Current Issues
Classroom activities to engage students in learning about and discussing issues in the news
What is the Department of Education, and what does it do? What impact does it have on students, and how would things change if it were abolished? This two-part lesson consists of two readings that investigate the Department of Education as a historic and modern governmental agency. Questions for...
This two-part lesson consists of two readings on the effort to improve the quality of food in school meals programs across the United States. Questions for discussion follow each reading.
As the Los Angeles wildfires continue without full containment, students are most likely experiencing a range of emotions: fear, uncertainty, confusion, anxiety, sadness, and/or hopelessness. It is important that all feelings are validated and space is made to share questions, thoughts, and feelings...
Students explore the diversity of names and traditions people in different countries use to celebrate the Lunar New Year, and consider how we can be more inclusive in marking this holiday.
This lesson consists of two readings on free school meals programs in the United States, reviewing the recent expansion of programs that provide free meals to students and how a state-level initiative to provide free school meals has played out in Minnesota. Questions for discussion follow each...
This two-part lesson consists of two readings on the efforts to confront mental health stigma in the United States. Each reading is followed by a post-reading microlab activity where students discuss mental health issues in their own lives with their peers.
Nine suggestions for supporting students and strengthening your classroom community in these challenging times. Some are quick and easy, to calm the mind and body, keep in your pocket and have at the ready. Others are more complex for a full- or half-period lesson, and can build on one another.
In the wake of the 2024 presidential election, educators are looking for ways to address students' anxieties, build the classroom and school community, counter bias and harassment, and address political issues raised by the election.
This lesson consists of two readings on the issue of President Biden’s proposal to reform the Supreme Court. The first reading reviews the binding code of conduct that the White House has proposed, as well as some of the scandals among justices that inspired this proposal. The second reading...
August 26th is Women’s Equality Day, a national day of celebration commemorating the 1920 passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. This two-part lesson consists of two readings which explore the ongoing history of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the United States. Questions for...