Current Issues
Classroom activities to engage students in learning about and discussing issues in the news
A student reading reviews major steps in the campaign process and such issues as the money race, fairness, and problems with the new voting machines. Suggested discussion questions and other activities follow.
A student reading deals with the Nobel Prize award, including a few of the basic facts and a view of what can and should be done.
This inquiry activity invites students to explore the central role of money in the 2008 election.
What constitutes racial discrimination in our schools? The Supreme Court considered competing answers to this question in its June 2007 ruling. Two student readings examine the issue and its historical background, including Brown v. Board of Education and the 14th Amendment.
The controversy at Louisiana's Jena High School offers a teachable moment for students to examine America's racial issues. A student reading presents an overview of the Jena events and comments by whites and blacks who live there. Suggested student activities include a microlab and subjects for...
The Bush administration's secret surveillance program, launched soon after 9/11, is the source of a lasting controversy, including a fight over the Protect America Act. Two student readings explore the issue.
What did the framers say about presidential power and why? How would the presidential candidates use this power?
Students consider official testimony and reports measuring the progress--or lack of it--in Iraq.
Includes an array of action opportunities for students.
Three student readings explore background on Guantanamo, the use of presidential power, the legal and physical treatment of detainees, and the facility's future. Discussion questions and other suggested activities follow.