State of the Union Addresses: An Interactive Video Timeline
This lesson allows students to examine the constitutional origins of the State of the Union Address, explore an interactive video timeline, and develop the analytical skills and habits of citizenship as they view and assess President Biden’s 2022 SOTU Address.
Taking It to the Streets: Global Protests During the Pandemic
In this lesson, students examine photographs of protests from various countries around the world, develop research questions and conduct research into specific protests, and analyze some of the similarities and differences regarding the causes of street protests and governmental responses to them.
Processing the Pandemic: Remembering a Year of COVID-19 Through Political Cartoons
In this lesson, students analyze political cartoons that not only reflect the events of the times, but also offer interpretations and express strong opinions about pandemic events and experiences.
“This Is Not Who We Are.” Or Is It? Historians Contextualize the Capitol Riot
In this lesson, students will work together to explore six different excerpted articles from historians and scholars who, in the days after the Capitol riot, sought to provide historical context for the events of January 6.
From Washington to Biden: Comparing Inaugural Addresses
Students read or view past presidential inaugural addresses, analyze their messages, and discuss their visions for the country. Students will then view and analyze Biden’s address, discuss their findings, express their own views, and reflect on the purpose and meaning of presidential inaugural addresses.
Voting in 2020: Values and Policies During a Pandemic
Students assess the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the 2020 election; identify and prioritize the values that shape their personally held beliefs; explore the presidential candidates’ positions on key policy issues; and gather evidence to analyze an issue and its role in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
When the Games Stop: Athletes Unite in Historic Sports Shutdown
Students explore the perspectives, motivations, and goals of athletes protesting the shooting of Jacob Blake, analyze polling data, examine primary sources, and consider the achievements and limitations of collective action by athletes.
Black Lives Matter, the Killing of George Floyd, and the Long Fight for Racial Justice
Students review a timeline of Black activism, identify patterns and themes, consider accomplishments of civil rights activists and the enduring obstacles to racial equality, and evaluate platforms for activism and the role of social media in protests.
Taking It to the Streets: A Year of Global Protests
Students examine photographs of protests from around the world, analyze the origins and causes of protest movements, and identify similarities, differences, and patterns.
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.
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.
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.
North Korea Nuclear Crisis
In this lesson students will understand the current threats of a nuclear crisis between North Korea and the United States.
Debating the U.S. Response to Syria
Students explore, debate, and evaluate multiple perspectives on U.S. policy towards Syria through a role-play activity.
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
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.
The Candidates and Their Values: Election 2016
Students examine their personally held values, explore the platforms of presidential candidates, assess how their own values and beliefs align with those of the candidates, and discuss the potential impact of the upcoming election.
Resource Guide on the Orlando Nightclub Shooting
An annotated list of sources that offer suggestions for various classroom approaches to these tragic events.
Surveying State of the Union Addresses
Students explore significant moments in 20th century State of the Union Addresses and identify important historic themes.
Resource Guide on the Terrorist Attacks in Paris
An annotated list of online sources that may be helpful for approaching some key aspects of the terrorist attacks in Paris.
Negotiating Climate Change: Paris 2015
Students examine the need for, and challenges associated with, creating an international agreement on climate change.
The Iran Nuclear Deal
Students interpret political cartoons to better understand the role of the U.S. in the debate about the Iran nuclear deal.
Cuba and the United States: A New Chapter
Students explore the changing relationship between the United States and Cuba.
Greece and the EU: Navigating Debt and Austerity
Students learn about the European Union and the eurozone, identify the lasting effects of the 2008 financial crisis on Greece, and brainstorm solutions for Greece and the EU.
Governing Global Health: The World Health Organization and Ebola
Students explore the structure of the World Health Organization (WHO) and its role in the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, discuss challenges the WHO has faced in responding to the Ebola outbreak, identify what resources are needed to bring the epidemic under control.
Nigeria and Boko Haram: Inequality, Injustice, Insurgency
Students gather information about Nigeria and the Boko Haram insurgency and identify core challenges faced by the government and people of Nigeria.
The Struggle to Define Free Speech: From Skokie to Paris
Students consider how different societies define freedom of expression, analyze historical sources that reveal contrasting views on freedom of expression in the case of Skokie, Illinois, where a Nazi group attempted to demonstrate in the 1970s, and explore the current free speech controversy in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks.
The Conflict in Syria
In this lesson students work in groups to research the perspectives of a variety of domestic and international actors on the conflict in Syria.
The Umbrella Movement: Protests in Hong Kong
Students analyze photographs of the protests in Hong Kong and explore the symbols and messages that protesters use to express their views.
Good Atoms or Bad Atoms? Iran and the Nuclear Issue
Students analyze the issues that frame the current debate on U.S. policy towards Iran and recent international negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program.
ISIS: A New Threat
Students use political cartoons to explore the role of ISIS in the Middle East.
Unrest in Ukraine
This lesson provides a background to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, has students analyze political cartoons, and asks them to monitor the Ukrainian crisis in the news.
Graffiti in Egypt’s Revolution
Students will assess the role of graffiti in political protest, use a short video to analyze the relevance of graffiti during the Egyptian revolution and articulate opinions on graffiti and censorship.
The Egyptian Revolution: An Interactive Timeline
In this lesson students review an interactive timeline of events in Egypt over the past three years and identify core themes of Egyptian protest movements.
Debating the U.S. Response to Syria
Students will explore, debate, and evaluate multiple perspectives on U.S. policy towards Syria through a role-play activity.
Fifty Years after the March on Washington: Students in the Civil Rights Movement
Students hear stories from former civil rights activists, analyze what motivated students to join the movement, what their experiences were like, and consider the relevance today.
Debating U.S. Drone Policy
Students will explore, debate, and evaluate multiple perspectives on U.S. policy regarding drones.
Following the U.S. Presidential Election
In this lesson student track news coverage of the 2012 presidential campaigns and form their own opinion on policy issues and the candidates.
U.S. Policy in the Middle East: Analyzing Political Cartoons
In this lesson students explore current issues in the Middle East and their relation to U.S. policy by interpreting political cartoons.
The United States and the Iranian Nuclear Program
In this lesson students analyze the issues that frame the current debate on U.S. policy towards Iran.
The Arab Spring: One Year On
In this lesson students learn about various Arab Spring protest movements in the Middle East and North Africa.
The Iraqi Refugee Crisis
Students explore firsthand accounts of Iraqi refugees’ experiences and gain an understanding of the causes and scope of the crisis.
Famine in Somalia
In this lesson student use news sources to explore the crisis in Somalia and consider a variety of factors exacerbating the famine.
The Future of the Middle East: The Arab Spring and the Death of Osama bin Laden
In this lesson students consider the impact of Osama bin Laden’s death on different groups of people.
Protests, Revolutions, and Democratic Change
In this lesson students consider the role of the United States and international community and analyze the potential effects of the protests on democracy and stability in the Middle East and North Africa.
After Mubarak: A New Middle East?
In this lesson students identify the connection between the demonstrations in Egypt and other protests in the region.
Egypt’s Uprising
In this lesson students will identify the causes of the demonstrations in Egypt and explore the role of traditional and social media in the uprising.
Pakistan’s Floods
In this lesson students identify the immediate and long-term effects of the flooding on Pakistan.
Darfur: Violence and the Media
In this lesson students will explore events in Sudan using multiple sources.
The Lessons of Iraq
In this lesson students analyze how the lessons of Iraq may influence U.S. leaders.
The Gulf Oil Disaster
In this lesson students explore a range of issues raised by the 2010 oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico including impact, accountability, U.S. oil dependency, and energy policy.
The United States in Afghanistan: Analyzing Political Cartoons
In this lesson students interpret political cartoons and place them in the context of political discussion about Afghanistan.
Looking at the Tank Man: The 20th Anniversary of Tiananmen
In this lesson students consider the concept of censorship and analyze the merits of censorship versus freedom of information.
A Nuclear North Korea?
In this lesson student watch videos and answer questions.
India: Conflicts Within
This collection of lessons accompany India: Conflicts Within, a program of the Pulitzer Center.
India and Pakistan in the Wake of the Mumbai Attacks
In this lesson students understand the circumstances surrounding the Mumbai terrorist attacks and examine the historical relationship between India and Pakistan.
Water Wars
This is a 2-day lesson plan to accompany “Water Wars,” a series by the Common Language Project (CLP) and AfrikaNews.org with support from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.
Globalization and the Economic Crisis
In this lesson students consider the connections between globalization and the current economic crisis.