Michael Simpson recommends . . .
Resource
Class Matters website
Submitted by
Michael Simpson, Educational Policy Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Context
To get lesson ideas, to get complete lesson plans, to have access to resources linked from lesson plan, to see working-class bibliography.
Description
The site features articles from the New York Times and provides links to a related lesson plans. It also has links to written materials, slideshows, interactive graphics, etc. Lessons include: class and religion, class for the masses (depiction of class in media), How taxes effect different classes, college and class , Immigrants and class, segregation in private communities, etc.
These lesson plans come with wonderful questions and suggestions for explorations. I like breaking away from the purely academic books to get at popular press reports and stories on individuals----people students can relate to as opposed to mere statistics.
The lessons come with warm-up suggestions. The lesson on colleges begins with four posters given to four groups. They are given a level of education and students list professions and jobs related to each. Homework includes reading and journaling but also interviewing someone in the community. The site offers suggested lines of inquiry, as well as assessment, extension activities, and vocabulary.