Current Issues
Classroom activities to engage students in learning about and discussing issues in the news
Alan Shapiro offers two readings to help high school students consider the impact of rising unemployment and continuing foreclosures. Discussion questions and suggestions for inquiry, writing, and citizenship follow.
A document-based question exercise has students examine differing views on what motivates terrorism by Islamic fundamentalists.
In three student readings and activities, Alan Shapiro invites students to consider the behavior of people in bureaucracies, including the health insurance industry, finance, and the military.
Teaching students these strategies to deal with problems that come up with friends can help create a more peaceable classroom.
The court's recent ruling on the right of schools to conduct drug searches leaves some questions unanswered. Two readings, discussion questions and suggestions for inquiry help students consider the issue.
A reading outlines the new Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act and provides information about teenage smoking and its effects. A writing assignment, discussion questions and subjects for further inquiry follow
Three student readings provide an overview of recent events in Iran and outline that country's post-World War II relationship with the U.S. Discussion questions and suggestions for further inquiries follow.
Student readings explore the debate over Sotomayor, her background, and controversial cases. Discussion questions, a case study and writing assignments follow.
In a recent speech, the president discussed his views of controversial anti-terrorist policies. Three student readings include excerpts from the speech followed by critiques from multiple perspectives, discussion questions and inquiry ideas.
An introduction and two student readings discuss the president's view of the Afghanistan/Pakistan connection and what he thinks must be done in both countries. A companion Document-Based Question (DBQ) exercise asks students to consider and write about competing views of the president's strategy.