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Lesson Plan
Newseum

Battle for the Bill of Rights: Ultimate Survivor Amendment Game

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
To understand the importance of the wording of the articles of the First Amendment (freedom of religion, freedom of speech and the press, and freedom to assembly and petition), teams argue before a jury for draft amendments of one...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where Do You Stand?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Scholars assess a government's ability to intervene in personal health decisions. They research basic facts about euthanasia and describe their opinions about new legislation passed in the United States Congress about an individual's...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making a Case

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Start the day by sharing opinions about human rights. Then, read "A Defiant Hussein Pleads Not Guilty to Mass Execution" with your middle and high school class. Your pupils research the specific charges in the case against Saddam...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Historic Gamble

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore and evaluate the economic impact of legalized gambling on Native American Indian communities. They draft short, persuasive speeches that take the perspective of a tribal elder appearing at a town council meeting.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weighing the War

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Study opposing viewpoints with this lesson, which examines President Bush's September 2004 address at the United Nations. Middle schoolers study the text of the address, and then stage formal debates arguing for or against the reasons to...
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Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Should States Shift to Mail-In Voting during the Coronavirus Pandemic?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Paint My Counties: Map Coloring the Counties of Arizona

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders identify the counties of Arizona. For this social studies lesson, 4th graders color a county map of Arizona using the fewest number of colors possible. Students write a persuasive paragraph.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Gentle Art of Persuasion: Techniques for Persuading Different Audiences

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine the use of persuasive arguments to varying audiences. They define persuasion, read and discuss an article on whether P.E. should be optional, summarize the pros and cons of P.E., and write a letter or a speech.
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Lesson Plan
Harry S. Truman Library & Museum

Marshall Plan: Convince the American People

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
This is an excellent resource for US history classes, especially AP history. After learning some background on the Marshall Plan, the class, divided into two groups, researches opposing positions on this aid program. Groups read and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Analyzing a Writer's Stance

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed
Should college admissions decisions be based on whether whose family members attended? Secondary students read and respond to a New York Times article on the issue of 'legacy preferences' in college admissions. Following class...
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Activity
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Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum

Pearl Harbor Activity #3: Public Opinion Word Cloud

For Teachers 6th - 12th
As part of a study of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, young historians imagine the feelings of those who lived during the attack by creating a word cloud of 10 words they think express the emotions of people at that time....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Choices and Commitments: The Soldiers at Gettysburg

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Young scholars investigate the Gettysburg Campaign and the major actions for each day of the battle. They read primary source documents, write a diary entry, analyze the Gettysburg Address, and write a persuasive speech regarding an...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Campaign Hot Buttons

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students participate in a simulation that asks them to work as staffers for a candidate running for office. They are assigned to design, administer, and analyze a simple poll on an important community issue. Students develop a position...
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Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

The Amendment Process and the Bill of Rights

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Did you know that lawmakers have proposed more than 5,000 bills to amend the US Constitution in Congress? Your class learns intriguing facts about the process of choosing amendments. A variety of activities including before and after...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Wyandotte Constitutional Convention: The Issue of Suffrage

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders discover details about the Wyandotte Constitutional Convention. In this Kansas history activity, 7th graders tackle civil rights concerns as they draft persuasive speeches to secure the rights of young voters in the state.
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Activity
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Sam Houston: A Study in Leadership

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Learners read a short excerpt from a speech by Sam Houston and answer corresponding questions as well as engage in additional activities, including writing a persuasive essay and discussing topics in small groups. The resource helps lay...
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Activity
Shmoop

ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.3

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech, "I Have a Dream," is one of the most famous in United States history, but why was it so effective? Ask your class to determine the answer to this question. While the resource includes a description of...
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Lesson Plan
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C-SPAN

Presidential Candidate Research

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Don't let the young citizens in your social studies class get all their election information from inflammatory commercials and arguing pundits. Use a lesson plan from C-SPAN to guide class members through an election season with a...
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Lesson Plan
iCivics

Emphasize Minimize

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Encourage your class members to consider what points they are really emphasizing when they are making an argument, whether in writing or in speech. Watch out though, as this lesson may just leave your learners eager to debate you!
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Do We Balance Environmental Conservation with Human Needs?

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students role play a meeting between conservation biologists and local representatives who want to advance the livelihood of local population. In this history lesson, students research the necessities and conservation issues of given...
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Lesson Plan
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Classroom Law Project

Should we believe everything we read? Becoming a discerning consumer of media

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Class members investigate the role media should play in a healthy democracy. As part of this study, groups analyze political advertising, use FactCheck to assess not only the veracity of but the persuasions techniques used in candidates'...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Go For the Gold! For Grades 3-5

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students use web technology to investigate ancient Greece and the Olympic Games. They explore the history of the Olympics. Students make connections between Greek and English. They make and record a persuasive speech and write a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fatah Vs. Hamas: Continued Strife In The Gaza Region

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers investigate the conflict between Hamas and Fatah while focusing on the Gaza region in the Middle East. They conduct research using a variety of resources. The participate in a discussion using the information found. Then...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Aftermath of War

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students share their opinions on the war in Iraq. After reading an article, they identify the thoughts of President Bush on the conflict. In groups, they share their opinions for and against current United States policy in Iraq and the...

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