21st Century Themes Teacher Resources

Imagine a meeting between President Bush and Putin. Get your class thinking about global awareness, democracy, and totalitarian modes of government. They examine how two leaders approach major governmental issues and run their countries...

What do the founders of Wendy's and Virgin Airlines have in common? They are both entrepreneurs! Key definitions and case studies help learners brainstorm their own definitions of what it takes to succeed in business. A series of...

Using an online internet simulation, learners will role-play various members of a family living in rural Haiti. The objective is to increase global awareness by requiring them to consider poverty as an obstacle to education in Haiti....

Bring global awareness into the classroom. Young politically minded learners read an article about the ban on arms sales to China and discuss political concerns about this issue. They research other embargos on foreign trade and use a...

While ancient Mesopotamia didn't have the TV show "Shark Tank," it was a time of entrepreneurship as workers began to specialize. Both individual workers and the societal structure encouraged individuals to consider how they could...

What effect did innovations like the Bessemer Process, the light bulb, and the telephone have on the industrialization of the United States? Here is a nice graphic organizer that will help your young historians approach this question.

What does it mean to have an innovative mindset? Pupils think outside the box with the first of five lessons from the WE Are Innovators—High School Modules set. Scholars read articles and watch videos about sustainable innovation, such...

Why did Henry Ford want to invent a car for the masses? Why did Henry Ford locate his factory in Detroit? Why did Henry Ford encourage the idea of a 5-day work week? Young innovators find the answers to these and other question in a unit...

Explore the concept of the European Union interactively. Young travelers go on a European Union scavenger hunt through the "Panorama of the European Union" map publication. The scavenger hunt worksheet provides answers and detailed...

By studying Benjamin Franklin's work as a printer, your class will have a fantastic opportunity to learn about the economic concepts of entrepreneurship, human capital, and investment. 

Where would society be without the innovations of Thomas Edison or Steve Jobs? Scholars explore what it means to have an innovative mindset. Working in small groups, pupils design a product or service to help solve a social,...

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!" Through this assignment, emerging engineers examine how failed experiments are simply part of the process of an outstanding design. They begin with some reading about the microwave oven,...

The Boy Scouts of America need to know their stuff to get an entrepreneurship merit badge. Test your class or use some of the questions from this eight page packet. They'll fill out short answer questions about entrepreneurship in order...

Are American young people prepared to become tomorrow's leaders in technological innovation, or does an obsession with being cool sidetrack essential skills? That is the question freshmen and sophomores must address in a performance task...

Many historical innovations were created for the common good. Get your young scholars ready for life as a critical thinker with this lesson which defines the differences between innovation and invention. They will conduct Internet...

From scarcity and supply and demand to entrepreneurship and the stock market, here you'll find a multiple-choice assessment that includes 34 questions covering all the major concepts of a traditional economics course. 

What did it take to embark on a journey to unknown lands? Perhaps ambition, but also money! Christopher Columbus had to approach more than one European monarch for financing before he could sail the ocean blue. A read-along play and...

Is farming the greatest innovation in all of history? Watch as modern technology and advancements are traced back to the invention of farming in the Neolithic Revolution. The video illustrates how agricultural surplus led to division of...

Some kids know exactly what they want to be when they grow up. This careers lesson aids upper graders in considering who they are as artists and how they can profit from their art, making a career out of something they love. This is a...

Develop an idea to use technology to fix an issue in society. Pupils identify social issues that may be addressed using technology. They find what technologies others used to address the issue and further research one innovation.

Consider to possibility of starting a business as a way to examine the concept of entrepreneurship. Learners develop and analyze feasibility studies, marketing strategies, proposals, and local census data all needed when starting a small...

Do your high schoolers every wonder how to become an entrepreneur? Have them examine real-life entrepreneurs to find out. They discuss the financial needs and responsibilities of entrepreneurs then explore the reality of...

Here's a resource designed to serve as an introduction to a computer science course. Groups brainstorm an innovation that may improve technology or use technology to solve a problem. The plan guides the teacher through the introduction...

Give your class a copy of USA TOday to read through and find articles about companies that offer goods or services. They create a graphic organizer and list the business, product, want or need fulfilled of the companies found in the USA...