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Interactive
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Judicial Learning Center

Law and the Rule of Law

For Students 6th - 12th
We hear a lot about the importance of the rule of law, but most people do not really know what those words mean. The lesson is a webpage that defines the rule of law, explains why it is important in a democratic society and provides...
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Interactive
2
2
Judicial Learning Center

The Ratification Debate

For Students 6th - 12th
Most Americans profess their love for the US Constitution, but this was not always the case. An informative lesson overviews the debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists by summarizing the main arguments of each side. It...
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Interactive
iCivics

County Basics

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
To understand the concept of a county government system, scholars read a short passage, view a helpful visual aid, use the web to conduct some research about their local areas, and then answer related questions online.
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Handout
ProCon

Cuba Embargo

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
President John F. Kennedy bought 1,200 Cuban cigars the night before he enacted the Cuban trade embargo in 1962. Should the United States maintain the embargo? Using the website, pupils explore the topic to prepare for a class debate or...
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Handout
Curated OER

Corporate Tax Rate and Jobs

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Does lowering the corporate tax rate help create jobs in the United States? Learners explore the top pro and con arguments and quotes relating to the issue. They read background information about the creation of the federal corporate...
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Handout
Curated OER

Corporal Punishment

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Nineteen states legally permit school officials to physically punish children. Scholars learn more about the topic as they use the website to prepare for a class debate or discussion. Pupils read background information and discover the...
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Handout
Curated OER

Concealed Handguns

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Should adults be allowed to carry concealed handguns? Pupils use the website to research the topic thoroughly and weigh the pros and cons. They read background information on gun control and learn about the main arguments surrounding the...
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Handout
Curated OER

College Education

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
What do Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg have in common? They're both billionaires, and neither one has a college degree! Using the website, scholars explore whether having a college education is truly worth the money it costs. They read...
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Handout
Curated OER

Climate Change

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Rising sea levels, strong storms, melting ice ... who or what is to blame? Scholars browse the website in preparation for a class discussion or debate about whether human activity is causing climate change. They gain a balanced...
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Handout
Curated OER

Churches and Taxes

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Churches have been tax-exempt since the founding of America, but should they be? Pupils ponder the question as they browse the website in preparation for a class debate or discussion. They research the history of tax-exemption for...
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Handout
Curated OER

Cell Phone Radiation

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Should people be more worried about cell phone radiation? Scholars read extensive background information about the issue to prepare for a class discussion or debate. As they explore the website, they learn the main arguments for and...
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Handout
Curated OER

Bottled Water Ban

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Convenience, taste, portability ... what's not to love about bottled water? Apparently, a lot. Scholars analyze the four main arguments supporting and opposing the sale of bottled water. They explore the health, environmental, and...
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Handout
Curated OER

Born Gay

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Is a person's sexual orientation determined at birth? With the informative website, scholars prepare for a debate about the topic. They learn the top pro and con arguments and read through a historical timeline of homosexuality. They...
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Handout
Curated OER

Banned Books

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Should people be able to ban books from schools and libraries if they find them objectionable? Scholars read the three main pros and cons regarding banned books. They also review a list of the top 10 challenged books from 2017 and...
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Handout
Curated OER

Animal Testing

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Animal testing: cruel and inhumane, or innovative and life-saving? Scholars explore the topic and form their own opinions with help from the highly informative website. Pupils read a comprehensive overview of the topic, including...
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Handout
Curated OER

Abortion

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Abortion has remained a highly controversial issue ever since the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Using the website, learners sift through all the information they need to participate in a debate about the topic. They learn about the...
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Handout
Curated OER

ACLU

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Is the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) good for America? The informative website is a one-stop shop for ACLU debate resources. Scholars read about the topics surrounding the issue, including free speech, national security, and...
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Lesson Plan
North Carolina Consortium for Middle East Studies

Using Drama to Address Social Justice Issues in School and the Community

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Artists, musicians, and dramatists have long been the leaders in the quest for social justice. To gain an understanding of the power of the arts to address social issues, class members listen to a reading of Drew Daywalt's The Day the...
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Lesson Plan
North Carolina Consortium for Middle East Studies

Missing Pieces of the Puzzle: African Americans in Revolutionary Times

For Students 5th - 11th
What's missing from most studies of the American Revolutionary War is information about the role African Americans played in the conflict. To correct this oversight, middle schoolers research groups like the Black Loyalists and  Black...
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Lesson Plan
Penguin Books

An Educator’s Guide to Ruta Sepetys

For Teachers 7th - 10th Standards
Historical fiction novels give readers a chance to step into someone else's shoes. An educator's guide from Penguin Common Core Lesson Plans provides resources to accompany three historical fiction novels written by Ruta Sepetys: Between...
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Interactive
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

A Half DNA Ladder Is a Template for Copying the Whole

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
The experiment known as one of the most beautiful experiments in biology changed the way we think about DNA. Learn about the experiment and the scientists who designed it—as well as the scientists who built on the results—with an online...
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Unit Plan
Harvard University

Cosmic Questions

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Scholars learn the stories of the universe with a unit study on the cosmos. They model the universe, learn about the relationship with the electromagnetic spectrum, understand the big bang theory, and debate the existence of life on...
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Study Guide
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Reed Novel Studies

To Kill a Mockingbird: Novel Study

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American fiction writer whose biggest claim to fame was the creation of Tarzan. Using the novel study for Harper Lee's beloved novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, pupils research and list facts about him or another...
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Lesson Plan
Penguin Books

An Educator’s Guide to the Works of John Green

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The novels of John Green cover the gamut of teenager emotions. A guide to his works provides classroom lesson plans for the novels Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, The Fault in Our Stars, and Paper Towns. Each lesson...