Women's lifestyles before the Civil War made a huge impact as a point of causation. Give middle schoolers the opportunity to view firsthand the lives of women before the Civil War. They analyze primary source documents, view photographs,...

How did free and enslaved blacks work to craft freedom for themselves and their families before the Civil War? Young historians read about the life of Thomas Day, a free black man who also owned slaves and had abolitionist ties in...

How do interest groups try to influence elections? As part of their study of the election process, groups view 30-second advertisements produced by advocacy groups and use the provided worksheet to evaluate these ads. They then craft...

As an introduction to economics, government classes investigate different types of economic systems (traditional, command, market or capitalist, mixed) to determine answers to basic question about how goods are produced.

Equity. Increased productivity. Price stability. Environmental protection. Decreased poverty. Governments establish socio-economic goals and then must design and fund programs to address these goals. Groups investigate various...

Teach the class about the predecessor to Declaration of Independence—the Virginia Declaration of Rights. Using the foundational documents, scholars examine the two writings to consider how they are similar and how they are different. A...

Eleventh graders examine a petition presented by the Quakers to the Delaware General Assembly in 1785 and an anti-slavery broadside published in 1836.

Young scholars examine the history of African American voting rights. In this voting rights lesson, students listen to a lecture on African American voting rights between the years 1890 and 1965. Young scholars respond to discussion...

Eleventh graders research and discuss the different points of view of colonists in terms of taxation, as well as how these viewpoints helped lead to the revolution.

Fourth graders discover the political career of Sam Houston. In this Texas history lesson, 4th graders research primary resources and create a modern-day version of Sam Houston's political campaign of the 1840s.

Students explore desegregation in the courts. In this civil rights lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture on Supreme Court cases Brown v. Board of Education and Plessy v. Ferguson. Students examine the...

Students are introduce to the topic of nonviolence and civil rights by watching a video. In this stories of freedom lesson plan, students examine the Supreme Court's role in interpreting the U.S. Constitution. Students analyze how...

Eighth graders give their own definition to the terms race, religion, culture, character and ethnicity and write them on the board. As a class, they discuss the differences and similiarties between the terms. In groups, they complete a...

Students investigate the social effects of hurricanes. In this social studies lesson plan, students assume the persona of residents of the Dominican Republic and write diary entries and letters regarding the devastation caused by...

Eighth graders examine the impact of geography on a region. In this geography activity, 8th graders study the themes of geography. Students write an open response to a question.

Third graders identify the skills that are important in performing helper jobs in the school and the skills that are possessed personally by the student. They write a short paragraph to summarize the information taught about their top...

Students are introduced to the concept of judicial review. They read an article about this topic and the Bill of Rights. They answer discussion questions and review as a class.

Students look at the rights and laws created to assist individuals with physical disabilities.  In this lesson on fair treatment for all, students discuss symbols that related to people with disabilities. They create a new parking...

In groups of four, pupils brainstorm about seafood. They view the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch website to examine the problems caused by the seafood industry. Learners are then brought back together to discuss what they...

Students create and distribute flyers, mailings, posters in public areas to help make people aware of how to protect yourself from carbon monoxide. Students research what carbon monoxide is and what can be done to protect those in the...

Students explore the many faces of America through the video, "This Land Is Your Land." They discuss places they may have visited and record their responses. Students create symbols that respresent the riches of America.

What is advertising? What role does it plan in an election? Middle and high schoolers discuss advertising and its purpose by sifting through different magazines and discussing the products they find. Then they relate advertisements to...

Students predict how a pandemic would affect aspects of South Africa's society. In this world issues and geography lesson, students read a letter outlining the problems affecting South Africa. Students discuss and analyze how resource...

Using political cartoons, scholars analyze the energy crisis of the 1970s and '80s, comparing and contrasting it to current tensions with oil. Display the 6 cartoons (linked) to the class, and demonstrate analysis using the worksheet...