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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Current Events Affect Us

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Elementary and middle schoolers research a current event using various resources. They participate in a class discussion to evaluate the information they gathered on a particular event. Additionally, they discuss the concepts of common...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Noughties

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Take a look back at a decade your class will actually remember: the noughties. Guide discussion about events your class recalls from those years, and then have them analyze an article (included). Although not specified, learners need to...
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Lesson Plan
Media Smarts

Cyberbullying and the Law

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Dealing with the very topical subject of cyberbullying, this lesson plan will surely create some engaged discussion in your classroom. Young learners discuss the laws concerning cyberbullying in Canada, and then respond to a series of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Learning Network: Poetry Pairing July, 21, 2011

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Although not a complete lesson plan, this set of emotionally powerful texts could be used in a variety of lessons. From The New York Times' Learning Network site, the resource includes a poem, an excerpt from a New York Times article and...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Unemployment

For Students 9th - 12th
It's the classic paradox in this political cartoon analysis; any jobs plan requires extra government spending. However, the unemployed aren't willing to concede to more federal spending for what they want most, jobs. Background...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Campaigns and Gas Pains

For Students 9th - 12th
Even before they are driving, your scholars have heard the ups and downs of gas prices. Assess the political turmoil behind rising prices using this analysis handout, which features a political cartoon from 2006. Background information...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Distracted Drivers

For Students 9th - 12th
How do your students feel about texting while driving? Two political cartoons display the issue using humor, and background information gives a more serious coverage of the dangers and legislation involved. Three talking points drive...
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Lesson Plan
Media Smarts

Media Awareness Network: Hate or Debate?

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Discuss the difference between legitimate debate on a political issue and arguments that are based on hate through a science-fiction scenario that shows how a controversial issue can be discussed in both ways. Then learn how purveyors of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Twenty-Five Great Ideas for Teaching Current Events

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Teaching current events can be an amazingly-rewarding part of your teaching week. This resource presents twenty-five ways to incorporate current events into your curriculum. It offers some outstanding ideas, such as providing your...
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Interactive
Curated OER

Student Opinion: Should Couples Live Together Before Marriage?

For Students 9th - 12th
Bring nonfiction into the classroom with this high-interest op-ed piece from the New York Times about love, marriage, and relationships in the 21st century. Pupils read a short article on the topic of cohabitation and offer their own...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Social Studies Current Event Worksheet

For Students 7th - 12th
Who, what, when, where, why, and how. This current events worksheet uses the traditional news article format and asks reviewers to record information included in a self-selected, current events article. Class members then use the...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

"Big Three" Bailouts

For Students 9th - 12th
What does your class think about big business bailouts by the U.S. Government? Find out with this activity, where learners analyze a political cartoon comparing the "Big Three" automakers with the Greek Myth of Sisyphus. Background...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Obama as the New Sisyphus

For Students 9th - 12th
Reveal how Greek Mythology can play into American politics through this political cartoon, where President Obama is depicted as Sisyphus. Background information gives scholars access to the cartoon's context, and three talking points...
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Lesson Plan
Media Smarts

Thinking like a Citizen

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Explore the influence social activism can have on important issues, and create a class full of young citizen activists. This plan calls for learners to participate in a whole class discussion and brainstorm about ways to effectively...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Darfur: Violence and the Media

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners read an article on Darfur prior to class, discuss the conflict in Darfur, visit a series of websites, and complete a worksheet evaluating the reporting and sources used. They view films on genocide to decide if the Darfur...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who Knows? Your Privacy in the Information Age

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Teach young adults how to become advocates for their privacy in the modern information age. In a series of five lessons, learners explore their beliefs and opinions about privacy vs. the actual laws regarding who has the right to access...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Diversity of Filipinos in the United States

For Teachers 9th - 12th
ELLs are introduced to the experiences of Filipino immigrants to the United States. As a class, they discuss the various waves of immigration to the United States and state the reasons why they would leave the Philippines. They compare...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Obama's Baggage

For Students 9th - 12th
Add a little humor to the current happenings of Washington D.C. using this political cartoon analysis handout. A quote serves as context to help learners access the featured cartoon, which depicts President Obama climbing a "reality...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Invasion of the Superdelegates

For Students 9th - 12th
What are superdelegates? Use this political cartoon analysis handout to explore this informal term with your scholars. Background information gives brief context to help high schoolers examine the featured cartoon, and three talking...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Politics of Change

For Students 8th - 12th
Empty rhetoric in Washington timelessly inspires political cartoons. Examine this concept through an analysis handout, which features a cartoon by Pat Oliphant (archived work is linked for possible extension activities). Although this...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Dogging the Dems

For Students 9th - 12th
Political cartoons add an element of fun as your scholars study current events in Washington D.C. This analysis handout uses two cartoons to bring learners into discussion about the many issues democrats have concern over as November...
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Lesson Plan
Media Smarts

The Citizen Reporter

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Ripped from the headlines! Discuss topical social issues like racism, discrimination, and diversity while exploring the concept of citizen journalism. Begin with a professional-looking presentation on the history of citizen journalism....
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Lesson Plan
Media Smarts

Marketing to Teens: Gender Roles in Advertising

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young learners explore gender roles in advertising by taking an ad campaign they have seen which is specifically directed to one gender, and redesigning the campaign to target the opposite gender. After leading a guided discussion about...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

News Journalism Across the Media: Introduction

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Although students are aware of news as information that influences their perceptions of the world, they are often unaware of the various ways to present that information. Encourage them to investigate, discuss, analyze and make valuable...