Ninth graders use geographic representations to organize, analyze, and present information on people, places, and environments. They use tools and methods of geographers to construct, interpret, and evaluate qualitative and quantitative...

Through detailed secondary source reading material and an interactive "true/false" activity, learners discover the depth and complexity of the executive branch in the United States government. Topics covered include executive...

Help develop assertive, critical-thinking skills that enhance growth and change while teaching economics. In groups, select a topic from a list and then discuss the pros and cons of each topic. Debate why advertising is necessary to our...

Tenth graders, after reading two excerpts about contemporary child labor situations, discuss two broad questions in detail along with the industrial boom following the Civil War conditions in the United States. They investigate how the...

What is the purpose of immigration legislation? How has this legislation evolved over the years? What are the factors that caused these changes? Class members research immigration legislation to determine whose rights the laws are...

New roads, new businesses, new developments, new mass transit systems. All growth has both positive and negative effects on communities. Government classes investigate the principles of Maryland's 1997 Smart Growth program and...

The controversy over school dress codes continues. The debate involves questions like, why is there a policy? Who sets the policy? Who enforces the policy? What is a fair policy? Tweens and teens have an opportunity to engage in the...

Students identify athletic programs to be cut from school district budget, find out how many students have received college athletic scholarships in past, and interview students and coaches to find out how scholarship search is going if...

Group members role play state legislators, supporters of and opponents to the The DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors). After listening to the arguments put forth for and against the immigration...

Students explore tribal sovereignty. In this American Indian instructional activity, students learn about tribal sovereignty, watch a movie, take notes, and complete a reaction paper.

Students practice critical thinking skills by defending their beliefs orally in a "hot seat". In addition, they communicate their feelings about an inssue in writing.

Young historians explore the reason American colonists were unhappy under British rule. Class members complete hands-on activities and participate in a group discussions to understand why colonists drafted the Declaration of Independence.

While it may feel like you can post just about anything on YouTube, that's not the case. Teach your class about flagging inappropriate content. Learners watch a demonstration, practice flagging, and answer questions about online content.

Should driver's licenses be granted to unauthorized immigrants? That is the question class members grapple with in a lesson that asks them to first read a fact sheet that details the arguments for and against licensing unauthorized...

Everyone has the right to a smokefree workplace, but those who work in casinos are exposed to so much secondhand smoke that they can suffer the same ailments as heavy smokers themselves. Learn more about the effects of secondhand smoke,...

A lesson plan challenges scholars to analyze editorial cartoons created by Fred Seibel, illustrator for the Times-Dispatch, during the Massive Resistance. A class discussion looking at today's editorial pages and Jim Crow Laws leads...

Immigration issues are nothing new. An interesting lesson focuses on the racially motivated Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and its impact on the Chinese American community. Scholars read articles, analyze political cartoons, and...

Students compile information to include in their career portfolio. In this portfolio lesson, students view example portfolios using the given website and identify the portfolio components. Students gather and compile artifacts for their...

With the coronavirus pausing many norms in American society, officials are trying to decide how to safely hold voting in the 2020 presidential election. Using curated video clips, including speeches from Congress, journalists, and...

Who is the al Qaeda and what happened on September 11? Older students will explore the political objectives of al Qaeda and possible reasons for the September 11 terrorist attacks by watching a video program and working through evidence...

Students investigate the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba in 1962 and how that presence triggered an international crisis. The options available to the president as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each are articulated in...

High schoolers complete a unit of lessons on the events that led to U.S. involvement in WWI. They complete a Webquest, conduct research, complete a Venn diagram, read and discuss the reasons for entering the war, and create a slideshow.

Students analyze the events leading to U.S. entry into World War I. They read a speech by President Wilson and an opposition speech, list the reasons each gives for American entry into the war, and complete a Venn diagram.

Consider the causes and effects that led to the internment and relocation of Japanese Americans during WWII. Learners read the story "Baseball Saved Us" and selected chapters from Farewell to Manzanar. Then, they view a slide-show, and...