Curated OER
A Victorian Prison
Prisons in Victorian England were miserable places, designed to deter people from committing crimes. To understand why these prisons were so tough, young historians review documents and pictures from Coldbath Fields prison. After...
Curated OER
Maven Makeover?
Students reflect on the role of prisons and discuss how they believe sentencing should be handed down. After reading an article, they discover the experiences Martha Stewart went through while in prison. In groups, they share their...
Curated OER
Prisoner of War
Students study prison life during the Civil War. As a class, they brainstorm questions about prison life. In groups, students read primary source documents that give clues to life in a civil war prison. Students draw conclusions and...
Curated OER
Fort San Cristobal
Learners research the concept of a dungeon during the time of the 18th century. They are looking for its significance and the reason for its construction tied to the lifestyles of people during the time. Students compare and contrast the...
Curated OER
Geography: Islands and Alcatraz
Pupils, in groups, create maps of islands including map keys and compass roses. They compare and contrast their island communities with that of the island prison, Alcatraz. Students select from a series of projects, including writing...
Curated OER
State Kid: The Story Rolls
Students read a story about a 15 year-old-boy sent to a juvenile detention center after unsuccessful stays in foster homes. The story is written in installments in the form of Charles Dickens novels.
PBS
Pbs Newshour Extra: Exonerated Prisoners Face Uphill Climb
Video and article report on the struggles faced by people who have been found to have been wrongly convicted of crimes when they are finally released from prison. Includes critical thinking questions.
NPR: National Public Radio
Npr: Bringing Mothers in Prison Closer to Their Children
Article reports on the Lullaby Project, an effort which is helping mothers in prison form bonds with their children by writing their own lullabies. Includes and audio version of the story and a playlist of lullabies created by project...
Other
South Africa: Robben Island Remembers
Now a World Heritage site, Robben Island is asymbol of the brutality of South Africa?s apartheid past. It was prison to freedom activists such as Nelson Mandel. Read the legacy of this island from early Dutch colonizers to the present.
Vocabulary.com
Merle Haggard (1937 2016) Tribute List
This site contains a list of 12 words from the songs of country musician, Merle Haggard (1937-2016). Teachers can digitally assign this list to their students to reinforce the spellings, pronunciations, and meanings of these words.
E Reading Worksheets
E Reading Worksheets: The Count of Monte Cristo
In this learning module, students will engage in a deep study of Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo. Worksheets, a test, and a map project are provided to reinforce comprehension of The Count of Monte Cristo.
Read Works
Read Works: Books Through Bars
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about a group in Brooklyn working to provide books to prison inmates. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Read Works
Read Works: Fewer Americans Are Now Going to Prison
[Free Registration/Login Required] This informational text passage discusses the reasons why there are fewer Americans incarcerated in prisons than in previous years. This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece that reinforces...
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: First Prisoners Arrived at Alcatraz
Why is Alcatraz Penitentiary called "The Rock?" Who is sent there? This Library of Congress site has more information and photographs.
Other
Aclu: American Civil Liberties Union
Official home of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Learn about American news, what's going on with the Supreme Court and new legislation, and more at this online interest group.
CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
This book tells the story of Bryan Stevenson, a young lawyer who establishes a legal practice, and takes on the case of Walter McMillian who was wrongly convicted for murder. Selected (8) reading passages (grades 8-12) to pair with "Just...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Women & Girls in the Criminal Justice System: Lesson 3: The State of the Criminal Justice System
Students will look at restorative justice as a competing model, learn more about the state of the criminal justice system, and express their opinions about the topic to an elected leader. The prison population has exploded in the United...