In this The Contender comprehension check worksheet, students respond to 12 short answer questions regarding chapter 5 of The Contender by Robert Lipsyte in order to help them better understand the novel and the author's craft.

The threat posed by super volcanoes is explored in a short video that reviews the destruction caused by Mount Tambora in 1815 and by Peru's Huaynaputina in 1600. Think it can't happen again? The narrator contends that the explosive...

Is, as Walt Whitman contends, America’s “almost maniacal appetite for wealth,” the heart of the American dream? Class members grapple with this question as they read David Brooks’ article “The Commercial Republic,” and quotes that...

Class members examine two documents—The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and The Rights of Migrants in the United States—and then use reports in the media to assess how well the US is doing in ensuring these rights.

Here is an interesting topic. Learners examine the economics that led to the founding of the First Bank of America. They participate in a reader's theater experience depicting the debate between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson...

Learners are assigned various roles to play in simulation intended to demonstrate the difficult choices involved in keeping relative on a life support system. They research a case, prepare their roles, and present their positions to the...

Here's a pretty comprehensive lesson on the polka. There is information on the origins of the polka and the history of Oktoberfest. There is even a list of how to count to ten in Polish, Czech, and German. Include or skip whatever you...

Learners research the life of a powerful woman of the Maya Empire. They analyze the role of women in Maya society and compare them to powerful women of today in an essay.

Using the announcements of presidential candidacies, pupils consider how contenders make their initial arguments to the public. A worksheet helps structure collaborative work to analyze 10 video clips. Writing prompts allow for extension...

Students complete pre reading, writing, during reading, and interdisciplinary activities for the book Strong to the Hoop. In this reading lesson plan, students complete journal entries, go over vocabulary, answer short answer questions,...

Learners recognize courage and heroism of Danish and Swedish people and all others who resisted the Nazis, realize that everyone has the capacity to do good as well as evil, and analyze reasons and motivations that caused certain people...

Students study the history of the Holocaust. it is complex; therefore, understanding its implications is complex as well. Elie Wiesel refers to the Holocaust as a question within a question. Questions lead to further questions, and still...

Did Bernie Madoff fit the profile of a Ponzi schemer because, as Diana Henrique contends in an excerpt from her The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death, he “did not fit the profile of a Ponzi schemer”? Huh? Groups begin their...

After comparing the working conditions of the enslaved people to those of the Indian indentured workers on the sugar plantations, class members examine the conditions and the actions of specific historical figures that Marc Aronson and...

Is history "little more than a relic," as one of the characters in "The Palace Thief" contends? Has Hundert's love of antiquity kept him from changing with the times? Readers consider how the author uses these conflicting views to...

Students analyze the changes in the community described in "Still a Contender on the Waterfront" and evaluate how the history of a city can be seen, regardless of changes, in a city as it exists today.

Students explore communism from historical and theoretical perspectives to present to fellow classmates at a teach-in. Each team of students be responsible for researching and presenting on one of the suggested topics in the activity.

Eleventh graders examine the powers of Congress.  In this American Government lesson, 11th graders read about Congress.  Students complete a worksheet on their findings.  

High schoolers examine the relevance of the Holocaust to the present and future. They watch an excerpt from the movie, 'Schindler's List,' participate in a discussion of the movie excerpt, view and discuss a speech by Elie Wiesel, and...

Pupils are given a visual demonstration of the Coriolis Force in the Northern Hemisphere. They are encouraged to find locations around the globe and try to predict what the weather circulation patterns might be like.

Tenth graders persuade others to see their Blank History Month postage stamp as the best choice. In this African-American history lesson plan, 10th graders research noteworthy African-Americans and create postage stamps and write...

Students view primary documents about the race for President in the time of Abraham Lincoln.  In this election lesson, students prepare arguments for and against Lincoln using an analysis sheet.  Students create a poster or...

Students examine the concept of origin and ethnicity. In this ethnic studies lesson, students engage in a variety of interdisciplinary activities including posters, and discussions to better understand our past and future.

Students explore the history of America from 1900-1912. Students explore how past events and philosophies have affected the management of modern-day conflicts. Through research, students write an essay on the handling of the Panama Canal...