This lesson explores the most recent constitutional expansion of voting rights: extending them to people between 18 and 21 years of age. Students will read the 26th Amendment and learn about its history. They will view an NBC report from Nov. 5, 2008, that explains how important the youth vote was to the election of Barack Obama. Finally, they will examine the results of a recent study showing that young voters have very different concerns than older voters, and hypothesize about how young voters might affect elections in 2012 and beyond.

There is no doubt that modern lifestyle changes have contributed to the problems of overweight and obesity among adults and children. Some school health and physical education programs are tackling the challenge of integrating healthier eating and regular exercise into the lives of students. But what about the social challenges that face children who are overweight? And how do media messages reinforce the bias they already experience among many of their peers? In these lessons, students will evaluate both their own biases related to size differences and the ways in which media shape those biases.

Students write and perform a skit or monologue that brings awareness to a specific issue addressed in the text.

This lesson introduces children to different ways young people have used the internet to work toward positive social change.

Ways to use the reading " Home was a Horse Stall" about the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II in the classroom

This lesson focuses on teaching students to understand the role of identity in the online marketplace and online advertising, and advertisers’ intent to manipulate consumers.

In this lesson students learn about the Reconstruction Amendments (13th, 14th and 15th) that abolished slavery, guaranteed African American citizenship and secured men the right to vote.

Agree or Disagree? asks students to demonstrate their argumentative and comparative writing skills.

On November 20, 1969, Alcatraz island became the unlikely stage for a landmark event in the Native American rights movement.

America by the Numbers with Maria Hinojosa, a PBS documentary series produced by the Harlem-based Futuro Media Group, reveals how dramatic changes in the composition and demographics of the United States are playing out across the country.

These activities ask students to engage with the question of what an equitable school calendar looks like and how to make their own school calendar more inclusive.

Before conducting this activity, educators may want to discuss historical information about racism and diversity issues. In the story The Sneetches, written by Dr. Seuss, yellow bird-like creatures take students on an adventure where green stars become the symbol of discrimination and privilege. After reading the story aloud, let students participate in the following activities that can be adapted with or without the story.

Are You Convinced? asks students to demonstrate their argumentative and evaluative writing skills.

Students produce original art (visual art, music, drama or poetry) that conveys an anti-bias or social justice message. Students then plan a public showcase of their work.

Part of a series that introduces students to four black lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) people and their allies, this lesson centers on the invaluable work and activism of Bayard Rustin.

Beautiful Language asks students to demonstrate their narrative skills when writing to gain the understanding of others.

During this lesson, students will reflect on the ways they have experienced or participated in bias based on physical size and appearance—and will discuss how society’s expectations about body image and appearance affect people. Students build on their media literacy skills as they examine media images for messages that consciously and unconsciously affect attitudes and behaviors toward others. Finally, the class will explore ways to get beyond appearance as a dominant force in their social lives.Note: This lesson has been adapted with permission from the original created by GLSEN for its program, No Name-Calling Week.

The title “Before Rosa Parks” loosely links a number of lessons that discuss African-American women who were active in the fight for civil rights before the 1950s. This lesson highlights Frances Watkins Harper, who challenged power structures in the South by talking to free former slaves about voting, land ownership and education—and fought segregated public transportation.

The title “Before Rosa Parks” loosely links a number of lessons that discuss African-American women who were active in the fight for civil rights before the 1950s. This lesson highlights Ida B. Wells, who worked tirelessly for racial justice in the South, especially concerning lynching.

The title “Before Rosa Parks” loosely links a number of lessons that address African-American women who were active in the fight for civil and human rights before the 1950s. This lesson highlights Susie King Taylor, the only black woman who wrote a narrative about her experiences working with soldiers during the Civil War.

Students identify and investigate a community problem and propose a solution. They then plan and implement action directed at solving the problem.

Most history textbooks include a section about Rosa Parks in the chapter on the modern civil rights movement. However, Parks is only one among many African-American women who have worked for equal rights and social justice. This series introduces four of those activists who may be unfamiliar to students.

In this first lesson in a series of three, students will explore how people are comprised of personal and social identities.

In this first lesson in a series of three, students will explore how people are comprised of personal and social identities.

In this second of three lessons on the film ‘Bibi,’ students will apply the concepts of intersectionality, privilege and oppression to characters from the film.

In this second of three lessons on the film ‘Bibi,’ students will apply the concepts of intersectionality, privilege and oppression to characters from the film ‘Bibi.’

In this third and final lesson on the film ‘Bibi,’ students will write a letter to Ernesto explaining the concepts of intersectionality, privilege and oppression.

This lesson asks students to interrogate six historical documents that show differing opinions about the conflict in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963.

This activity is designed for use with our free curriculum kit, Mighty Times: The Children's March, designed for the middle and upper grades.

Break it Down asks students to demonstrate their explanatory and descriptive writing skills.

Students choose a mode of expression—e.g., writing, art or storytelling—to share theme-related ideas and feelings with a “buddy” from outside the classroom.

This collection of primary resources and corresponding activities sheds light on the endurance of peaceful protesters in Montgomery, Ala., who overturned an unjust law.

Cause and Effect asks students to demonstrate their explanatory and informative writing skills.

The 2008 data surprised people because it showed much more hunger than in previous years. In this lesson, students will learn about some of the report’s findings.

Students identify individuals in their own lives who embody heroism and think about the various roles people play in conflicts.

This lesson is part of a series called “Changing Demographics, Changing Identity, Changing Attitudes” The series focuses on how the American identity has and will continue to change as we move toward a plurality nation, how the nation responds to that evolving identity, how changing demographics relate to issues of equality, and what we can do to promote respect for all people living in the United States.

In this lesson, students consider actions we can take to promote respect and ensure equality for all people living in the United States.

This activity is designed for use with our free curriculum kit, Mighty Times: The Children's March, designed for the middle and upper grades.

This lesson, part of the Digital Literacy series, addresses the importance of locating and verifying reliable sources when working with online information. This lesson is aimed at a young audience and operates on the assumption that many students in the class are not yet reading and writing independently.