Current Issues
Classroom activities to engage students in learning about and discussing issues in the news
Following the violent rally by white supremacists in Charlottesville, this activity has students read, consider and discuss quotes about the presence of white supremacist symbols across our country, what the symbols represent, and what we should do about them.
After upsetting events like those in Charlottesville, it's important for people to be able to share their feelings, talk, and be heard, in a supportive environment. This activity, which includes a backgrounder for the teacher, has students share their reflections in a circle.
It’s been a newsy summer. Get students thinking about what’s been happening in politics over the summer with this quick survey.
When President Trump announced that the U.S. would be pulling out of the Paris climate agreement, governors and mayors across the country announced that they were still on board and would continue their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this activity, students read about and discuss how...
Students learn about the landmark 1967 Supreme Court decision that overturned laws banning interracial marriage, and consider the legacy of that decision today, 50 years on.
Michelle Alexander’s book The New Jim Crow changed the conversation about race, racism, and incarceration in this country. In this activity, students explore Alexander’s argument that our criminal justice system has relegated millions of people of color to a permanent second–class status, and...
It's the 30th annniversary of ACT UP. In this lesson, students learn about and discuss the activist organization whose bold, creative organizing forced government action to combat HIV/AIDS. .
The city of New Orleans removed four prominent Confederate monuments that had stood as symbols of white supremacy in that city for 133 years. This lesson uses speeches by New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu and City Councilmember Nadine Ramsey to explore the legacy of the Civil War and slavery, and how...
Should we abolish prisons? Students learn about and discuss the history of calls for prison abolition and consider alternative approaches, including restorative justice.
Why did President Trump fire James Comey? This activity briefly explores the news and the debate.