Debate: Oregon's Death with Dignity Act

After watching clips of presidential candidates during debates and speeches, and researching the candidate's position on important issues, young researchers conduct a role-play debate in which they act as one of the candidates.

Group members role play state legislators, supporters of and opponents to the The DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors). After listening to the arguments put forth for and against the immigration legislation,...

How the Kansas-Nebraska Act created Bleeding Kansas is complicated—until scholars research and examine documents from the time. After completing activities that include mapping, photo, document analysis, and discussion, learners...

Why did Stephen Douglas support the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854? Why did Abraham Lincoln oppose it? Young historians examine how the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 affected the political balance between free and slave states and explore how...

Upper graders listen to a podcast on the EconTalk website featuring economist Keith Hennessey. The podcast focuses on the Budget Control Act of 2011, the national debt, and government spending. They read specifics about the BCA, then...

Middle and high schoolers debate colleges' right to grant admissions based on legacy status. This point-of-view lesson plan uses a column from the New York Times about college admission policies as a springboard for a student debate....

From the time of its publication, Uncle Tom's Cabin has been controversial. To better understand the debate, class members first examine a broadside decrying the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, and then two newspaper reviews of the novel...

100 years ago the 19th Amendment was passed granting all United States citizens the right to vote. But by 1965 it was apparent that more needed to be done to ensure all citizens could cast their ballots. In 1965 Congress passed the Civil...

AP Government class members form teams and debate the legalization of marijuana and the abolition of the death penalty. Included on the assignment sheet are the timing requirements of the debate and a brief grading rubric.

This New York Times article-based resource dates from Al Gore's bid for the US presidency in 2000, but the article details important ways that candidates work to sway public opinion. You can enhance relevance with up-to-date content...