Teaching with the News: Free lessons connect your classroom to headlines in the news.
The State of the Union Address
Students review the origins of the State of the Union in the Constitution and then watch significant moments in selected historical addresses and identify important themes, continuities, and discontinuities.
The United States-Iran Crisis
Students review the history and consider the current status of U.S.-Iran relations as they develop media source analysis skills and analyze different perspectives on the current situation.
Refugee Stories: Mapping a Crisis
New update: December 2019.
Students gain an understanding of the current refugee crisis by mapping data and exploring personal accounts of refugees.
Political Cartoon Analysis: Understanding Brexit
This lesson presents arguments supporting and opposing the United Kingdom’s membership in the European Union using an analysis of political cartoons.
The Impeachment Process and President Trump
This lesson helps students understand the Constitutional basis and historical precedents for impeachment.
Teaching About Controversial Issues: A Resource Guide
This resource guide provides teachers with resources and pedagogical tools to feel more prepared to address controversial issues in the classroom.
Seeking Asylum in the United States
Students review a timeline of major laws and policies related to asylum in the U.S.
On the Brink of Nuclear War: Leadership and the Cuban Missile Crisis
Re-release: May 2019.
In this lesson, students will understand the significance of the Cuban Missile Crisis and consider lessons from the missile crisis for today.
U.S.-China Trade Tensions
In this lesson students examine primary sources from U.S. officials, scholars, journalists, and business leaders supporting and opposing Trump administration trade policies with China.
Resource Guide: Transgender Identities and Rights
A collection of resources that may prove useful to educators looking to learn more about transgender identity, discuss transgender identity in the classroom, and to support transgender students.
#WontBeErased: Source Analysis
Students read a general overview text about transgender identity in the United States and analyze social media posts as sources about transgender identity today.
Gerrymandering: One Person, One Vote?
In this lesson students understand the reasons for and process of redistricting after a census.
An Interactive Timeline: U.S. Immigration Policy, Past and Present
Students review a timeline of U.S. immigration policy and laws from European colonization to today, collaboratively synthesize their findings, and present them to the class.
Safeguarding Democracy: Understanding Allegations of Russian Election Interference
In this lesson students analyze the issues and controversies surrounding Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Debating the U.S. Response to Violence in Syria
Students explore, debate, and evaluate multiple perspectives on U.S. policy towards Syria through a role-play activity.
South China Sea: Maritime Conflicts
In this lesson students explore, discuss, and evaluate multiple perspectives on maritime disputes in the South China Sea.
Puerto Rico’s Recovery After Hurricane Maria: Who is Responsible?
In this lesson students learn about the post-hurricane situation in Puerto Rico within a broader context of U.S.-Puerto Rican relations.
Syrian Refugees: Understanding Stories with Comics
In this lesson, students will read stories of Syrian refugees to learn more about the ongoing civil war and refugee crisis in Syria.
Myanmar and the Rohingya
In this free Teaching with the News lesson, students learn more about the Rohingya people of Myanmar and the current conflict.
North Korea Nuclear Crisis
In this lesson students will understand the current threats of a nuclear crisis between North Korea and the United States.
History in Dispute: Charlottesville and Confederate Monuments
In this lesson students will understand the idea of historical memory and contextualize recent events in Charlottesville within a larger historical controversy.
Values and Public Policy
Students identifying values as a way to understand the views of others, find common ground where it exists, and work together to find ways to form policy.
Famine Today: The Greatest Humanitarian Crisis Since World War II
In this lesson students learn about two historical famines and the current food crises in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen.
President Trump’s Executive Order on Immigration and Refugee Policy
In this lesson students practice source analysis skills, consider bias, audience, and author expertise to assess source reliability.
From Washington to Trump: Comparing Inaugural Addresses
In this lesson students explore significant moments in selected historical inaugural addresses and identify important themes, continuities, and discontinuities
Black Lives Matter: Continuing the Civil Rights Movement
Students review a timeline of black activism in the United States from the 1950s to today and identify core themes of the civil rights and Black Lives Matter movements.
Youth Activism and the Dakota Access Pipeline
Students discuss the controversy over the Dakota Access Pipeline, read and analyze letters from native youth activists who oppose the project, and reflect on the role of youth in social movements.
Debating U.S. Drone Policy
Students will explore, debate, and evaluate multiple perspectives on U.S. policy regarding drones.
The Costs of War
In this online lesson students explore the human, economic, social, and political costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Oral History and September 11
In this lesson students explore the human dimension of the September 11 attacks by conducting an interview.