Current Issues
Classroom activities to engage students in learning about and discussing issues in the news
Students explore the connections between young people in Florida campaigning for gun reform and youth leaders in Black Lives Matter – and consider why the media has focused so much less attention on the latter.
Students learn about efforts by youth activists to challenge U.S. gun laws, and discuss the range of gun reform proposals under consideration.
In this activity, students construct a timeline of youth activism, and consider how the students who are organizing against gun violence in the aftermath of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are part of a long history of youth organizing for justice, including for civil rights and...
After 17 people were killed in a school shooting in Parkland, FL, students turned their grief over the loss of their classmates into actions that galvanized the nation. In this activity, participants hear the voices of the Parkland students, and consider the variety of ways they are trying to make...
Students learn about Martin Luther King's Poor People's Campaign, and about the newer Poor People's Campaign, which is also aimed at addressing racism and economic inequality.
February 2018 began with massive losses on Wall Street. In this activity, students get a brief introduction to stocks and stock volatility, and consider what impact such stock market losses might have.
Collected lessons for teaching Black History Month, primarily for high school and middle school.
Students consider how some politicians have used the cold weather to deny climate change and explore the science and statistics behind this common argument.
A new study documents that the news media presents a distorted picture of blacks and black families. In this activity, students explore the issue with a quiz, reading, and discussion.
Students learn about the term "intersectionality," and consider what role it played in the 2017 and 2018 Women's Marches.