Curated OER
Dangerous Straits
High schoolers view a film and read articles that explore controversial Chinese and American relations. They conduct interviews, participate in class role-plays and develop policy recommendations for government agencies.
Curated OER
The Fall of the Dollar
Students synthesize the basic workings of the international market for foreign exchange, especially how exchange rates are determined, how the value of a nation's currency is connected to its international trade, and how governmental...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Personal Economics
Students explain the role of government in protecting consumer rights and the role of private organizations in protecting consumer rights.
Curated OER
Candidate Obama Support and President Obama's Agenda
Students research categories within President Obama's agenda and create a PowerPoint presentation. In this President Obama agenda lesson plan, students research a category within President Obama's agenda and present their topic in a...
Curated OER
Turmoils of The 1960's and 70's.
Students engage in the study of the social problems associated with the 1960's and 1970's. They explain how the government made attempts to solve the problem and evaluate the success. This is done through the writing of an essay using...
Curated OER
The Great Depression - FDR and the New Deal
Students consider the role that government should play in economics. In this Great Depression lesson, students analyze New Deal legislation to develop an informed opinion about the public programs and then present their findings to their...
Curated OER
The Global Warming Cover-Up
Students explore the basic background on the causes of global climate disruption and governmental and economic reasons for downplaying its causes. Key reasons why US citizens have largely ignored the issues are examined in this lesson.
Curated OER
A More Perfect Union: Barack Obama's Race Speech at the National Constitution Center
Eleventh graders explore the process of perfecting the Union through changes made to the Constitution, and through the powers delegated to each branch of government. In this American Government lesson, 11th graders research various...
Curated OER
Japanese-American Relocation
Consider the causes and effects that led to the internment and relocation of Japanese Americans during WWII. Learners read the story "Baseball Saved Us" and selected chapters from Farewell to Manzanar. Then, they view a slide-show, and...
Curated OER
"Open Mic" - Giving Creative Expression To The Connection Between The Japanese American Internment, September 11, And Our Rights Today
Students explore the similarities of the Japanese-American experience in WWII and Arab-American experience in post-September 11 US policy. They create presentations on their reflections and express themselves through poetry, dance,...
Curated OER
Immigrants Welcome?
Ninth graders examine the world after the end of World War II. In groups, they complete a Naturalization Review Board activity and discuss how immigrants changed the United States. As a class, they discover how the immigration policies...
Curated OER
The Baby Boom -- How Do We Know it is a Boom?
Young scholars examine graphs of three statistics and use basic math to compute their own. They evaluate the implications of manipulating data and whether statistics are appropriate for creating policy.
Smithsonian Institution
Two Perspectives on the Battle of Little Bighorn/Greasy Grass
Learners understand why historians conduct research and the importance of perception when it comes to studying history. The resource covers The Wars of Expansion and the Battle of Little Bighorn/Greasy Grass through group work, debate,...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Driver’s Licenses And Unauthorized Immigrants
Should driver's licenses be granted to unauthorized immigrants? That is the question class members grapple with in a lesson that asks them to first read a fact sheet that details the arguments for and against licensing unauthorized...
National Institute on Drug Abuse
The Brain's Response to Drugs
Marijuana affects the brain differently than inhalants, which have a different effect than opioids. Elementary and middle school classes read about these drugs as well as nicotine, methamphetamine, hallucinogens, and steroids before...
Federal Reserve Bank
Is the Fed Public or Private?
The Federal Reserve System as a decentralized central bank can be a difficult concept for learners to grasp. Help them get a firm handle on this concept using this resource, in which class members work as a group to identify the...
Curated OER
The American Press and the
Learners read and analyze newspaper accounts of Holocaust-related items in various WWII newspapers. They discuss the physical placement of Holocaust-related news items to other news items in the same paper.
Curated OER
Kill the Indian, Save the Man!
Students investigate primary sources from Carlisle Indian School including letters and photographs. In this investigative lesson students answer questions about their research.
Curated OER
Interrogation Tactics in the News
Students investigate interrogation tactics at use in the world. In this global issues lesson, students watch "Torturing Democracy," and discuss the implications of interrogation techniques used by the United States following 9/11....
Federal Reserve Bank
Dealing with the Great Depression
As part of their study of the Great Depression, young economists examine statistical data to determine the effectiveness of FDR's New Deal recovery programs.
Curated OER
Consequences of the Sedition Act
High schoolers research and discuss the consequences of the Sedition Act. They illustrate the difficulty of balancing security needs and personal freedom using an example from John Adams's presidency.
Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights
Van Jones: Police Brutality
Develop an understanding of how the media and society are connected and responsible for the defense of universal human rights. Learners investigate and examine the conflicts of police brutality as it is portrayed in the media and through...
Curated OER
The Bill of Rights
In groups, learners review one of four selected Supreme Court cases. The whole class watches a video introducing the four cases, and then small groups dive into Internet research in an attempt to write a two-paragraph summary of the...
Curated OER
This Land is Ours
Students research and present their findings of the Native American's forced removal in the 19th century. In this Native American lesson plan, students read passages, write and reflect, and look on the internet for evidence of the Native...