Curated OER
Cartoons in the Classroom: Drawn to Freedom
In this current events worksheet, students analyze political cartoons that feature the free exchange of ideas and government criticism. Students then respond to 2 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Same-Sex Schools Gain Ground
Students examine the issue of having same-sex classes. Using the internet, they research how this program is working around the country. They interview local education experts and determine how they view the issue. They include an...
Curated OER
How green is your school?
Students read about Sidwell Friends School and the Green School concept and develop coverage for their student media. They employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to...
Curated OER
Safe In the City
Students read a report about the most dangerous cities in America. Using the internet, they research their own community in regards to how safe it is. They interview local law enforcement and determine the degree of local danger. They...
Curated OER
Pet Food Safety A Con
Learners use the internet to research pet food safety laws. In groups, they examine what happened during the pet food recall earlier this year and what is being done to improve the situation. They write a news feature story including...
Curated OER
Vandalism leads to locked bathrooms
Students research bathroom vandalism in other schools like Freedom High after reading an article about Freedom High and their situation. Students then decide if their school has a similar problem and interview administrators and janitors...
Curated OER
Targeting Young Speeders
Young scholars research the police ticketing of teens in their city or county. They determine if the police are targeting teens and why. Students explore other ways the community tries to ensure safer teen drivers. They survey teens in...
Curated OER
Distinguishing Fact and Opinion
Students pick up clues in the wordage of a sentence to determine if it is factual and give reasons for their feelings. They explain difference between statements of hard fact as found on the front page of a newspaper from that of an...
Curated OER
Marcus Garvey and the Rise of Black Nationalism
Students answer preview questions about different terms to describe African Americans. In this Black Nationalism lesson, students listen to background information on Marcus Garvey, then read an editorial by Garvey on the Return to...
Curated OER
Weighty Matters
Young scholars analyze political cartoons, and write short paragraphs explaining the cartoon's meaning and the cartoonist's point-of-view.
Curated OER
Persuaded or Informed?
Give each learner a newspaper for this lesson plan! As a group, read select editorials and discuss them with your class. Are these articles informational or persuasive? Cut out select editorials and have learners identify the purpose of...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan: The Net Neutrality Debate
Should Internet users who send data-heavy content pay higher fees than those who are involved in activities, like sending an email, that have less content? This question is at the heart of the Net Neutrality debate. After watching a PBS...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Spinning off of Eyjafjallajökull
The name itself may have your scholars' heads spinning: Eyjafjallajökull. Its recent volcanic eruption spurred many political cartoons on unrelated topics- using an analysis handout scholars examine the use of metaphor in 2 cartoons...
National Endowment for the Humanities
In Emily Dickinson's Own Words: Letters and Poems
Analyze the depth and beauty of American Literature by reading Emily Dickinson's letters and poems. The class analyzes Dickinson's poetic style and discusses Thomas Wentworth Higginson's editorial relationship with Dickinson. They pay...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Obama's Baggage
Add a little humor to the current happenings of Washington D.C. using this political cartoon analysis handout. A quote serves as context to help learners access the featured cartoon, which depicts President Obama climbing a "reality...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Social Commentary
Expose your class to the genre of political cartoons less concerned with serious political issues. This political cartoon analysis handout features social commentary on the many entertainments of youth, ironically paired with their...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Unemployment that Just Won't Quit
It's an economic Catch-22! Expose your scholars to the hiring/unemployment paradox using this political cartoon analysis worksheet. The cartoon shows corporations explaining to a job seeker that they cannot hire him due to the unstable...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Joseph Wilson Accuses the President
Get a fun discussion going with this current events worksheet, which has scholars analyzing 2 political cartoons about an incident in 2009, when Congressman Joseph Wilson accused President Barack Obama of lying during a speech....
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classrooms: Wall Street Financial Meltdown
Combine two current events (2008) in one political cartoon. This handout examines the Large Hadron Collider, a scientific invention that caused a sudden fear of black holes, and the financial meltdown on Wall Street. Background...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: The Veepstakes!
Take a step back in time with this political cartoon analysis instructional activity, which features editorial cartoons from the 2008 presidential campaign. Background information allows pupils to "read between the lines" in their...
Jackson Public Schools
Summer Reading Activities
Provide parents with the tools they need to bridge the summer learning gap with this collection of fun activities. Whether it's creating an alphabet poster with illustrations for each letter, playing a game of sight word concentration,...
Louisiana Department of Education
Gulliver’s Travels
Gulliver's Travels tells the story of a man who goes on voyages and encounters strange people. A unit plan introduces readers to the classic text, as well as excerpts from other examples of sarcasm and satire, such as "A Modest...
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
Tea Overboard
While less well known than the event in Boston, the Yorktown Tea Party was equally decisive in turning community sentiment against Great Britain. To gain an understanding of why the colonists objected to the Tea Act, young historians...
Curated OER
Cartoons for The Classroom: Lame Duck Congress
Clear up "lame duck" congressional confusion with this political cartoon analysis worksheet. Background information on the concept's history and current use is provided, and 2 cartoons give a past and present context. Three talking...