Environmentalists passionately opposed to a giant pipeline that would transport crude oil from the tar sands of Canada to the Gulf coast are going head-to-head with proponents of the project. Students explore the controversy surrounding the Keystone XL pipeline and the strategic questions it raises for environmentalists.

In this lesson, students will examine the cliques within their school community. They will also explore ways to integrate the student body and form relationships across, and in spite of, controlling cliques.

Students create visual artwork combining various images to convey diversity or social justice issues, concerns or themes related to the central text.

In this lesson art and music activities help students express and understand their feelings.

NBA player Jason Collins recently became the first openly gay athlete in a major American team sport. In this activity, students read some of Collins' coming out statement, discuss it, and then consider their views on the impact coming out can have, both personally and for society.

Students produce original art that conveys an anti-bias or social justice message then work with school staff to plan a public showcase of their work.

Students showcase artwork and nonfiction writing that addresses issues they found in the text. The result is a visual, collaborative and creative representation of student learning and ideas. An alternative to the bulletin board is a community newsletter.

Students create a large-scale artistic depiction in a community space. As an alternative to the community mural, students can create a set of informational posters that reflect a diversity topic or social justice theme.

Students compile and publish a showcase of artwork and nonfiction writing addressing issues found in the central text. The result is a creative representation of student learning, opinions and ideas.

Students create a community puzzle mural, a large-scale artistic depiction, usually displayed in a community space. Puzzle pieces covered in student’s artwork relating to diversity, anti-bias or social justice themes from the central text comprise the mural.

Students create “trading cards” spotlighting diverse community members who work toward social justice goals that connect to themes from the central text.

This activity aims to facilitate classroom discussion of President Obama's remarks on July 19 about race and the Trayvon Martin case.

Students examine the history of political art. They then create their own murals, political cartoons or posters, demonstrating an understanding of social justice issues.

Students think about how to create a kind, caring classroom using an interactive poem and a drawing activity.

President Obama's recent proposal to cut Social Security's cost-of-living increases is part of a major national debate, but one that many students know little about. In this activity, students find out about Social Security by interviewing a senior family member or friend about it, and through reading and small and large-group discussion.

In this lesson students will identify and describe various feelings, so that they can communicate more effectively.

This lesson explores the complexities of a situation in which immigrant students attend a school that is plagued with racially motivated violence. Working in small groups and as a class, students will discuss possible solutions and outcomes and apply their problem-solving skills to issues affecting their own school and community.

The overall goal of these lessons is to help students develop their racial or ethnic identities in a safe and open classroom environment. Each lesson capitalizes on a slightly different modality of learning. The lessons

This lesson is designed to get students to think critically about hot-button issues such as the "fiscal cliff," "sequestration," and the ongoing debate about the US budget. Two student readings examine the general debate about the budget and the human impact of budget cuts and sequestration. Questions for discussion follow each reading.

In this activity from Commonwealth Theatre Center in Louisville, Kentucky, students can write and perform a monologue addressed to a selected emotion describing their experiences with the emotion and why they would like to spend more or less time together. Students will better understand their relationship with their emotions and communicate complex ideas.