Curated OER
Bias and Crime in Media
Critical thinking and social justice are central themes for this resource on bias and crime in media. The class views and discusses an incisive PSA that highlights assumptions based on race. Small groups read newspaper opinion pieces...
Curated OER
Hidden Persuaders
Students examine classic propaganda techniques to analyze factors which influence learning and thinking processes influencing formation of public opinion through these lessons.
Curated OER
American Media: Addicted to Scandal?
Students examine media coverage of George W. Bush's refusal to answer questions regarding past illegal drug usage in the 1999 campaign. They consider the role of rumor, scandal, audience and relevance in political media coverage.
Curated OER
Neighborhood or Slum? Snapshots of Five Points: 1827-1867
How has your local neighborhood changed throughout recent history? Young researchers evaluate census data, images, and primary source descriptions describing the living situation in the antebellum Five Points neighborhood. They consider...
Library of Congress
The Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment
How did the Emancipation Proclamation lead to the Thirteenth Amendment? Middle schoolers analyze primary source documents including the text of the Emancipation Proclamation, political cartoons, photographs, and prints to understand the...
Curated OER
Ports in the Storm
Students explore national security issues related to the possibility of a Dubai-owned company operating an American port. Opinions are solicited and debated.
Curated OER
How Are Boundaries Made, Kept, Broken?
Students write a first draft of an essay reflecting their opinions of Things Fall Apart. They complete their circle diagrams, have them approved by the teacher, and write their essays. They write in their dialectical journals as they...
Media Education Lab
Propaganda in Context
"Board Game Helps Fight Real World Ebola," a video produced by Voice of America, provides the text for a guided instructional activity that asks viewers to analyze the propaganda techniques used in the video. Groups then select a example...
Museum of Tolerance
Developing Media Literacy
To protect young people from questionable content, many schools limit access. This resource suggests that because learners can so readily avail themselves to unrestricted Internet access, it is vital for 21st century learners to develop...
Curated OER
The President's Day Has Arrived
Young scholars state and defend their opinions regarding all aspects of the impeachment proceedings against President Clinton after completing a survey and researching the topic. They also consider opinion polls, media bias and global...
K12 Reader
Civil Rights Biography: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Introduce your class to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his many accomplishments through a one-page biography. Class members read the text and respond to three questions included at the end.
Curated OER
Using Primary Sources to Discover Reconstruction
Fifth graders discover how reconstruction had an impact on racial issues in the United States. For this Reconstruction lesson, 5th graders are introduced to primary vs. secondary resources and then rotate through stations to view...
Curated OER
Decision Making Lesson Plans
Critical thinking skills, such as decision making, can make students look at the information they receive in a new light.
Curated OER
Do the Write Thing
Learners take stands on issues that matter to them. In this philanthropy lesson plan, students read Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, discuss the act of advocating for others, and write letters of support for issues they belive in...
Curated OER
Worksheet for Analysis of a Newspaper Article
For this primary source analysis worksheet, students respond to 20 short answer questions that require them to analyze their selected newspaper articles.
Curated OER
A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE: COLUMBUS IN THE NEW WORLD
Eighth graders study the famous explorer Christopher Columbus. For this World History lesson, 8th graders analyze and compare primary and secondary sources. Students discuss as a class the accomplishments of Columbus.
Curated OER
COMING TO AMERICA: THE NEW IMMIGRANTS
Students become involved in the process of interpreting history by looking at primary source documents. This promotes critical thinking skills and comprehension of concepts and their relationships to different time periods through...