California Department of Education
What Skills Do I Need?
Get your class started down the path to a great career! The first of a six-part series of career and college lessons inspires learners to use their interests to explore career options. The activity also provides resources where...
Teaching for Change
A Documents-Based Lesson on the Voting Rights Act
How did the Voting Rights Act affect the daily lives of American citizens? A document-based lesson developed by the Student Non-Violent Coordinating committee (SNCC) presents a case study of the impact of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 on...
Smithsonian Institution
American Sabor Crossword
How much do you know about Latin American music? A crossword puzzle challenges learners to answer 24 questions about the history, genres, performers, and instruments of Latin American music.
American Bar Association
News Literacy Model Curriculum in Social Studies
Scholars investigate news literacy in the twenty-first century. They use technology, legal decisions, writings, and digital privacy to analyze the topic. Using what they learned, a group assignment looks into both the challenges and...
Boston University
South African Short Stories: Apartheid, Civil Rights, and You
How are short stories from South Africa connected to issues of civil rights in the United States? A unit plan uses South African short stories to discuss issues such as apartheid, colonization, and civil rights. Questions and activities...
New York State Education Department
TASC Transition Curriculum: Workshop 2
Flipped classrooms and online tools killed the chalkboard! An awesome, hands-on technology workshop asks teachers across all content areas. to examine model lessons, become familiar with research, and explore tech tools they can...
NPR
Is There Really an Immigration Line?
If you've ever looked at the US immigration system, you know that it is complex and a source of controversy. An insightful lesson plan encourages learners to conduct their own analyses of the US immigration system by asking them to...
Freedom Archives
Special St. Augustine Issue
The articles and images in the June 1964 edition of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Newsletter detail the events in St. Augustine that were instrumental in the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The stirring images and...
Visit St Augustine
African Americans in St. Augustine
A colorful travel brochure reveals why St. Augustine is considered the birthplace of African-American history. Images and maps bring the rich history of the city to life by displaying the many individuals, events, and sites that honor...
RAND Corporation
Project ALERT
Why do people use drugs? What are the consequences? The alternatives? How can young people resist the pressures to use drugs? The Project Alert drug prevention program provides middle schoolers with the information they need and the...
Foundation for a Drug-Free World
The Truth About Drugs
Teenagers hear many messages about drugs from advertisements, their peers, their teachers, and their parents. But who is lying? What is the truth? A thorough, thoughtful unit takes a purposeful look at drug education, drug culture, and...
American Psychological Association
Sampling or Assignment?
Each discipline has its own vocabulary, terms it uses to identify key concepts and processes. Sample, to psychologists, refers to those people (participants) a researcher is studying, while assignment refers to the treatment conditions...
US Surgeon General
Get the Facts on E-Cigarettes
Imagine these flavors: chocolate, candy, menthol. What age group do you imagine is the target audience of an advertising campaign that features a product with these flavors? Find out the facts about vaping with a resource that provides...
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Youths Are Exposed to E-Cigarette Advertisements from Multiple Sources
The use of tobacco and alcohol use among young people is increasing. Vaping in particular, is gaining popularity with middle and high school students. A colorful infographic details the top four sources of advertising accessed by young...
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Youth Exposure to Advertising and E-Cigarette Use
Vaping is increasingly popular with young people. Small wonder given the marketing strategies used by the companies that produce E-cigarettes and vaping flavors like menthol, chocolate, and candy. Check out an infographic that identifies...
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Tobacco Use and Secondhand Smoke Exposure Is High in Multiunit Housing
Much has been written recently about the danger of secondhand smoke. Laws have been passed to limit that exposure in offices, transportation centers, and public areas. But what about apartment buildings, condos, public housing, and other...
Library of Congress
Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the Fugitive Slave Act
From the time of its publication, Uncle Tom's Cabin has been controversial. To better understand the debate, class members first examine a broadside decrying the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, and then two newspaper reviews of the novel...
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
What You Need to Know about Marijuana Use and Driving
Research indicates that marijuana can negatively affect coordination and judgment, making it dangerous to drive while under the influence. But does it increase the risk of car crashes? An informative fact sheet describes the ways...
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
What You Need to Know about Marijuana Use and Pregnancy
Some people believe that using marijuana during pregnancy is safer than smoking tobacco, but studies show several negative impacts on babies whose mothers used marijuana while they were pregnant. Use a fact sheet to educate learners...
Scholastic
The Science of Marijuana—How THC Affects the Brain
Marijuana can affect every part of a user's life—starting with the delicate nervous centers of the brain. An informative article and worksheet prompt teenagers to learn more about how the THC found in most forms of marijuana can...
University of Virginia
Illustrating Uncle Tom's Cabin
Historical illustrations reveal more than what they are meant to portray. After reading Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, high schoolers view a series of illustrations, movie posters, photographs, and book covers that exemplify...
Scholastic
Marijuana: Breaking Down the Buzz
Teenagers get the real information about marijuana use based on the history of tobacco legislation and research. As they read an educational passage about marijuana laws, science, and changing attitudes, they address their preconceptions...
Scholastic
Analyzing Media Messages
Telling young people to just say no can be difficult in a world that inundates them with messages to just say yes. A lesson on media messages encourages teenagers to analyze song lyrics and advertisements that mention drugs and/or...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 4 James Madison: Internal Improvements Balancing Act—Federal/State and Executive/Legislative
Who has the power? The founding fathers asked the same question when the United States was formed. Learners explore issues that arose during Madison’s presidency that raised constitutional questions. Through discovery, discussion, and...