Curated OER
Women in United States History
Students identify and explain the significance of key terms, such as: 19th Amendment, Femisnism, Flappers, Immigration and Jobs in Wisconsin. They identify and analyze viewpoints, events, social classes, and people of various years.
Curated OER
Goals, Interactions and Outcomes
Students recognize both sides of a dilemma through use of a Human Interaction Outline. In this Goals, Interactions and Outcome lesson plan, students create a diagram to show opposing views of fishermen and oil companies. Students...
Foreign Policy Association
U.S. and Europe Online Lesson Plan
Class groups investigate the economic and political implications of a country's policies on genetically modified foods, craft a position paper detailing that policy, and share their findings with the class. Armed with this information,...
Curated OER
Cycling Through Controversy
Young scholars research different perspectives and debate environmental issues. They consider different viewpoints when proposing solutions.
Curated OER
The Conficts of the Founders
Students discuss the often conflicting viewpoints of the framers of the Constitution. One Framer in particular, George Mason, strongly objected to the creation of the Constitution. His objections are explored and the Constitutional...
Curated OER
Unwind: Discussion Strategy, Chalk Talk
Readers of Neal Shusterman's young adult science fiction novel, Unwind, engage in a silent discussion, posting their responses to a series of statements about characters in the story.
Curated OER
The Little Prince: Problematic Situation
Your plane has crashed in the Sahara desert. What do you do? Explore the possibilities with a role-playing activity based on Antoine de Saint Éxupery's The Little Prince. In groups, kids decide whether they would walk to find help to try...
Curated OER
Debate in the Classroom: The Pebble Mine Pundits
High schoolers research and debate the pros and cons of the Pebble Mine in Alaska from a variety of perspectives. They also write a position paper that either supports or opposed Pebble Mine develpoment.
Curated OER
How Are Boundaries Made, Kept, Broken?
Students examine the different perspectives of Igbo women. They simulate a silent debate in response to the question, "Is the Igbo society sexist?" They write their response to the question and exchange papers with their partner as the...
Curated OER
Argument
Learners write and discuss opposing points of view. In this argument lesson, students learn to understand what an argument is and they get to argue one side of a disagreement. An alternative written assignment is provided. A worksheet is...
Curated OER
Science of War
Tenth graders, from an environmental perspective, study the pros and cons of war. Distinctions between characteristics of biological, chemical and nuclear threats and the impact of economic development are considered.
Curated OER
Constitutional Change During the Progressive Era
Students analyze the passage of the 16th through 19th amendments during the Progressive Era around the turn of the century. Using research skills, they write papers and create portfolios supporting and opposing the adoption of each...
Curated OER
Seeing Both Sides of an Issue
Learners develop arguments on both sides of an issue to see how it feels to understand opposing views. They try to think of all the reasons they might take the opposite position on the same statement: My way of doing things is the best...
Curated OER
Debating the Three Gorges Dam Project: Power to the People or Environmental Catastrophe?
Students explore the controversy behind the building of the Three Gorges Dam in China. One group of the class researches the government's stance on building the dam. Another section of the class represents an environmental group who...
Curated OER
A Dream and an Idea: Searching for a Roadmap to Create a Country
Students compare and contrast opposing visions of government held by the founding fathers. They evaluate the roles of historical leaders in shaping the U.S. as an emerging nation.
Curated OER
Voices of Hope and Seeds of Peace
Students read reflective essays to gain an understanding of the experiences of young people growing up in an area at war. Students locate groups who bring together opposing sides in a conflict for purposes of reconciliation.
New York City Department of Education
What Did I Do to Be so Black and Blue: How Did Jazz Influence Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man
How did jazz influence Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man? Class members read some of Ellison's non-fiction writings about blues and jazz, listen to records, watch videos, and engage in student-centered discussions. They then produce podcasts...
Curated OER
A Year in Review: The Memoir
If you are planning a unit on memoir and autobiographical narrative, you should consider this resource. Using Internet research skills, pupils review works by James Frey and Henry David Thoreau. In response to these works, learners...
Curated OER
Health Care
Options for public and privately funded health care is a valuable debate for students to follow and learn from. They can use their research to take part in a Town Hall Meeting using facts and style. They will contact the representatives...
Curated OER
What's My Point: Persuasive Writing
Why do readers need to know an author’s purpose? How do you figure out what that purpose is? Guide your pupils through a series of activities that show them how to identify various techniques and structures used in persuasive writing....
Shmoop
ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.1
Focus on writing argument essays with your high schoolers. The lesson suggested here focuses on The Jungle, by Sinclair Lewis; however, the idea could be adapted for other texts. Check out the quick quiz provided at the end of the...
Curated OER
Genetically Modified Organisms
High Schoolers complete a variety of activities as they examine the ethics of (and take a position concerning) genetically modified organisms in the field of agriculture. They complete a PowerPoint demonstration to go along with the unit.
Curated OER
Whose History Is It Anyway? Patterns in History
Read and examine primary source material in order to analyze, synthesize, and debate information about the Great Depression. Critical analysts research various source materials related to the Great Depression. They work in teams to...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Immigration Enforcement Raids
Class groups take on the role of advisors to the Assistant Secretary of the Office of Policy & Planning of ICE. Their charge is to prepare a report for the secretary on the effectiveness of enforcement actions of the ICE in stemming...