Seinfeld: Kennedy Conspiracy Spoof

Thanks to Kimberly for the suggestion.  This is a classic spoof from Seinfeld that looks at the "magic bullet" conspiracy after the Kennedy assassination. This clip is appropriate for any high school class.

"This Will Revolutionize Education"

Colbert Report: Interview with President Obama

This interview covers the low voter turnout in the midterm election and the debate about the Keystone Pipeline.  It is also a good look into the inner workings of partisan politics. The interview is appropriate for most classrooms.

The Colbert Report
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Colbert Report on Facebook

Fantasy Geopolitics

Getting students engaged with current events can be tricky, but this game Fantasy Geopolitics is a great tool to get them excited about reading the news.  I used this site with 8th graders last year, and current event Fridays became a class favorite.   This game works a lot like a fantasy football team, but instead of creating a team of players, students create a team of countries.  The more their countries appear in the news, the more points their team receives.

Fantasy Geopolitics works well with teams or with individuals, and it encourages students to follow the news so they can make smart trades each week.  This game teaches students to pay attention to international events so that they can make educated predictions about where news will spread.

Jimmy Fallon and the Gadsden Purchase

This clip is a good brain break about several US territorial treaties.  A good one to watch after studying the concepts.

 

Why Privacy Matters

Interesting Ted Talk to facilitate a discussion on privacy in the 21st century.  This subject has plenty of connections to the 4th amendment.

Horrible Histories

There are tons of these video clips on YouTube about a wide range of history topics.  Some are free, while others require payment to BBC.  Here is an example I used with a middle school class a few years ago.

The Onion: Jesse Owens and Civil Rights Satire

This Onion report draws attention to the fact that while Jesse Owens was a hero abroad he would have been unable to eat in many restaurants in the US.  First half about Jesse Owens is clean, second half about Nelson Mandela uses the word "defecate."  Just know your audience.
Construction Workers Realize They Put Erie Canal In Wrong Place

Incarceration Nation

This video clip from the Sunday Morning show is great for getting government students to think about the effectiveness of prison as a punishment, as well as the racial disparities in our prison population.

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/the-incarceration-nation/

Daily Show: Gerrymandering

This clip is a satire on racial gerrymandering.  Start at 40 seconds to avoid language.

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Daily Show on Facebook