A great idea for showing language arts pupils the universality of themes, even in the real world! Have class members choose an idea-noun (peace, justice, war, love, etc.) at the beginning of the year or semester. They complete weekly...

  Did you know that 50% of all Americans can trace a relative who traveled through Ellis Island? Relive these journeys with your class and then provide sentence strategy templates for them to use to compose their own informative...

Using an article from The New York Times, students answer discussion questions about gun control. They are divided into four groups to research different standpoints on gun control, including the Executive Office, Congress, Gun...

What happens when a school is caught tampering with state test scores? Learners find out about the Atlanta Testing Scandal as they read a New York Times article. After they read, they test their comprehension by answering seven who,...

This New York Times article states that one school district's anti-gay bullying policy is not good enough. Learners read to answer nine comprehension questions regarding the issues described in the article. Note: There is a related blog...

Equal rights, state law, and Civil Partnerships is the topic of this class discussion. Upper graders hone their research skills to engage in an intelligent and well-supported discussion on the Civil Partnership Act of 2004. Provided are...

With so many different types of law, it can be difficult for learners to discern which is which! Use a newspaper to give tangible examples of various types of law, including criminal, civil, consumer, family, local, state, federal and...

Have you ever lost someone? Middle and high school learners journal about a time they experienced the loss of someone through death, divorce, moving, or another type of change. They share their responses and discuss an article relating...

Censorship remains a hot topic among teens. Evoke heated discussion with this political cartoon analysis handout, which features 2 cartoons focused on China's internet censorship. Background information gives pupils a brief description...

Students share their thoughts about natural disasters, then read a news article about how life at an elementary school was changed after Hurricane Katrina. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a...

High schoolers explore the artistic value of propaganda. In this visual arts instructional activity, students analyze antique artistic pieces for their political agenda perpetuation. High schoolers discuss propaganda techniques of...

Explore the influence social activism can have on important issues, and create a class full of young citizen activists. This plan calls for learners to participate in a whole class discussion and brainstorm about ways to effectively...

Dealing with the very topical subject of cyberbullying, this lesson plan will surely create some engaged discussion in your classroom. Young learners discuss the laws concerning cyberbullying in Canada, and then respond to a series of...

Students use primary documents to explore the past. They consider the source of the documents and identify and biases that the author may have held. They identify any questions about the historical event that may remain after reading the...

Tenth graders analyze a biographical piece of art by Raymond Saunders. They identify shapes, symbols, and lines that are used, and how the piece relates to the artist's life and modern society. They design and create an original piece of...

Learners examine the leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi. For this current events lesson, students read a press release from Burma's leader and discuss the impact the she has had on the people of her nation.

Energize a shared reading of the Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip with this collection of supplemental materials. Whether your looking for discussion questions, reading comprehension worksheets, or writing prompts,...

Learners consider the implications of global warming. In this current events lesson, students visit selected websites to discover information about temperature rises in the world and discuss how to solve some of the issues associated...

Students explore Middle Eastern relations. In this current events lesson, students research the listed Web sites that include information about the history of the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Students determine how...

Students take a closer look at the British film industry. In this current events activity, students listen to a lecture and visit selected websites to study the history of the British film industry. Students also discuss film...

Students investigate the actions of British political parties. In this current events lesson, students research the listed Web sites that include information about political party fundraising and peerage. Students also report on honors...

High schoolers examine religious diversity issues. In this current events lesson, students read the provided articles "Sacred Ground or Bridging a Cultural Divide?" "Multiple Views of the Proposed Muslim Center," and "Protests, a...

This slide show provides the images of maps, people, and locations related to the genocide occurring in Africa. One slide outlines details of major events concerning Rwandan Civil War and Darfur. The images could be used to accompany a...