Current Issues
Classroom activities to engage students in learning about and discussing issues in the news
Student readings explore the morality and legality of President Obama's controversial "kill list" and consider arguments for and against drone warfare. Questions for student discussion follow each reading.
Students come up with a working definition for democracy, then watch and discuss an animated short on the Citizens United Case. Homework prepares students for a liberal vs. conservative discussion over whether the ruling puts our democracy at risk.
Students consider opposing views about taxes and wealth, analyze charts about wealth distribution, and decide how they think wealth should be distributed.
Two student readings (with discussion questions) examine the historical development of the boycott as a tactic used by both progressives and conservatives, and recent boycotts targeting Glenn Beck and Florida's Stand Your Ground law.
TeachableMoment marks the 50th anniversary of Michael Harrington's influential book with a series of readings and discussion questions for high school students. In Part II, readings focus on the debate about who should count as poor in this country and proposals for combating poverty.
In the wake of the tragic killing of the Florida teen, two student readings examine the controversy surrounding Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law and the wider gun control debate.
Students consider American consumption of fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas; learn about new methods of extracting these fuels; and discuss their pros & cons.
Two student readings, with discussion questions, provide an overview of Harrington's book and consider the state of poverty in the U.S. now.
'This is a hot topic among parents of the upper elementary set - and it's gotten even hotter since the movie version of Hunger Games came out. For me the decision wasn't hard...'
IRAQ WAR 9th anniversary See our index of the many lessons TeachableMoment has offered on the war since 2003.