Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass provides the text for a study of how writers bring characters to life. Using the provided character mapping worksheets, readers respond to questions and then write a short character sketch.

Many of the issues facing 21st Century learners are challenging and even discussing these issues can be a challenge. So how do teachers prepare learners for these difficult conversations? How do instructors create a safe classroom where...

Students chart out what an opinion poll is and its effects on issues in society. They view an authentic poll to compare/contrast. In addition, they type out a word association key to help assemble a poll and then take a survey on...

Students examine the public controversy between the use of public natural areas for economic activities by viewing video clips, researching on the Internet, and calculating sustainable land.

Students examine the reasons why some people do not support the protection of the wolf on the Endangered Species list. After reading an article, they discuss the controversy of delisting the wolves. As a class, they debate this issue...

Twelfth graders identify and analyze examples of rhetorical devices as valid or invalid inferences. In this text analysis instructional activity, 12th graders research a controversial topic in teams and identify rhetorical devices for...

Students explore the subject of religion in the United States by identifying the different religions that Americans practice, by describing current religious controversies, and by discussing the role that religious leaders play in their...

Students examine the controversy at the F.D.A over Plan B. They read an article, answer discussion questions, conduct research, role-play a panel of experts at a mock conference, and write a letter to the editor their own opinion about...

Students read The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry. After reading the story, they center on the controversy of destroying the rain forest or conserving it. Students have to make an informed decision about rain forest destruction.

The old aphorism, "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions," might well serve as the title for a resource that asks viewers to consider the plight of the people of the Gamo Highlands, an area in southwestern Ethiopia. These...

Did Scopes violate the Butler Act? Why did so many Americans follow the Scopes trial? See analytical reading in action with a fantastic five-day lesson plan in which class members consider the historical context that provoked public...

Who should be able to vote? As part of a study of the 1901 Alabama Constitution, class members examine primary source document that reveal the reasons the authors gave to support their positions on this question and their assumptions in...

The sovereignty of U.S. Native American nations is the focus of a resource that asks class members to compare the Right to Self-Determination in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples with a fact sheet that...

A 24-page manual provides principals, educators, and other school personnel with factual information about sexual orientation development, important legal principles they must consider, and problematic efforts to change sexual...

Students research different perspectives and debate environmental issues. They consider different viewpoints when proposing solutions.

Students trace the development of sectionalism in the United States. They explore slavery, freedom and the Constitution. Students identify influential opponents and defenders of American slavery. They explain different solutions to...

Students explore and analyze the history of Judaism with all its ups and downs throughout history as well as its traditions and cultures that have survived a lifetime of ridicule and controversy. They relate the feeling that the majority...

Eleventh graders analyze the lyrics of protest music. In this Vietnam War activity, 11th graders examine conflict as they consider the controversial nature of the war as evidenced in song lyrics. Students also consider the Iraq War and...

A viewing of Disney’s 1993 film of The Adventures of Huck Finn launches an examination of the events in and themes of Mark Twain’s story. Viewers respond to prompts on a film story worksheet, engage in full-class discussions, and select...

Students explore and discuss the link between values and science. They read several articles on such topics as global warming, cloning, genetically modified crops and animal testing and then identify the subjective aspect of science in...

Students assess how images and words in a political ad deliver its message and stir the emotions in the general public. They research information that supports or refutes claims made in the ad as well as the credibility of the ad. Each...

Students examine how freedoms of expression and religion are shaped within democracies. They consider reactions to controversial art exhibit in Moscow. They compose reaction papers supporting or refuting a quotation from the article read...

Students view a documentary which examines the life and work of Albert Schweitzer. Specifically, it explores the controversy surrounding Schweitzer. Darkness and Light would be useful for classes on World History, African History and...

Students work with the slave narrative as a resource for historical study and evaluate it as a work of literature; students then examine the narrative in the context of political controversy as an argument for abolition.