Deliberating in a Democracy
Marriage and the State
What defines marriage in society? Scholars investigate the moral and legal arguments of what defines marriage. They analyze different marriage traditions and social customs around the world along with Supreme Court decisions. Individuals...
NPR
Same-Sex Marriage
The battle over same-sex marriage is a prevalent issue in the United States, and a valuable topic to be discussed in your social studies classroom. Here is a basic outline of introductory questions, focus questions, vocabulary, and media...
Serendip
Should States Repeal Their Laws Banning First Cousin Marriage?
Around half of the states in the US ban first cousin marriage, but does science support that ban? Scholars work through genetic analysis of the risks to understand if more states should ban the practice—or if some should remove it. They...
Simon & Schuster
Curriculum Guide to: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Eight lessons and worksheets comprise a curriculum guide for Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. Class members create a timeline that includes world-historical events as well as events in the novel. They analyze the speaking styles of...
Curated OER
Legally Wed
Students explore the controversial topic of same-sex marriages in a fishbowl discussion. They write balanced news articles based on interviews exploring people's opinions on laws that define marriage.
Teaching Tolerance
Using Photographs to Teach Social Justice | Legal Action: The Supreme Court
A social justice lesson focuses on the Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia which struck down laws that prohibited marriages between African Americans and white Americans. The lesson begins with class members examining a photograph of...
Curated OER
A New Society Project
Ninth graders examine the social and political movements of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. In this American history lesson, 9th graders work in groups to form their own society and laws. Students make a diagram of their town and...
Curated OER
Bioethics of Eugenics
Students research and discuss the ethical aspects of Nazi racial ideology, including sterilization, marriage prohibitions, and euthanasia. They develop codes of ethics regarding reproductive rights, euthanasia, and the death penalty.
Curated OER
Women's Rights Ancient Egypt and the United States
Students explore the rights of women in the United States and ancient Egypt. Comparisons between the two eras and countries are made as the wealth, business, marriages, court cases, divorces, and employment of women are probed.
Curated OER
The Oneida Community and Birth Control
Students examine the practice of mail continence in Oneida. They explore the reasons behind the community's practice of limiting births. They discuss the relationship between reproductive freedom and woman's rights.
Curated OER
Medical Marijuana - Legitimate Use Or Legalized Abuse?
Students, in groups, discuss opinions about medical marijuana use. They form their own opinion about the U.S Supreme Court case involving this issue.
Curated OER
Feudalism
Young scholars have tournaments in teams after learning information about The Middle Ages. In this Middle Ages lesson plan, students learn that tournaments are mock battles, but that they will have these battles by answering questions in...