Whether new to teaching The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or an experienced pro, you’ll find useful resources in this teacher’s guide. The 40-page packet includes background information, historical context, an annotated list of...

Students explore protest songs. In this interdisciplinary instructional activity, students examine issues-based music by summarizing lyrics and revealing inferences, generalizations, conclusions, and points of view found in the songs.

Students write and share short pieces about how their gender identities were affected through childhood messages about what it meant to be a boy or a girl. This activity can be used to introduce a discussion on gender issues.

Students examine past and present human rights issues in U.S. history. In reflection journals, they document both justices and injustices perpetrated on groups and individuals. Finally, students implement an action plan designed to...

Students construct a never-before-seen creature in part of an analysis of societal injustices and discrimination. In this societal issues lesson, students create a creature called a Man-Droid as a study about the differences among...

Students are read a story about Alejandro and how he builds an oasis to attract animals. Using the text, they discover the needs of the animal not only for water but for safety. They discuss different environmental issues as well as...

Students explore the trials and tribulations early colonial life and note its successes. Through literature, Internet research, and interactive software, they engage in various activities to evaluate early social and cultural development.

Students explore the individual's role in society. In this social responsibility lesson, students analyze Camus's The Stranger and The Myth of Sisyphus as well as Borges's "Rosendo's Tale." Students compare the themes of the pieces to...

Students research cultural and social issues in the areas of Westward Expansion, Immigration, and Civil Rights. They use their research to create a PowerPoint electronic book to be used by other students.

Eighth graders examine a new kind of art that is used to respond to political and social issues. Using primary source documents, they read examples of how others have responded to various issues in the past. Individually, they create...

Students examine name-calling issues by reading stories, essays and poems. After reading the selections, they discuss the problems and effects of name-calling and bullying. In groups, they present summaries of the materials read. ...

The lives of middle-class Victorian women were circumscribed by strict standards that governed all aspects of behavior. To gain a better understanding of the Victorian Ideals for women, class members research the life of a middle-class...

Students conduct research and make comparisons about various global economies. Create graphic organizers to present their research findings and illustrate solutions to problems. Students discuss and debate issues based on what they have...

Students study black history, examine portraits and portrait making and create their own portraits, and  investigate their natural environment. This humanities lesson provides a text that can be used to teach lessons in black...

Here's an alternative to a traditional book report for your class to demonstrate that they understand and can articulate the main character's evolution and the social themes presented in Voltaire's satirical novel Candide. Your young...

Students focus on a theme to create a poster or collage. In this theme based art project, students communicate their peace theme through drawings to communicate their present feeling and ideas. Students learn the emotions conveyed in the...

Explore the newspaper as a unique entity with a detailed and extended unit. The unit requires learners to consider the newspaper's role in democracy, think about ethics, practice writing and interviewing, and examine advertising and news...

Once the class learns about the hero's journey, they'll find it in every story and movie they see! Take characters from their humble beginnings to their atonement and apotheosis with a set of lessons about the hero's journey...

Twelfth graders discover how to debate important social issues in a civil manner. They explain the importance of knowledge in public discourse.

Students listen to and discuss popular music that addresses political and social issues of oppression, but in a joyful way. They role play as artistic teams and plan a music video that may be used for a specific song.

Students learn the idea of drama in their own lives; and then transfer that idea to the works of others in this series of lessons. They discuss the question of identity.

Students investigate the future of the U.S. Social Security program. They conduct research, write journal entries, meet and interview a State representative, create a web page with links, and develop a solution for the Social Security...

Students examine the dynamics of change and compare and contrast it with other cultures. They cite examples of how people change over time and explain why it is necessary. Students organize a skit, Webpage, or Powerpoint presentation...

Young scholars communicate their thoughts on the environment by creating picture books for middle school students. Young scholars include their thoughts on population, deforestation, water, energy, endangered species, and waste in...