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Cartoons for the Classroom
Students are often asked to analyze an editorial cartoon on the GED or other high school equivalency test. The free materials from Cartoons for the Classroom will help students with this challenging task. Cartoons for the Classroom provides a weekly lesson that includes editorial cartoons related to a current event and a number of guiding questions for discussion or writing. In other materials, students have to draw conclusions by writing their own caption for a cartoon; there is also a cartoon evaluation worksheet that can be used with cartoons found in other publications. In addition to current event cartoons, the site provides resources to help study editorial cartoons from different eras. Read More
National Council for Geographic Education
The National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE) is a professional organization for geography teachers and provides free and classroom-ready materials for both members and non-members. By navigating to the NCGE resource library, users can type in geography-related search term such as maps, climate, migration and be provided with lessons and other resources. While some of the materials are aligned to AP geography, there are many others that can be used in the elementary and secondary grade level classrooms. Read More
NewseumED
NewseumED provides a wide range of resources related to the First Amendment and media/information literacy. Along with an extensive lesson plan library, the site has created "EDcollections," which brings together archival materials, primary sources, interactives, and standards-based lesson plans for all levels of students. Activities related to free speech, media literacy, women's suffrage, the First Amendment, the Civil Rights Movement, and decoding elections are found in these EDcollections. Other useful resources include an artifact library where users can download and view impactful images from history. In addition, the site also has a number of videos related to media literacy topics such as bias and objectivity, and each one is accompanied by a related lesson plan. Read More
Council for Economic Education
The CEE's mission is to provide students at all levels with the tools and knowledge of economics and personal finance in order to make better decisions for themselves, their families, and their communities. The CEE offers an extensive collection of free, leveled, and standards-aligned lessons, activities, and videos that cover a wide range of economics and personal finance topics. Teachers can also sign up to download free, ready-made K-12 economics and personal finance quizzes and tests. If you are new to teaching economics, or need additional teaching strategies and resources, CEE offers professional development sessions and webinars on a variety of economics related topics. Read More
Native Land Digital
The Native Land Digital interactive map shows which Indigenous lands you live on in the Americas and in other parts of the world. Users can click on labels or enter their city, state or zip code and see which Indigenous peoples lived in that specific area. Accompanying the interactive map is a useful teacher's guide that provide suggestions on how to use the map in the classroom and a number of lessons that utilize the map and cover other topics related to the Indigenous peoples. Read More
Minnesota Council on Economic Education
MCEE offers free economic and financial literacy resources at the K-5, 6-8, and 9-12 grade levels. All of the free lessons meet the Minnesota meet the Minnesota state academic standards in economics and many of their curriculum materials provide teachers with materials to incorporate economics into history, geography, and mathematics. In addition to their leveled lessons, MCEE provides resources for distance learning, for teaching multi-language students, and links to free online finance games. If you are new to teaching economics, or need additional teaching strategies and resources, MCEE offers professional development sessions on a variety of economics-related topics. Read More
National Geographic: Antibiotic Resistance is Beefing Up
This is a leveled reading for 3-12th grade and discusses the genetic resistance of bacteria and its impact on public health. The reading introduces the concept of genetic resistance, which is a common topic on the GED/HiSET exams. Read More
National Geographic: The Mantle
This activity provides readings, and diagrams of the Earth's layers. It introduces relevant vocabulary and discusses how the major layers of the Earth differ from each other. This concept, which is commonly seen on the GED/HiSET, is a good introduction to larger discussion of plate tectonics. Read More
The Change Agent Democracy in Action Edition
Although originally published in 2008, this PDF-version of The Change Agent's "Democracy in Acton" edition has many readings and activities related to civic participation that still relevant for current times. The Change Agent is a publication that helps teachers incorporate social justice content into their curriculum. There are even articles written by adult leaners. It does require a subscription and is appropriate for intermediate and above ELL students and for learners at the Pre-GED/GED levels. In this edition, readers are first introduced to different types of civic participation and problem solving strategies. The next sections include topics related to politics, the history of voting, and the connection between money and politics. The final readings discuss political parties and the democratic system of government. Read More
HiSET Practice Exam – Science
HiSET is joining the GED as an alternative pathway to a K12 degree in Minnesota. This link provides students with an opportunity to assess their science knowledge prior to taking the HiSET exam. Read More