The debate over the integrity of stories in media is not new. Young journalists analyze historical sources that reveal freedom of the press controversies and draw parallels to challenges freedom of the press faces today. 

Sixth graders investigate natural environments by researching national parks. In this brochure making lesson, 6th graders explore a specific national park and research it's information by utilizing the web. Students create travel...

Foster's Rule? Allopatric speciation? After watching West of the West's documentary Island Rotation, class members use Venn diagrams to compare endemic species on the Channel Islands with mainland related species. They then create a...

Learners examine the arguments for and against the United States involvement in the Vietnam War. In groups, they must assign the Vietnam War a just or unjust war using the techniques used to fight and the reasons used by the government...

Fourth graders learn about price and comparative shopping. In this price and comparative shopping instructional activity, 4th graders read Amy Axelrod's, Pigs Go To Market: Fun with Math and Shopping. They use the book to investigate the...

Should refugees fleeing poverty be allowed the same entrance into the United States as those fleeing persecution? High schoolers read about US foreign policy in the late 20th century regarding refugees from Cuba and Haiti, and engage in...

Where do anti-immigrants myths come from, and how can they be refuted? Learners critically analyze media reports and how to identify reliable sources. After studying a timeline that details the history of US nativism, groups research the...

Everyone living in the United States today is a descendant from an immigrant—even Native Americans. Learn about the tumultuous history of American immigration with a reading passage that discusses the ancient migration over the Bering...

High schoolers learn about citizens who were actively involved in the civil rights movement, and the strategies they used to overcome the Jim Crow laws that were so prevalent in the 1960s. They investigate the voting amendments of the US...

Entitled American Studies, this small unit covers various topics related to the study of the United States. Learners warm up by creating a dictionary of democracy, then dive into three different lessons focused on government, famous...

Study customary measurements with your sixth graders. They will investigate linear and capacity measurements to then measure and convert linear and capacity units. Finally they will work in small groups to conduct experiments. Resources...

Upper elementary and middle school learners engage in this awesome lesson plan on the Civil War. In it, they watch streamed video, perform Internet research, engage in hands-on activities, and use their geography skills to locate...

As part of a unit study of immigration, class members participate in a mock Immigration Court activity in which they argue four cases before an immigration judge.

Small groups read assigned chapters from the book, Letters to Rifka, then work together to fill out comprehension worksheets associated with their chapters. This fine, 13-page lesson culminates with each group getting together to meet...

Second graders conduct research on a selected state in the United States. They read a book and write down interesting facts, conduct Internet research, and create a brochure using Microsoft Office Publisher.

Students apply United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the United States Constitution to contemporary situations, and predict possible United Nations responses to violations of the UDHR.

Students analyze U.S. involvement in Iraq. In this foreign policy lesson, students listen to their instructor lecture on America's nation-building policies. Students respond to questions pertaining to nation-building practices.

Learners color a map showing that Africa consists of 53 nations and recognize the difference between a nation and a continent. The main objective of this lesson is for students to realize that Africa is a continent with many nations...

Ninth graders examine the lifestyle and culture of First Nations people. They investigate and analyze primary and secondary source documents.

Students explore, analyze and interpret one form of poetry writing called Poetry Slam. They hear several examples of unexpected poetry and view a video of "Slam Nation." The books, "Hey You! C'mere: A Poetry Slam," by Elizabeth Swados...

Students examine primary sources concerning the members of the Iroquois nation in order to determine their reasons for signing a treaty with the new American government. They discover how this organization of Native American tribes...

Organize your curriculum of narratives and stories within an ELA unit and keep track of what elements are needed to ensure the unit's success. This curriculum map template allows you to plan for supporting texts, comprehension...