Current Issues
Classroom activities to engage students in learning about and discussing issues in the news
Students take on the roles of real-life patients, doctors, and employers so they can hear different people’s experiences with the current U.S. healthcare system and think about what should change.
What can we do to make college affordable and reduce student debt? With a quiz, reading and discussion, students consider statistics, stories, and some proposals from 2020 presidential candidates.
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...
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.