Overcoming Obstacles
Communicating Constructively
Some types of verbal communication are just more difficult that others. High schoolers engage in a series of activities that are designed to help teens make difficult conversations easier and more effective.
Curated OER
Analyzing a Writer's Stance
Should college admissions decisions be based on whether whose family members attended? Secondary students read and respond to a New York Times article on the issue of 'legacy preferences' in college admissions. Following class...
Curated OER
Bioethics: Tool for Portfolio and Performance Assessment
Students, in cooperative studying groups, assume the affirmative or negative position of a particular issue (premise). They research the issue and participate in a debate. In addition, they write essays to complete a portfolio entry.
Curated OER
America's Future Culture
Seventh graders research the past and present policies in the United States regarding immigration. As a class, they read "Immigration Timeline" to examine the various groups who came to America for a better life. To end the...
National First Ladies' Library
Statehood for Puerto Rico? You Decide!
Students discuss the legal status of territories, commonwealths, and other jurisdictions and examine the process of moving to statehood. Groups conduct research about the question of statehood for Puerto Rico and share their research in...
ESL Flow
Cool Jobs ‐ A Brainstorming & Debate Role Play Lesson Plan
Students list the pros of various jobs and then debate which job would be the best one have.
C-SPAN
Student Symposium and Resulting Action
Your class may not be able to vote yet, but that doesn't mean they can't feel like they're part of the presidential election! The resource creates a symposium where pupils debate about a selected topic in current events during an...
National Endowment for the Humanities
A Debate Against Slavery
Slavery is a serious topic that can be challenging for middle schoolers to study. Young scholars can see firsthand through primary sources what occurred during that time period in the United States. The third of five lessons provides...
National Constitution Center
Town Hall Wall: Coming to America
Everyone seems to have an opinion on the status and rights of illegal immigrants. Help secondary learners research each perspective and arrive at their own conclusions with a collaborative exercise. As they read an informative passage...
University of Texas
Understanding Migration
Human migration—often the result of push and pull factors—sometimes has dramatic outcomes for both those leaving their homelands and the host countries. Using a variety of case studies, learners consider those issues. Then, by completing...
Curated OER
From The Unknown To The Informed: A Debate on Abstinence
Students examine the topic of abstinence. They discover aspects of the topic from a global to local level. They participate in a debate to share their opinions.
Curated OER
Harry Potter Debate
Students read a short article about the upcoming release of the new Harry Potter novel. They debate the issues surrounding the marketing of students's books and films after internet research to support or oppose the topic.
Stanford University
Reconstruction Structured Academic Controversy (SAC)
Young scholars debate whether African Americans were free during Reconstruction. In this debate instructional activity, students use primary documents to support their argument as to whether African American were free during the...
Curated OER
Personalities, Perspectives and Agendas
Students debate the causes of the American Revolution. In this American history lesson, students conduct research to determine how bias and perspective have made their way into historical documents. Students compose essays about the 2...
Curated OER
Recommended Reading?
Students examine and defend various positions in the argument over a book ban in the Miami-Dade school system and then write a letter to the Miami-Dade school board expressing their opinion about the issues raised in the debate.
Curated OER
Growing Voters and Election 2004: Get Out the Vote
Students examine the voting process, the reasons citizens should vote, and participate in a community drive to sign up new voters. After looking at websites, students create a poster that outlines the reasons to vote, participate in a...
NASA
Two Versions of Gravity: Newton and Einstein
We have all heard the debate about teaching both theories, but an innovative lesson takes the discussion to a new level. Scholars research and debate Newton's Law of Gravitation versus Einstein's General Theory of Relativity with...
Curated OER
WWI Through the Film, Foot Soldiers
If your historians are watching the History Channel documentary, Foot Soldiers during their WWI unit, this plan has some simple recall questions and one referential/debate question ("What was the worst part of the war?") to ask after...
National Geographic
Rivers and the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros Project
Damming rivers has been a case of necessity versus negative environmental impact since the process began. Kids take on the role of a stakeholder in the proposed damming of the Danube River. They begin by reading arguments for and against...
Cornell University
Fibers, Dyes, and the Environment
Nanofibers can be made through electrospinning or force spinning in order to reduce the negative impact on the environment. Pupils study the role of fibers and dye on the environment through a series of five hands-on activities. Then,...
Curated OER
Debating Teenage Rights
Students deal with 'real world' questions in settings that resemble Congress or the courtroom. They identify a problem, find causes, research possible solutions, determine the best solution, and plan a means of implementing the best...
Curated OER
The Great Kapok Tree Debate
Young scholars participate in a read aloud of the story, "The Great Kapok Tree" in which a logger decides not to cut down a tree. In small groups, they discuss and write about their opinion on the logger's decision. Each group then...
Curated OER
The Debates
Young scholars brainstorm a list of information that voters should know about candidates. In groups, they research their side of an argument in preperation for a debate. After observing media coverage, they compare and contrast the...
Curated OER
Human Trafficking & Modern Day Slavery - Debating the Fundamentals
Students research the trafficking and slavery issues in a country of their choice. In groups, they prepare arguments which support their point of view. They reverse their positions to make the debate more interesting.
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