president of the United States defy the rulings of the Supreme Court? Students investigate the case of Worcester v. Georgia and the impact it had on society and, most importantly, Native Americans. Using a short video clip as...

Which side are you on? Scholars watch a video of John Stossel discussing the use of DDT pesticide. Learners talk about the purpose of the video and the speaker's argument and then complete a Tracing an Argument graphic organizer while...

Teach young scholars how to determine the theme of a story, an insight the author wants to share with readers, with a instructional activity that uses Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace" as an anchor text. Learners examine the internal...

Students read articles, conduct Internet research and participate in a mock debate to explore the pros and cons of withdrawing from Iraq or remaining in conflict with the insurgency. They consider the difficulties of consensus building...

Have your high schoolers practice their public speaking skills by writing an either/or speech. Individually, they complete an outline on what they want to discuss and give their speech to the class. To end the lesson, they complete a...

Students debate and role play about whether the colonists should declare independence from England or not. In this American history and oral communication instructional activity, students read informational text about the colonists and...

Students study the social justice issues of the immigration debate. In this immigration activity, students examine the role of undocumented Latino workers as they explore how trade policies and competition influence immigration and...

Students examine and analyze visual media and its messages critically. They determine whether specific media messages inform, entertain, or persuade and what factors influence the media. Using primary sources, they participate in peer...

Voting for the next president of the United States is about finding the candidate who most closely aligns with your own values and sense of democracy. High schoolers become acquainted with the candidates from the 2016 election with a...

Some days, the world seems like it is becoming darker, but research suggests that the world might actually be becoming a more peaceful place. An informational reading passage accompanied by a series of activities builds English language...

Learners engage in a debate about the obligation each country has to help other countries in need in order to help build their conversation skills. The format of the debate is imbedded in this lesson plan.

Students identify and interpret what their school is like and how it works. They watch animations and slideshows on the government website. Students also develop thinking skills by examining the way voting and democracy works through...

In this debate learning exercise, students read and learn about the fine points of debate and persuasion. The vocabulary presented and the ideas are quite advanced; premise, conclusion, syllogism, ad homineum, and other difficult terms.

To prepare for a study of intellectual property rights, (or an assessment) introduce your learners to the legal concepts and key vocabulary associated with the debate. After defining intellectual property, copyright, fair use, and...

Students examine case studies involving human genetics. They research the case and determine possible problems to the issue. Students write essays supporting their opinion. They debate the ethical issues.

Sixth graders learn team building, fair play, keeping an open mind towards others' opinions, U.S. government policies, and a better understanding of the meaning of censorship as they debate the merits of censorship.

Students study the concept of what it means to be an informed voter who makes conscientious voting decisions based on significant information.  In this making informed voting decisions lesson plan, students are introduces...

As a writer, if you have a weak introductory paragraph or thesis statement, you might lose your audience! Have your middle and high schoolers practice writing introductory paragraphs that include clear thesis statements in response to...

Learners consider qualities that the public seeks in a vice president, then analyze statements made by the vice presidential candidates and multimedia commentary on the debate by a Times reporter. For homework.

High schoolers role play different stakeholders perspective on the debate about Channel Islands. In this marine science lesson, students identify different types of Marine Protected Areas. They research about their stakeholder's point of...

Learners round out their math skills with these ‘round the world' ideas. In this math and geography lesson, students try out time zone sticks, a polar race, and tic-tac-globe to engage them in learning more about globes and the...

Students write expanded paragraphs about children's rights. In this writing and children's rights lesson, students listen to Caroline Castle's, For Every Child, noting the points about children's rights on each page. They discuss each of...