Current Issues
Classroom activities to engage students in learning about and discussing issues in the news
Students work in groups to come up with a definition of 'democracy,' then read and discuss an article on Occupy Wall Street's decision-making process.
for grades 4-7 Students explore the meaning of democracy and how Occupy Wall Street is using elements of democracy in their protests. Then students think of and analyze ideas that might make their classroom more democratic.
Students learn about the protest and its message, and consider how the Occupy Wall Street protest is related to public protests in other countries in the past year.
Students explore the question of taxes, Obama's recent 'Buffett Rule' proposal, and Republican charges of 'class warfare.'
Students learn about the Occupy Wall Street protest, discuss wealth disparity, consider some statistics, make their own charts, and find out what some of the protesters want and and why.
Student readings explore unemployment statistics and the human impact of joblessness, and examine the effect of government proposals on the crisis. Discussion questions and an opinion continuum activity follow the readings.
In the wake of the execution of Troy Davis on September 21, students consider the death penalty through a web, a social barometer activity, readings and videos.
In this interactive workshop, students explore what escalates and deescalates conflict, consider nonviolent action as an assertive response to conflict, and learn about Occupy Wall Street's use of nonviolence as a strategy.
Two student readings and discussion questions probe the history of the War Powers Act of 1973 and the current controversy over whether President Obama's deployment of U.S. forces to Libya violates that law.
A resource unit for high school students on deficits, taxes, and the "military-industrial-Congressional complex"