English Language Arts Standards Archives

19 resources available

Handout

Battle for Emancipation and Full Citizenship: A Journey from Dred Scott to the 15th Amendment

This high school lesson plan is designed to accompany the film “Juneteenth” and encourages students to consider the connections between historical events before, during and after the Civil War that charted the course to citizenship for enslaved people in the United States. Students will also examine societal reactions to the emancipation of enslaved people and how the resulting conflicts necessitated the need for the three Reconstruction Amendments.

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Civil Liberties vs. National Security: A Wartime Balancing Act

This lesson will focus on the case Korematsu v. U.S. in comparison with other times in U.S. history when the government was faced with the challenge of how to protect the country during war and, at the same time, protect individual freedoms. Using primary sources, students will examine five events in which U.S. citizens were forced to give up their civil liberties in times of war, highlighting the tension between liberty and security. Students will analyze these events to determine what groups were affected and the reasoning for and against the government action to decide if the government action was justified. Students will be able to form an opinion on the essential question: Is our government ever justified in restricting civil liberties for the security of the nation?

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Why the Bill of Rights Matters to You

This lesson will allow students to use primary sources, the Bill of Rights, and Supreme Court cases in conjunction with the game “That’s Your Right” and the Annenberg Guide to the Constitution. Students will be able to understand the meaning and importance of the Bill of Rights as well as how it safeguards freedoms and protects citizens from government intrusion in everyday life. Students will focus on primary sources, the Bill of Rights and real-life scenarios to prepare them to play the game “That’s Your Right.” Afterward, students can extend learning by exploring real Supreme Court cases that affect students in schools.

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Language of Deception

Critical Thinking
This lesson examines the ways in which terms that pack an emotional punch can add power to a statement – and also ways in which emotive meanings can be used to mislead, either by doing the reader’s thinking for him or by blinding her to the real nature of the issue.

Handout

U.S. Generals…Support the Draft

Critical Thinking
This lesson examines an anti-war advertisement sponsored by Americans Against Escalation in Iraq asserting that military officials plan to continue the war in Iraq for an additional 10 years and that that plan will require reinstating the draft.

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The Credibility Challenge

Critical Thinking
This lesson offers students background and practice in determining authority on the Internet – how to tell whether an author has expertise or not, and whether you’re getting the straight story.

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The Battle of the Experts

Critical Thinking
In their effort to get to facts that are as objective as possible, students will examine the differences between primary and secondary sources, check the track records of different sources, and practice looking for broad consensus from a range of disinterested experts.

Handout

Pump It

Critical Thinking
In this lesson, students will: Examine an ad from John McCain claiming that ending a ban on offshore drilling would have an effect on current gasoline prices. Research the offshore drilling process and explore the connections between drilling for oil and current gasoline prices. Assess whether McCain is correct to link the ban on offshore drilling with high gas prices.

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PETA Pressure

Critical Thinking
Some manipulators focus their attentions on teenagers. In this lesson, students will learn to spot their tactics and why they should be skeptical about them.

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Olly Olly Oxen Free!

Critical Thinking
Students will explore the meaning of the term “sanctuary city” and determine for themselves whether New York City ought to be designated a sanctuary city.

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Oil Exaggerations

Critical Thinking
President Barack Obama has said that “we import more oil today than ever before” – but do we? How can you find out? In this lesson, students will weigh Obama’s superlative claim against the facts.

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Monty Python and the Quest for the Perfect Fallacy

Critical Thinking
This lesson will focus on 10 fallacies that represent the most common types of mistakes in reasoning, using Monty Python and popular culture to make the lesson relatable.

Handout

Made in the U.S.A.

Critical Thinking
Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards wanted to stop U.S. companies from moving jobs offshore, and a group called Working 4 Working Americans ran an ad in support of his plan. But the story the ad tells doesn’t quite give the whole picture. In this lesson, students will examine the facts behind this potentially misleading ad.

Handout

Health Care Hooey

Critical Thinking
This lesson comes in a basic version, for classrooms without internet access and/or students at the 8th-9th grade level, and a more advanced version, which does require internet access and is aimed at students at higher grade levels.

Handout

Everything You Know is Wrong 2: Beliefs and Behavior

Critical Thinking
This is the second of two lessons focusing on the instincts and habits of mind that keep us from thinking logically. This time around, we will focus on how people reconcile their beliefs with the world around them, even when the evidence doesn’t seem to agree with those beliefs.

Handout

Everything You Know Is Wrong 1: Us and Them

Critical Thinking
In this lesson, students explore some of the irrational ways in which humans think, and learn to recognize and overcome the habits of mind that can get in the way of good reasoning.

Handout

Combating the Culture of Corruption

Critical Thinking
In this lesson, students will: Examine an e-mail from the Democratic National Committee that attacks John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, for looking the other way during a bribery and corruption scandal. Research McCain’s role as head of the Indian Affairs Committee and explore the history of the investigation into the scandal. Assess whether or not the DNC’s e-mail accurately describes McCain’s actions regarding the scandal.

Handout

Building a Better Argument

Critical Thinking
In this lesson, students will learn to create good arguments by getting a handle on the basic structure. The lesson will provide useful tips for picking out premises and conclusions and for analyzing the effectiveness of arguments.

Handout

Background Beliefs

Critical Thinking
In this lesson, students will learn to distinguish between the two different types of background beliefs: beliefs about matters of fact and about values.