+
Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

Why are Children’s and Young Adult Books Challenged and Banned?

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
September's "Banned Books Week" brings attention to the number of books that are challenged, censored, or banned each year. After watching a video about banned book week, reading articles about the history of book banning, and examining...
+
Lesson Plan
British Council

Smoking Stinks

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
There are lots of good reasons not to smoke. Make sure your middle and high schoolers understand each and every one with a lesson that prompts them to read anti-smoking posters, note the main points, and write a short response on the...
+
Activity
iCivics

Drafting Board: Kids and Credit

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Should kids under the age of 18 be given access to credit cards? Learners identify pros and cons of using credit, develop claims based on evidence, and finally argue reasons for or against credit for minors.
+
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Understanding the Influence of the Media

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
Critically analyze advertising techniques, such as circular reasoning, bandwagon, testimonial, and repetition, with worksheets that effectively discuss and illustrate how the media aims to influence.
+
Lesson Plan
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation

Why Did Some Colonial Virginians Seek Independence?

For Students 5th - 12th Standards
To understand the reasonings of those colonials who sought independence from England, young historians are divided into content groups that examine documents related to either the Boston Tea Party, the Yorktown Tea Party, Tea Overboard,...
+
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...
+
Activity
iCivics

Drafting Board: Military Intervention

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Should countries use their militaries to stop humanitarian crises in other countries? Learners make claims, organize their reasoning, and provide evidence for their arguments with this rich resource.
+
Activity
iCivics

Drafting Board: Electoral College

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Should the president of the United States be voted by the Electoral College or the popular vote? Your young historians will consider the pros and cons of the Electoral College, and make an argument using reasons and evidence provided in...
+
Activity
1
1
iCivics

Drafting Board: Community Service

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Should schools impose community service graduation requirements? In the final lesson of the Drafting Board series, learners solidify their practice of crafting an argument supported by sound reason and evidence.
+
Lesson Plan
The New York Times

Dark Materials: Reflecting on Dystopian Themes in Young Adult Literature

For Teachers 7th - 12th
The Hunger Games. Maximum Ride. Why is so much of young adult literature so dark? What is the appeal of dystopian literature to young readers? The six activities in this resource ask kids to reflect on some of the reasons this genre has...
+
Article
PBS

Sherpas on Everest

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Every successful climb of Mount Everest can be attributed to the assistance of the local Sherpas. A short, informative article explains the history behind the Sherpa's involvement in Mount Everest expeditions, the physiological reasons...
+
Activity
Constitutional Rights Foundation

The War of 1812: America’s First Declared War

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Free Trade and Sailor's Rights! Pupils dive into America's first declared war, the War of 1812. They analyze the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison through diary entries and historical reasoning. To conclude the lesson, they use their...
+
Activity
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Rachel Carson and the Modern Environmental Movement

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Scholars analyze the environmental movement started in the 1960s. Through excerpts from Rachel Carson's books as well as diary entries, they take a look at the reason for the modern movement to save the planet and then create final...
+
Lesson Plan
Louisiana Department of Education

Essential Elements Cards

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Use essential elements cards to help lesson plan! Each card contains an informational text common core standard for grade levels six through eight and suggestions for activities and supports. Cards address skills such as citing textual...
+
Activity
1
1
Council for Economic Education

Out of Africa: Why Early Humans Settled around the World

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Why would someone want to leave home? The age-old question is at the center of a thought-provoking activity. Scholars consider why humans move around the world both during pre-historical times and today using a PowerPoint, reading on...
+
Activity
1
1
Council for Economic Education

The Economic System of Medieval Europe

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
How are economics and politics intertwined? Societies in the Medieval period used feudalism for both economic and military reasons. The arrangement provided safety and met other needs. Using the included simulation, individuals...
+
Lesson Plan
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation

Why Did Some Colonial Virginians Continue to Support the King?

For Students 5th - 12th Standards
Not all colonials supported the American Revolution. A resource from the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown ask young historians to investigate the reasons why some colonial Virginians were loyalist and continued to support King...
+
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing the Model Essay: Studying Argument (Chapter 27 Plus Synthesis of Scenes in Previous Chapters)

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars partner up to review a model essay and talk through the process leading up to writing their essays. During a second reading of the essay, learners locate and underline the claim given, reasons, and counterclaim. They then...
+
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Mid-Unit Assessment: Analyzing an Author’s Argument and Text Structure

For Teachers 8th Standards
William Shakespeare: a writer, a poet, a fake? For their mid-unit assessments, scholars read an excerpt from the article "The Top Ten Reasons Shakespeare Did Not Write Shakespeare" by Keir Cutler. Next, they analyze the author's argument...
+
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Studying Conflicting Interpretations: Perspectives on Plessy v. Ferguson: Part 2

For Teachers 8th Standards
The Plessy v. Ferguson case was influential in establishing segregation in the United States. Scholars continue reading the court's decision in the case, seeking to understand the key reasons the court came to its decision. Pupils also...
+
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Choosing Songs for the Film Soundtrack

For Teachers 8th Standards
Music has the power to bring topics alive. Learners take on the role of sound director in their film planning and choose the songs to accompany their photographs. They must also support their decisions with evidence and reasoning as they...
+
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Evaluating an Argument: The Joy of Hunting

For Teachers 8th Standards
After listening to "Interview with an Organic Farmer," class members identify the claim the farmer makes in his interview. They use lined paper to create a four-square organizer for relevant evidence, sufficient evidence, irrelevant...
+
Lesson Plan
Newseum

Confronting Conformation Bias

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Be curious! Seek out different opinions! Be conscious of your thinking process! After reading an article about confirmation bias and motivated reasoning, class members apply these strategies to the topic of school start times. They read...
+
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Alienstock: Analyzing Information, Media, And Validity

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
One only has to watch MSMBC and FOX News to realize that media can present the same story in very different ways. Middle schoolers have an opportunity to test their ability to determine the validity and trustworthiness of information by...

Other popular searches