Especially critical following a series of shootings in schools, theaters, and religious buildings, it's safe to say that we need to evaluate the current laws on gun control. Eighth graders read a New York Times article in order to better...

Students examine issues of gun control, the right to bear arms, and the overwhelming seriousness of gun related violence. They examine what can, and has been done to redress the situation using the Million Mom March as a reference point.

Students are encouraged to share, through discussion and writing, their feelings about violence in schools, as well as about ways in which such tragedies could be prevented.

Students use the New York Times article profiling ordinary citizens who legally own guns as the basis of a role-playing exercise in which they explore the types of people who own firearms and their personal reasons for doing so.