Handout
ProCon

Is Homework Beneficial?

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Does homework improve student achievement, or does it increase stress? Scholars use the included debate topics website to prepare for a class discussion or debate about whether homework is advantageous. After reading a brief background...
Handout
ProCon

Daylight Savings Time

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
An entomologist named Geroge Vernon Hudson is credited with proposing Daylight Saving Time (DST) so he could better study his insects. Using the informative website, scholars read a brief introduction to the topic and then explore the...
Handout
Curated OER

Corporal Punishment

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Nineteen states legally permit school officials to physically punish children. Scholars learn more about the topic as they use the website to prepare for a class debate or discussion. Pupils read background information and discover the...
Handout
ProCon

Penny

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Twenty-nine percent of Americans want to abolish the one-cent coin, which begs the question: Is a penny saved really a penny earned? Scholars read fascinating facts about the history of the penny in preparation for a class debate or...
Handout
Curated OER

Climate Change

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Rising sea levels, strong storms, melting ice ... who or what is to blame? Scholars browse the website in preparation for a class discussion or debate about whether human activity is causing climate change. They gain a balanced...
Handout
ProCon

Israeli - Palestinian Conflict

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Many people think the best solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a two-state solution. After reviewing the available resources, scholars determine whether they agree with that approach. They analyze graphs and charts about...
Handout
ProCon

Prescription Drug Ads

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Bayer Pharmaceuticals sold heroin as a cough medicine in the 1900s ... who knew? Scholars discover this, and other interesting facts, when they use the resource to prepare for a class discussion or debate. They browse videos, readers'...
Handout
ProCon

Sanctuary Cities

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Should sanctuary cities receive federal funding, or do they defy federal laws? That is precisely the question scholars attempt to answer as they prepare for a class discussion or debate. After reading some brief background information,...
Handout
ProCon

Drone Strikes Overseas

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Should the United States continue the practice of using drone strikes abroad? Readers explore the top pro and con arguments in preparation for a debate or discussion about the topic. They read about the history of drone strikes, view a...
Handout
ProCon

Death Penalty

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Should the United States continue the practice of capital punishment? Scholars set out to answer the question in preparation for a class debate or discussion about the death penalty. They watch videos, analyze charts about death penalty...
Handout
ProCon

Net Neutrality

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Should net neutrality be restored? Scholars prepare for a class debate on the topic using the included website. After reading a brief introduction to the issue, they review the main pros and cons in an attempt to arrive at an informed...
Lesson Plan
Macmillan Education

What Do You See?

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed Standards
Encourage learners to develop greater self-awareness and an understanding of perception versus reality. Here you'll find a life skills lesson that includes worksheets, discussion, and brainstorming activities on the topic of how we see...
Handout
ProCon

Electoral College

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
The Electoral College's role in elections is sometimes confusing and controversial. Pupils use a debate topics website to research the pros and cons of the practice to debate whether the United States should still use the Electoral...
Handout
Road to Grammar

Language Expansion

For Students 6th - 12th
Improve your pupils' language skills with these discussions and activities. There are four topics included here, and each is paired with discussion prompts (small group and whole class), student handouts, and teacher notes. After...
Handout
ProCon

Standardized Tests

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Does the use of standardized testing improve American education? Scholars dive into the issue as they prepare to discuss the debate topic with their classmates. After reviewing the pros and cons, they watch videos to help them arrive at...
Handout
ProCon

Cuba Embargo

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
President John F. Kennedy bought 1,200 Cuban cigars the night before he enacted the Cuban trade embargo in 1962. Should the United States maintain the embargo? Using the website, pupils explore the topic to prepare for a class debate or...
Unit Plan
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Around Town: Neighborhood and Community: English Language Development Lessons (Theme 3)

For Teachers 2nd Standards
Here is a unit designed to support English language development. Scholars speak, move, and write to learn more about topics that focus on community and local concepts. The series of lessons aids to reinforce concepts...
Handout
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Road to Grammar

100 Ice-Breaker Questions

For Students 6th - 12th
What if you could ease your English language learners into class with engaging questions? You can do just that with these questions. The questions, designed to prepare learners for working with English, are grouped by topics, such...
Handout
ProCon

Olympics

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Are the Olympic Games a benefit for their host countries and cities? Scholars decide for themselves in preparation for a class debate or discussion. After reading a brief background and overview of the topic, pupils read the top three...
Handout
ProCon

Student Loan Debt

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Should college loan debt be easier to discharge in bankruptcy? Scholars sort through the top three pros and cons to decide for themselves in preparation for a class debate or discussion. Learners may also participate in an online poll to...
Handout
ProCon

Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Should physician-assisted suicide be legal? Using a debate topics website, pupils prepare to discuss the morality and legality of euthanasia. Scholars discover historical case studies involving assisted suicide, explore state-by-state...
Activity
Oregon State

World Map of Plate Boundaries

For Teachers 4th - 10th Standards
Young geologists piece together the puzzle of plate tectonics in an earth science lesson. Given a physical map of the world, they search for land formations that indicate the location of different types of plate boundaries.
Handout
National Institute of Open Schooling

Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Classes continue their study of organic compounds in a detailed lesson covering alcohols, phenols, and ethers. Naming these compounds, classifying them, and describing their preparation and use are some of the topics covered. Through...
Handout
National Institute of Open Schooling

Water Pollution

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Fifteen million children under the age of five die each year due to diseases in their drinking water. Water pollution is the topic of lesson 34 in the series of 36. Scholars, through reading and discussing, study numerous aspects of...