Schoolwires
12th Grade Expository Reading and Writing Research Project
The beauty in this resource is the lengthy list of highly charged, controversial-issue research topics. Categories include issues of race, politics, law, environment, education, athletics, gender, and technology. After selecting a topic,...
Curated OER
Reading Club: Sex Ed
If you teach health, sociology, ethics, or a class that addresses controversial issues, this resource related to schools' sex education programs may be useful. The New York Times' Learning Network provides a lengthy article on a unique...
Curated OER
The 8th Amendment: The Death Penalty
Young scholars take a closer look at the death penalty. In this U.S. government lesson, students watch a Discovery video about capital punishment in the United States and then compose letters to the editors of newspapers about their...
Ed Change
Facilitating the Difficult Dialogue: Role Plays
Students share stories and role play about a time when they participated in, or facilitated, a discussion on racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, or another form of oppression that took an unexpected turn and caused conflict that was...
Ed Change
Who Said It? A Re-Perception Quiz
In this controversial issues worksheet, learners read 15 famous quotations on controversial topics and identify who said each of them.
Curated OER
The Rosetta Stone
Students examine the controversy surrounding the Rosetta Stone. In this Rosetta Stone instructional activity, students read an article about the stone and then follow the steps in the instructional activity to look at 2 sides of the...
Curated OER
Venn Diagram
In this Venn diagram activity, students use a blank graphic organizer to list the differing characteristics of two issues in the outer circles. Students list the shared characteristics in the middle area.
Curated OER
Agree or Disagree?
For this language arts worksheet, learners practice oral speaking by agreeing or disagreeing with a controversial sentence. Students read the sentence on each card in front of the group and tell how they feel about the statement made....
Curated OER
Agreeing And Disagreeing
For this language arts worksheet, students practice oral language skills. Students work in pairs and agree or disagree with 16 controversial issues. There is a word bank of phrases to use for the degree of agreement or disagreement....
Curated OER
Seeing Both Sides of an Issue
Young scholars practice the skill of seeing an issue from different points of view.
Curated OER
Issues Poll
Young scholars chart out what an opinion poll is and its effects on issues in society. They view an authentic poll to compare/contrast. In addition, they type out a word association key to help assemble a poll and then take a survey on...
ProCon.org
Pro Con: Drinking Age
Pro and Con argument lesson on the appropriate drinking age. Students can read background information, pro/con text, view videos on the topic, and explore links to related resources.
ProCon.org
Pro Con: School Uniforms
Website for students dedicated to exploring controverisal issues looks at the pros and cons of wearing school uniforms. Content provides background, outline of both sides of the issue and video for analysis and debate.
ProCon.org
Pro Con: Tablets vs. Textbooks
Website with lessons dedicated to controversial issues explores whether or not tablets should replace textbooks in schools. Complete set of materials for students to explore both sides of the debate.
Northern Illinois University
Se Asite: Teaching Learning: Controversial Issues in the Classroom
Inspired by a meeting at a Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) conference, this article is a summary of the main points made by presenter Professor H. Douglas Brown. Teaching students to be respectful citizens can...
Northern Illinois University
Se Asite: Teaching Learning: Controversial Issues in the Classroom
Inspired by a meeting at a Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) conference, this article is a summary of the main points made by presenter Professor H. Douglas Brown. Teaching students to be respectful citizens can...
PBS
Pbs: Endgame: Ethics and Values in America
At this interactive site from PBS, viewers enter the lives of fictional characters who are forced to make critical decisions about their roles in a fatal car crash. A variety of media--video, polling, and audio interviews with an expert...