Current Issues
Classroom activities to engage students in learning about and discussing issues in the news
Is social media strengthening our communities, or is it actually harming our ability to connect in person? Students discuss two readings about the pros and cons of social media engagement, including some research on this question.
Two high-profile proposals to tax the rich are gaining attention and popular support. This activity has students explore these proposals, the historical precedent for them, and their possible benefits and pitfalls.
A Courtside Confrontation and Its Aftermath
This is Part 1 of a two-part lesson that has students consider a confrontation between NBA player Russell Westbrook and a white fan and the public discussion that ensued about racism in the NBA and society at large. Part two of the lesson has students...
An Essay about White Privilege
This is Part 2 of a lesson that has students consider a confrontation between Russell Westbrook (a Black NBA player) and a white fan, its aftermath, and the public discussion that ensued about racism in the NBA and society at large. This lesson, part two of the series...
The Brexit controversy has roiled the U.K. for years. What is Brexit? And why has it torn British voters apart?
Students learn about and discuss the original Brexit vote, explore arguments for and against a second referendum, and examine why some people voted to back the “Remain” or “Leave”...
Through a quiz, reading, and discussion, students learn about the 'Operation Varsity Blues' admissions bribery scheme, how wealthy families legally game the system, and growing campaigns to make the system fairer.
Less than half of eligible voters typically vote in national elections in the U.S.. The House of Representatives has passed a bill to encourage voter participation by making Election Day a national holiday. This activity explores the arguments for and against this and other proposals for making it...
Fiction exploring the possibilities of a changed and changing climate can be a powerful way to make these abstract futures more immediate for ourselves and our students.This listing of climate fiction (cli-fi) includes brief descriptions of a range of short stories and novels, along with questions...
This series of lessons helps students (grades 3-5) learn about why is climate change is happening, why it matters, and what they can do about it.
Students examine three current youth movements to fight climate change by dramatizing each strategy’s benefits and risks.