Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl is a groundbreaking diary that gives first-hand experiences of the Holocaust. Anne Frank is a teen who lived through this historically horrible event by hiding in an annex with her family Otto (father), Edith (mother), Margot (sister), and some others (Hermann Van Pels, Auguste Van Pels, Peter … Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
Understanding Animal Farm by George Orwell Materials Steps involved 1. Introduction Journal: Can you think of an instance where you found it difficult to stand up for what you believe in because of the beliefs of those around you? Were you able to overcome this obstacle? Why or why not? 2. Watch the “Animal Farm … Understanding Animal Farm
A Utilitarian Perspective The attached PowerPoint (also found on the Resources tab of this lesson plan) introduces Mill’s idea of higher and lower pleasures by incorporating short videos showing forms of both higher and lower pleasures. Students will discuss, first, whether it is possible to distinguish between high and lower pleasures and, if so, to … Flowers for Algernon
Topic: Immigration This is a complex topic and can best be discussed in the context of concrete examples. In general, immigration is the movement of people from one tribe or nation to another. Immigration has been occurring since humans appeared on the planet and has always been viewed through different lens. Background Some brief historical … Immigration: a complex issue
Loyalty or Rebellion? Warm-Up: This or That? To warm-up the students’ philosophical thinking and introduce them to the primary theme of the lesson (rebellion or loyalty), facilitate 2-5 rounds of “This or That?” Directions: Prompts *Throughout this activity, you might notice a trend that students’ opinions on whether to rebel or stay loyal are contingent … The American Revolution
Treating Others as Persons Notes About Lesson Plan Warm-Up Question What is the difference between treating someone like a person versus treating something like an object? (Optional Historical Background, if using to supplement discussions of slavery) In the United States of America and in other places in the world, there have been institutions that failed … Power and Hierarchy
The Bill of Rights Materials: Print out the Bill of Rights Activity Sheet and cut along the dotted lines. Place the different Rights in strategic places in the room. Students should each have a pencil. This lesson assumes that the students have some familiarity/ background knowledge on the topic already, including: *Note: If you need … Keeping Power in Check #2
Separation of Powers Materials: ~10 copies of the Constitution of the School Activity (see below); pencils This lesson assumes that the students have some familiarity/ background knowledge on the topic already, including: *Note: If you need to review this information for this lesson, Here are two good videos to use: one or two. I recommend … Keeping Power in Check #1
Introduce four (or five) primary forms of government The form of government our society uses is a very important decision that will determine who gets power, how laws are made, and who gets a say. Democracy (Direct) the people directly on everything; majority rules Republic the people vote to choose leaders who make decisions for … Forms of Government
This lesson assumes that the students have some background knowledge on the topic already, including: (if not every student knows all of these facts, it will be okay!) In this lesson, students will engage with philosophical quotations about atoms and the structure of the universe. They will work on the skill of interpreting what other … Atoms and The Structure of the Universe
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