What to teach: conceptual frameworks

The Road to Peace introduces learners to the concept of transitional justice, a process where nations examine the causes of conflict, identify abuses, and use this information to develop a plan to transition to a society that upholds...

What are the attributes of a civilization? A unit from Crash Course World History connects the main ideas from four of its videos to define a civilization and to track the transition from the Paleolithic Era to the Neolithic Revolution.

International trade from 600 AD to 1450 AD resulted in the flourishing of post-classical civilizations, the expansion of Islam across many regions, and the transmission of rare materials and innovative ideas — not to mention the spread...

The moment Christopher Columbus's ships touched North American shores, the world changed forever. But has it been for the better? High schoolers consider the effectiveness, benefits, and drawbacks of the Columbian Exchange with a...

History is full of great empires rising to power—and falling into dust. But what does religion and a society's belief system have to do with a civilization's fate? A thorough explanation of the impact of world religions on their...

How do you create a classroom environment where hot button topics may be discussed in a respectful manner? As part of a series of lessons that focus on immigration issues, class members examine the rules for civil discussion before...

To gain a deeper understanding of the plight of refugees and asylum seekers, class members read stories written from the point of view of an emigrant, map the individual's journey, and note the human rights affected by each stage of the...

Riddle me this! What do kennings, caesura, and alliteration have to do with the Nowell Codex? Introduce class members to Anglo-Saxon poetry and prepare readers for a study of Beowulf with a series of activities that includes asking...

Should wilderness areas be preserved or managed? Class members examine primary source documents, including lecture notes, articles, essays and congressional records to better understand the Hetch Hetchy controversy that created a split...

Pupils explore the meaning of the ancient Greek word aretê and the place of virtue in historical athletic competition and modern sports. They begin by reading an informational text on the goal of sports in education, and then evaluate...