Students examine the difference between social change and social transformation. they learn through discussion in order to be able to research and analyze a systematic social injustice. Students identify their part in a wider social...

Students plan and implement a change in their neighborhood, school or nation. In this social action lesson, students share concerns about their neighborhood, school or nation and brainstorm ways to solve the problem. Students select a...

What rights are guaranteed to students? Do they align with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was approved by the United Nations in 1948? Middle and high schoolers present persuasive arguments about the rights they believe...

During elections, headlines constantly lament the issue of low voter turnout. Help class members understand why this is such an important topic with relevant articles, a discussion of both sides of the issue, and a reflective essay. 

The topic of gun control is vast, controversial, and difficult to introduce to students. This gem of a resource covers both sides of the issue and provides topic background, various multimedia and print resources, analysis questions, and...

High schoolers examine the social and scientific implications of acid rain. In this acid rain lesson plan, students read an article about acid rain, the causes of acid rain, the effects of acid rain on the environment and the proposals...

Don't be fooled by the size of the resource: these few pages provide the blueprint for a substantial, thoughtful unit on children's rights and the different philosophies and approaches that the United States and other countries have...

As part of their continued investigation of the reporting of the shooting of Michael Brown class members analyze photos of Michael Brown and the social media response to these images. The class then develops a guide they...

North and South: two opposite directions and two opposite economic and social systems in time of the Civil War. Pupils peruse census websites and primary source photographs to understand what life was like for the everyday person before...

Explore the rainforest with your class. Learners study the meaning of the word endangered, choose an animal to study, gather data, and discuss why the animal is in danger of extinction. This is a motivating way to have your class discuss...

Students read poems with social commentaries. In this poetry analysis lesson plan, students read poems selected by their instructors and complete the provided social commentary chart to determine how the poems speak out against social...

Students research the statewide initiative on the Ohio ballot of 2003. They form teams to debate the issue of using bond proceeds to encourage technology research. The class votes on which individual/team presented the best argument, and...

The emergent adults in your US Government class can become informed, self-aware voters. This activity enables them to form an opinion about particular political issues then identify themselves on the political spectrum. Informed and...

Students examine global issues from different perspectives. In this communication skills lesson, students participate in a classroom activity that requires them to take stances on issues and then consider the support of other...

Students identify 5 issues facing Africa as a class The work in teams to create a joint project, conduct independent research into Africa, and present these ideas in a persuasive argument. The work in their groups in class to plan their...

Seventh graders write a five paragraph persuasive essay on a contemporary civic-life issue.

Students explore personal and social identity. In this character education lesson, students create identity profiles and design welcome plans for their school community in order to build personal and community identities.

In this current events learning exercise, students analyze political cartoons about smoking bans and respond to 3 talking point questions.

Have a class discussion to better understand the art of Martha Rosler. Young art critics consider Martha's art as it is used to express issues of political unrest and social awareness. They look at each of the five images and use the...

Sometimes it takes real-world examples to get concepts to click. Use the resource to instruct middle schoolers on the relevancy of public policy in today's world. Exercises include a 5W + H graphic organizer, class discussion, and...

Scholars test their skills of reading body language with a collaborative learning experience that focuses on showing and identifying emotions. Pairs take turns acting out an emotion, one uses body language while the other guesses what...

What happens when an online post gets the wrong kind of attention? Learners evaluate the good, the bad, and the occasionally ugly side of social media posting with a instructional activity from a vast digital citizenship series. After...

Many American writers in the late nineteenth century wanted their writing to reflect real life. Individuals watch and discuss a video, read and explore author biographies, write a journal entry and a poem, and complete a multimedia...

The issues of voter fraud and voter suppression are relevant in every election, local as well as national. Soon-to-be voters learn about a recent bill proposed in North Carolina, the Voter Information and Verification Act, and...