Current Issues
Classroom activities to engage students in learning about and discussing issues in the news
This activity is part of the Anti-Defamation League's Table Talk series, which provides conversation starters, questions, and resources for parents to talk with their children about current events.
Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign has reopened discussion about what would it take to get truly universal healthcare in the U.S. This lesson, which includes two student readings and discussion questions, examines the debate over Sanders' proposal for a "single-payer" national healthcare system...
In January 2016, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced its Oscar Award nominations. For the second year in a row, no actors of color were nominated. This has led to controversy about racial inequality in the film industry. In this lesson, students learn about the controversy...
History has a way of smoothing out the complexities of real-life events. This brief TeachableInstant lesson explores some forgotten or misrepresented facts about the movement for civil rights.
Students learn about how much coverage the media are providing to different presidential candidates and discuss why coverage of the candidates varies so widely.
This brief activity includes a quiz, reading and discussion about the occupation of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon by anti-government protesters.
In the closing days of 2015, some of the highest flood waters ever recorded hit the Mississippi River valley. This activity encourages students to empathize with flood victims, and to consider how we as individuals and as a community can best respond to floods and other climate change-related...
Three short student readings provide background on the sharing economy and its critics and examine the pros and cons of Airbnb and Uber. Questions for discussion follow.
Some facts and questions about how much many Americans buy and waste over the holidays - and how we feel about it.
In the wake of recent anti-Muslim attacks by Trump and others, students read and discuss profiles of diverse Muslim Americans, consider how they may be feeling about recent events, and read a letter to "Non-Muslim Allies" about ways to stand up for those who are being targeted.