Assess the Cash for Clunkers program with your scholars through 3 political cartoons, which they will analyze to determine who drew it best. Background information helps pupils gain context to assess the cartoons, and 3 talking points...

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a political cartoon is like reading an essay. Have your critical thinkers examine three cartoons to read between the lines, gaining insight and information. They analyze how these cartoons...

Examine issues and events surrounding US withdrawal of troops from the Iraq War. After reading this New York Times article learners respond to each of the nine who, what, when, where, and why questions. 

Let's take a look back at America during the 1920s and 1930s. Information regarding the economics in the 1920s that led to some of the issues during the 1930s are covered using text and images. Learners will consider economic booms,...

Take the class on a first-person field trip through the Dust Bowl. They pretend they are living in the 1930s as they respond to images and critical thinking questions to help them best understand the issues that faced people during that...

Economic pressures to produce and harvest in order to meet consumer needs is a very real issue. In small groups, the class uses three guiding questions to research the pressures on tomato growers to harvest at a level that meets the...

This is a fantastic activity that prompts learners to think like educators and consider the value of a historically based film beyond just the accuracy of information. Your young historians will work in groups to do a close reading and...

Learners take on the roles of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government in the United States and work to develop public policy issues and ideas into laws in this engaging and well-designed online interactive.

A civil rights movement lesson designed specifically with the Common Core State Standards in mind, young learners are introduced to the story of Ruby Bridges as the first African American child to attend an all-white elementary...

Your young historians will read excerpts from three parts of the United States Constitution—Article One, the Thirteenth Amendment, and the Fourteenth Amendment—and discuss how they each address the issue of slavery. 

After watching a documentary on the Supreme Court case Republican Party of Minnesota v. White, class members research how the First Amendment and free speech issues influence judicial elections and then conduct a mock judicial election.

Should we stay or should we go? Class members debate whether Britain should exit the European Union. While the resource predates the exit vote, the materials provide class members with an opportunity to explore some of the many...

Who does what? To develop an understanding of the balance of power between the US federal and state governments, class members research responsibilities in terms of legal systems, security issues, economic activities, lawmaking, and...

As part of a study of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, class members examine four Supreme Court decisions—Gitlow v. New York, Mapp v. Ohio, Gideon v. Wainwright, and Griswold v. Connecticut—that incorporated the due...

Article II of the United States Constitution grants Presidents executive powers in areas of international conflict, domestic and foreign policy. Using examples drawn from Ronald Reagan's presidency, class members are asked to consider...

How do the presidential debates of 2016 compare to the debates from the 1980's? What about the 1960's? Evaluate a chosen candidate or issue from the 20th and 21st centuries with a lesson plan focused on political debates. Middle and...

Celebrate Black History Month with the help of 10 ideas that delve deep into the history, major events, contributions, famous African Americans, and sheds light on how scholars today can take a proactive stance on current civil rights...

Class members have an opportunity to consider issues faced by refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) by participating in a series of activities that illustrate some of the challenges refugees experience. 

Make your classroom a supportive and communicative place to be before beginning a unit on the Holocaust. Working together as a class, learners reflect on their previous experiences of classroom discussions before establishing a...

What do Johann Sebastian Bach and Miles Davis have in common? Much more than class members might imagine. The comparison of these two famous composers is just one lesson in a unit that investigates many facets of the music industry...

Encourage pupils to design an election plan for the entire school. They participate in a Board of Elections, create polling rules, discuss election controversies, write questions about the issues, run the election through an online...

Learn more about the policy of the United States to contain communism during the Cold War. The fifth installment of an eight-part series looks at primary and secondary materials about a challenging time in history. After analyzing the...

Have you ever wanted to do something so perfectly you wound up not doing it well at all? Young historians use primary and secondary documents to analyze the United States involvement in the Vietnam War. The issues surrounding the...

Who had power over trade in the early days of the United States? Who has power now? Viewers investigate the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution. Using an AP Exam review video, learners examine issues surrounding authority...