Make back-to-school unit planning easier with Infobase. For resources to help teach critical-thinking skills, analytical writing, and civics and history for this year’s classes, turn to Issues & Controversies and Issues & Controversies in History. Perfect for in-class debates, writing assignments, and research, these two acclaimed, authoritative resources present both sides of contemporary issues and major conflicts in world history and today without bias or slant.
Ideal for getting students to think critically about today’s most important issues, the award-winning Issues & Controversies provides objective, in-depth analysis of hundreds of today’s hot topics in politics, government, business, society, education, and popular culture. Issues & Controversies in History is known for its dynamic, concise, and balanced coverage of major debates and conflicts in every region of the world from antiquity to the present. It contains comprehensive and insightful articles on topics that will capture students’ attention and encourage discussion throughout the academic year.
We’ve made it easy for educators to use these tools in classes by highlighting a selection of articles on key topics they may be teaching about, organized by month.
Ideas for Using Issues & Controversies
- Use the overview videos—available on most major issues–to introduce a topic
- Use the discussion questions to spark in-class debate
- Use the Enhanced Lessons to find lesson plans for teaching controversial subjects
- Use the debate videos to provide fresh perspectives from leading experts
- Use the printable handouts for review and self-assessment
- Use the primary sources and court cases for context and background and for DBQs
- Get students thinking with the “What If?” questions in the “Extend the Lesson” section
- Use the NPR podcasts and Bloomberg QuickTake videos to offer engaging multimedia content
- Use the Presidency and Presidential Races section for lessons on elections and more
- Use the Reuters® newsfeed for up-to-the minute news impacting an issue
- Use the NewsEdge link to find the latest editorials and opinion columns from across the nation
September:
- Labor Day: Labor Unions: Do Labor Unions Benefit American Workers and the U.S. Economy?
- September 11 attacks: Immigration Policy: Do Stringent Immigration Policies Benefit the Nation?
- National Childhood Obesity Month: Childhood Obesity: Should the Government and Medical Community Take More Aggressive Action to Combat Childhood Obesity?
- National Food Safety Education Month: Food Safety: Should the U.S. Government Strengthen Food Safety Regulations?
- Banned Books Week: Book Bans: Are the Book Challenges Sweeping School and Public Libraries Across the Country in the Best Interests of Students?
- Election Campaign: 2024 Presidential Race: Should Voters Elect Former President Donald Trump (R) or Vice President Kamala Harris (D)? (COMING SEPTEMBER 2024)
October:
- U.N. Day (October 24): U.S.-Russia Policy: Should the United States Take a More Aggressive Stance Toward Russia?
- National Bullying Prevention Month: Cyberbullying: Should Cyberbullies Be Prosecuted?
- Energy Action Month: Climate Change: Should the U.S. Government Take Aggressive Steps to Combat Climate Change?
- National Substance Abuse Prevention Month: Opioid Epidemic: Should the Government Take More Aggressive Measures to Address the Opioid Crisis?
- Supreme Court in Session: Supreme Court Term Limits: Should U.S. Supreme Court Justices Have Term Limits?
November:
- Election Day:
- Voting Rights: Should Congress Pass a New Voting Rights Act?
- Two-Party System: Would More Major Political Parties Benefit the United States?
- Electoral College: Should the United States Continue to Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections?
- Presidential Pardons: Does the President Have the Power to Self-Pardon?
- Presidency and Presidential Races section
- Homelessness Awareness Month: Involuntary Commitment: Should the Government Involuntarily Commit More People with Severe Mental Illnesses?
- Veterans’ Day: Militarizing Space: Should the United States Invest More in Military Space Capabilities?
- Transgender Awareness Week: Transgender Rights: Should the Government Take More Steps to Protect Transgender Rights?
- Black Friday: Amazon: Is Amazon Good for the U.S. Economy and American Workers?
December:
- National Impaired Driving Prevention Month: Marijuana: Should the United States Legalize Cannabis?
- Computer Science Education Week: Artificial Intelligence (AI): Could AI Pose a Danger to Humankind?
- Human Rights Day (December 10): Nuclear Disarmament: Should the United States Pursue Global Nuclear Disarmament?
- Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa: Religious Freedom: Should the Government Strengthen Religious Freedom Protections?
January:
- National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month: Slavery Reparations: Should the Government Provide Reparations to the Descendants of Slaves?
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Anti-Racism: Will the Anti-Racist Movement Help Reduce Inequities Between Black and White Americans?
- Inauguration Day: The Biden Presidency: Was the Presidency of Joe Biden (D) a Success? (COMING JANUARY 2025)
- Football: NFL Head Injuries: Is the National Football League (NFL) Doing Enough to Address Head Injuries?
February:
- African American History Month:
- Affirmative Action: Do Affirmative Action Programs Benefit American Society?
- Hate Crimes: Are Hate Crime Laws Necessary?
- Politics in Sports: Does Politics Have a Place in Sports?
- Confederate Monuments: Should Confederate Monuments Be Displayed?
- Critical Race Theory: Should States Restrict Discussion of Race in the Classroom?
March:
- Women’s History Month:
- Abortion: Should Women in the United States Have Access to Abortion?
- MeToo: Is the #MeToo Movement an Appropriate Response to Sexual Assault and Harassment?
- Women’s Rights and Sexual Harassment: Are Further Measures Necessary to Achieve Gender Equality in the United States?
- March Madness: Paying College Athletes: Should National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Athletes Be Paid?
- College Testing: College Entrance Exams: Should Colleges and Universities Require Applicants to Submit ACT or SAT Scores?
April:
- World Health Day (April 7): Health Care Reform: Has the Affordable Care Act Improved Health Care in the United States?
- Tax Day (April 15): Cryptocurrency: Are Bitcoin and Other Digital Currencies Viable Units of Exchange?
- Earth Day (April 22): Water Resources: Should the United States Federal Government Substantially Increase Its Protection of Water Resources in the United States?
- Stress Awareness Month: Mindfulness in the Classroom: Should Public Schools Teach Meditation and Yoga?
- National Public Health Week: Coronavirus: Are Quarantines and Travel Restrictions Appropriate Responses to COVID-19?
May:
- Mental Health Awareness Month: Social Media and Mental Health: Does Social Media Benefit Its Users?
- International Workers’ Day (May 1): Minimum Wage: Should Congress Raise the Federal Minimum Wage?
- Choose Privacy Week: NSA Surveillance Programs: Should National Security Agency (NSA) Surveillance Programs Continue?
- Endangered Species Day (May 16): De-extinction: Should Scientists Resurrect Extinct Species?
- World No Tobacco Day (May 31): Smoking Bans and the Tobacco Industry: Should the Government More Strictly Regulate the Consumption and Sale of Tobacco Products?
June:
- Pride Month: Gay Rights: Should the Government Take More Steps to Protect Gay Rights?
- National Gun Violence Awareness Month: Gun Control: Should the United States Adopt Stronger Gun Control Laws?
- Black Lives Matter Month: Police Brutality and Reform: Does Policing in the United States Need to Fundamentally Change?
July:
- Independence Day (July 4): Populism: Are Populist Movements Good for Liberal Democracy?
- 100th Anniversary of Scopes Trial: Religion in Public Schools: Should Religion Play a Role in Public Schools?
- National Whistleblower Day (July 30): WikiLeaks: Does WikiLeaks Serve the Public Good?
August:
- Back-to-School Month: School Uniforms: Should Public Schools Require Uniforms?
- National Inventors Month: Intellectual Property Rights: Should the United States Federal Government Significantly Strengthen Its Protection of Domestic Intellectual Property Rights in Copyrights, Patents, and/or Trademarks?
- National Immunization Awareness Month: Mandatory Vaccination: Should Vaccination Be Mandatory?
- National Wellness Month: Mindfulness in the Classroom: Should Public Schools Teach Meditation and Yoga?
Ideas for Using Issues & Controversies in History
- Use the videos to introduce a topic—selected articles include an exciting, original three-minute video that gives essential historical context to the issue and controversy
- Use the discussion questions to spark in-class debate or to inspire research
- Use the printable handouts for review and self-assessment
- Assign the primary sources for context and background
- Encourage critical thinking. Use the “What If?” questions at the end of many articles to pose counterfactual scenarios suggesting how history could have turned out differently
September:
- Afghanistan War: Should Congress Authorize an Attack on Terrorist Targets in Afghanistan?
- Constitutional Convention: Balancing a Strong National Government and States’ Rights
- World War II and “America First”: Should the U.S. Intervene in World War II or Remain Neutral?
- Roman Empire: Should Rome Restore a Republican Form of Government or Become an Empire?
October:
- Columbus’s Voyages to the Americas: How Should His Legacy Be Assessed?
- John Brown’s Raid at Harpers Ferry: Was John Brown a Freedom Fighter or a Terrorist?
- Cuban Missile Crisis: Should the U.S. Use Force to Remove Soviet Missiles from Cuba?
- Quebec Separatism: Should the Province of Quebec Secede from Canada and Form a Separate Nation?
November:
- 2000 Presidential Election: Fair or “Stolen” Election?
- Kennedy Assassination: Was the President Killed by a Lone Gunman, or Was There a Conspiracy?
- The Bonus Army: Was President Hoover Right to Evict the Bonus Army?
- Opium War: Was Great Britain Justified in Going to War with China?
- The Comanches: Did They Establish an Empire in the American Southwest?
December:
- Pearl Harbor Attack: Who Was Responsible for Failing to Anticipate the Attack?
- Nativism and the Know Nothings: Should the United States Restrict Immigration?
- Bhopal: Who or What Was Responsible for the Bhopal Disaster?
- Australia and Its Policy on Indigenous People: Was Australia’s Policy of Removing Mixed Race Children from Their Families Motivated Mainly by Benevolence or Racism?
January:
- League of Nations: The Pros and Cons of U.S. Membership
- Prohibition: Is Banning Alcohol a Social Necessity or Restriction of Freedom?
- Keating-Owen Child Labor Act: Should the Federal Government Regulate Child Labor?
- Voyages of Zheng He: Should China End Its Maritime Expeditions?
February:
- Slavery and the American Revolution: Did the American Revolution Significantly Change the Condition and Status of Black Americans?
- Japanese-American Internment: Preservation of National Security or Violation of Japanese Americans’ Rights?
- Black Power Movement: Militancy vs. Compromise in the Fight for Rights
- Yalta Agreement: Did Roosevelt and Churchill Succeed in Achieving the Best Deal Possible?
March:
- Boston “Massacre”: Were British Soldiers or American Colonists to Blame?
- Equal Pay Act of 1963: Should Employers Be Required to Pay Women and Men Equal Wages?
- Equal Rights Amendment: Should the U.S. Constitution Be Amended to Ban Discrimination Based on Sex?
- Irish Independence: Should Ireland Ratify the Anglo-Irish Treaty?
April:
- Mexican-American War: Justified Response to Mexican Aggression or Unscrupulous Land Grab?
- Secession of the Southern States: Did Southern States Have a Right to Secede?
- Spread of Early World Religions: Did Missionaries or Merchants Play the Main Role?
- The Vietnam Conflict: Should the United States Use Combat Troops in Vietnam?
May:
- Indian Removal Act: Necessary to Protect the Indians or Atrocity Against Them?
- Ten-Hour Workday: Should Massachusetts Legislators Enact a Ten-Hour Law?
- Brown v. Board of Education: Does Racial Segregation of Public Schools Violate the U.S. Constitution?
- Founding of the State of Israel: Should a Jewish State Be Established in the Middle East?
- Napoleon Bonaparte: Was the French General and Emperor of the Late 18th and Early 19th Centuries an Enlightened Ruler or Authoritarian Despot?
June:
- Reign of Hatshepsut: Ambitious Usurper or Successful Ruler?
- War of 1812: A War of Necessity or of Choice?
- Watergate Affair: Betrayal of American Democracy or Overblown Political Scandal?
- Proposition 6: Should California Voters Pass the Antigay Ballot Measure Known as the Briggs Initiative?
July:
- Declaration of Independence: American Colonies Sever Ties with Great Britain
- Scopes Trial: Can a State Bar Evolution from Being Taught in Public Schools?
- Civil Rights Act of 1964: A Measure to Ensure Equality or a Violation of States’ Rights?
- Roswell Incident: UFO Crash or Harmless Nonevent?
August:
- Haitian Revolution and Human Rights: Did This Uprising Successfully Advance or Ultimately Thwart the Cause of Human Rights?
- Suffrage Movement: Should the Woman Suffrage Movement Adopt Militant Tactics?
- Atomic Bombing of Japan: Barbaric Tactic or Quick Way to End the War?
- Hurricane Katrina: What Was Responsible for the Devastating Flooding of New Orleans?
- Berlin Wall: Should It Have Been Built?
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See also:
- FREE PDF: Four Keys to Using Issues & Controversies in Instruction: A Guide
- Learning Through Debate
- Teach Controversial Topics in the Classroom with Issues & Controversies
- Prepare for November with Infobase’s Elections Content
- Information Literacy Starts with Infobase
- FREE webinar: Empower Critical Thinking and Informed Reasoning in Your Social Studies Curriculum: Primary Sources
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