Current Issues

After 17 people were killed in a school shooting in Parkland, FL, students turned their grief over the loss of their classmates into actions that galvanized the nation. In this activity, participants hear the voices of the Parkland students, and consider the variety of ways they are trying to make...

Students learn about Martin Luther King's Poor People's Campaign, and about the newer Poor People's Campaign, which is also aimed at addressing racism and economic inequality. 

February 2018 began with massive losses on Wall Street. In this activity, students get a brief introduction to stocks and stock volatility, and consider what impact such stock market losses might have. 

Collected lessons for teaching Black History Month, primarily for high school and middle school.

Students consider how some politicians have used the cold weather to deny climate change and explore the science and statistics behind this common argument. 

A new study documents that the news media presents a distorted picture of blacks and black families. In this activity, students explore the issue with a quiz, reading, and discussion. 

Students learn about the term "intersectionality," and consider what role it played in the 2017 and 2018 Women's Marches.

President Trump has announced that his administration will dramatically reduce the size of two national monuments in Utah. Through readings and discussion, students consider this move and wider questions about how public lands in the United States should be used.

Students learn about and discuss the remarkable success of an organization of farmworkers that is fighting abuse and demanding dignity on the job. The activity includes two short videos, discussion, and a reading.

The U.S. has more people detained while awaiting trial than any other country in the world. In this lesson, students explore the issue of cash bail, why some criminal justice reform advocates argue for ending it, and what has happened in cities and states that have ended cash bail.