Curated OER
Courting Controversy?
Students consider their own personal opinions on divisive issues. They examine the confirmation of Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. and investigate issues from different ideological and philosophical perspectives.
Curated OER
Over the Borderline?
Students study President Bush's proposal for immigration policy in the US and examine various perspectives on immigration that are currently being debated. They read and discuss an online New York Times article.
Curated OER
Holocaust Education and World Languages
Students use poetry to share their feelings about the Holocaust. Using the internet, they research a major event of the twentieth century from a different viewpoint using the language of the foreign country. They use different...
Curated OER
Celebration and Satire
Students compare and contrast different perspectives of the French Revolution. In this visual arts lesson, students discuss the use of satire and caricature in history and create satirical cartoons based on contemporary issues.
Curated OER
Rhetoric and War
High schoolers examine the relationship between rhetoric and war. For this history of war lesson, students analyze paintings, photographs, movies, and articles that paint an opinionated picture of war. High schoolers...
Curated OER
An Art-To-Art Discussion
Students analyze a work of art from a variety of cultural perspectives, and give their own personal evaluation of the work.
Curated OER
The Embodied Presidency
Eighth graders discover details about Thomas Jefferson's life. In this early American history lesson, 8th graders view a PowerPoint presentation that outlines some aspects of Jefferson's life. Students research the life of slaves at...
Curated OER
Prisoner in One's Own Home
Examine the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. After reading an article from the New York Times and exploring the author's word choice, young readers find the central idea in the text and work on researching...
Novelinks
The Book Thief: Concept Analysis
Designed for teachers who plan on using Markus Zusak's The Book Thief, this packet includes background information about the author, themes addressed in and issues raised by the novel, a list of research and project ideas, and...
Curated OER
Wherefore Art Thou, Art?
Students analyze various perspectives on the controversial "Sensation: Young British Artists From the Saatchi Collection" art exhibit on display at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
Curated OER
Holidays Seasoned with Meaning
Students consider how the world events of the past year have impacted their perceptions of this holiday season. Each student then explores one general theme related to his or her feelings about the season by creating a news-based collage...
Curated OER
No New Workers Need Apply
Learners explore older people's perspectives on work and retirement by creating charts to reflect statistical trends and formulate interview questions. They write follow-up articles that record and comment on the attitudes of their...
Curated OER
Time Travel, Black Holes, and Relativity
Students read the novel, The Time Machine, and compare H.G. Well's perceptions of the future with those presented in The Third Wave, by Alvin Toffler. They research current scientific and mathematical theories that relate to space and time.
Curated OER
Inquiring Minds
Students participate in a "fishbowl" discussion to address the notions of government and intelligence accountability for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. They write letters to the President of the United...
Curated OER
Terror on Trial
Students think critically about their perceptions of terrorism and examine the motivations, goals and actions of countries against whose "state-sponsored terrorism" the United States State Department has issued sanctions.
Curated OER
Running Rings Around the Competition
students explore the debate behind Beijing's bid to host the 2008 Olympics from the perspectives of different groups involved. They then 'cast votes' as members of the International Olympic Committee as to which city should be chosen.
Curated OER
Birth of the Cowboy
Students examine how the image of the cowboy changed at the turn of the century. They read about cowboys' shifting reputation at the turn of the century and connect popular perceptions of the cowboy to a trend in popular culture that...
Curated OER
Photo-Documenting Earth Art
Students study Earth Art Sculpture and its historic perspectives. They study important Earth Art sculptors, notably Andy Goldsworthy and view works of important Earth Artists. They explore the basic use of digital cameras and journal...
Curated OER
Land Use and Lawmaking in California
Students read writings by Ralph Waldo Emerson to analyze transcendentalism and analyze photographic essays depicting environmental issues. In this art and history lesson, students read excerpts of Nature by Emerson to identify...
Curated OER
History of Mythology, Astronomy and Astrology
Ninth graders examine the relationships of science and technology and how it influences people's perceptions of places. In this mythology and astronomy lesson students view a PowerPoint presentation and complete a...
Curated OER
Writing Own Tale
Third graders read The First Strawberries and complete a character chart. In this writing a tale lesson, 3rd graders discuss viewpoints and identify character traits. Students complete character charts and write their own tale about...
Curated OER
Propaganda
How does word choice affect the reading of a text? Compare two headlines that were written about the same event. Is one biased? Discuss how word choice often reveals the author's feelings about a topic. Then look at different techniques...
Curated OER
Mark Twain: Straddling the Civil War
Mark Twain's life, politics, writing, and role as a mirror of pre- and post-Civil War American culture are the focus 11th and 12th graders in this section from an expansive author study. A critical writing assignment comparing Twain...
Student Handouts
Examining Primary Sources: Rudyard Kipling, “The White Man’s Burden” (1899)
Combine literature and history with the poem "The White Man's Burden" by Rudyard Kipling. Pupils read the poem and answer four questions about the text.