SPLIT: A DIVIDED AMERICA EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
Click here to view the Educational Trailer.
Click here to download the Teacher's Guide Introduction
In partnership with the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), Split: A Divided America is available free of charge as an educational resource to High School teachers nationwide. The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and National Association of Student Councils (NASC), a program of NASSP, are also notifying their members of this opportunity.
This teachers' guide is a companion to the film and provides class activities, discussion topics, handouts, primary sources and assignments suggestions for further study. It is designed to be both accessible to students with limited historical and civic knowledge and thought provoking for even the most advanced students. Our ultimate goal for the film and lesson plans is that students emerge as more informed and motivated citizens.
The discussion-based nature of the activities in the lesson plans reflects the belief that students learn best through civil discourse and debate and echoes the philosophy that democracy can only function if all citizens engage in dialogue on topics of public interest. Only through discussing and learning about the challenges facing our nation can students be prepared to act on them.
The teacher's guide is divided into six lessons plans, each of which corresponds to a chapter of the film. Each lesson covers a single class period and while ideally taught as a series, they have been designed to be equally effective when taught separately.