Grades
6 - 8
Capture your middle school students’ hearts and minds with these free lessons inspired by real teens who made history.
Key Takeaways:
With these stirring lessons from Junior Scholastic magazine, your middle school students will learn just how powerful teens can be when they stand up to fight for what they believe in. Featuring teacher-approved stories, free teacher resources, and engaging activities to build essential critical thinking skills, these free “Real Teens of History” lessons will not only raise student engagement, they’ll also instill a lifelong love of learning history.
Plus, start a 30-day free trial and bring the magazine into your classroom for every student!
The Fight for Free Speech
If your students are looking for someone to thank for their right to express themselves in the classroom, they should look no further than Mary Beth Tinker. In our story, “This Girl Fought for Free Speech,” we detail Mary’s 1960s court battle and the lasting impact it had in paving the way for your students to openly express their views. In this lesson on free speech, your teens will learn what kids experienced in 1965 through our interactive slide show and find out what the Tinker ruling means for them today.
Changing the Course of History
Your students will always enjoy reading about young people like Barbara Johns, who fought for what she believed in and changed the course of history. In our story, “This Student Helped Desegregate America’s Schools,” they’ll learn how Barbara’s protest of inferior conditions at her all-black school led to the famed Supreme Court ruling Brown v. Board of Education, which declared segregated schools unconstitutional.
Free teaching resources, including two videos, a slideshow, an infographic, and more accompany this story to prompt discussion and help your students think critically about what they’ve read.
Fighting for Workers’ Rights
If your students were born a little more than a century earlier, they’d likely be spending their days working dangerous and low-wage jobs in factories and mills. But thanks in part to one courageous 12-year-old girl, Camella Teoli, they get to spend their days with you, learning about incredible teens who changed the world for the better. In our story, “The Girl Who Spoke Out for Workers’ Rights,” your students will learn about the horrible conditions Camella endured at the mill she worked in, and the terrible injury she suffered that motivated her to speak up and fight for workers’ rights.
A Hero of the Holocaust
There are few stories more incredible than that of Adolfo Kaminsky, a shy Jewish teenager who risked his life to help thousands of victims escape the Nazis. In our gripping account, your students will learn about a true hero of the Holocaust and World War II. With a step-by-step lesson plan, a “Know the News” quiz, and more to complement this inspiring lesson on the Holocaust, you’ll capture the attention of your students and show them the positive impact young people just like them can have on the world.
The Junior Scholastic Difference
With fascinating stories of real teens who fought for what they believed and made a difference in the world, Junior Scholastic makes history relevant to today’s students. That’s why teachers across the nation rely on it throughout the school year to teach the latest news and essential historical topics. Try Junior Scholastic free for 30 days in your classroom and see how engaging it can be. You’ll receive print magazines for every student, lesson plans, standards-based teacher support, and digital differentiation resources such as multiple reading levels. Start your free trial now!
