Conversation Starters for Grades 5 and Up
The New Jersey State Bar Foundation is all about starting productive conversations on tough topics. Articles published in The Legal Eagle, our legal newspaper for kids, Respect, our diversity & inclusion newsletter, and The Informed Citizen, our civics blog, can be used during “special months,” “special weeks” and on “special days” to spark thoughtful conversations.
The items below are linked to past articles found on The Informed Citizen or the companion blogs for The Legal Eagle (The Lowdown) and Respect (The Rundown) or to PDFs of past issues that contain relevant articles.
Click on this link for a flyer to share: NJSBF Conversation Starters 2023.
All articles posted to The Lowdown, The Rundown or The Informed Citizen include relevant glossary words and discussion questions for ready-made lesson plans. Click on the topic below to view a list of articles to read or download.
Marting Luther King, Jr. Day
Black History Month
Explaining the Roots of Racism
School Discipline Harsher for Black Students
Does Technology Discriminate?
Selecting the Perfect Jury Without Bias
Reform Efforts to Police the Police
White Supremacy Rises Across the Nation
What’s the Price for Righting a Wrong
250 Years of Seeking Reparations
A Fair Fight Against Voter Suppression
Thirteenth Amendment Ends Slavery But Makes Way for a Different Kind
Double Burden on Black Farmers in America
Addressing Race-Based Hair Discrimination
Looking for Reform with the George Floyd “Justice in Policing Act”
Battling Over How to Teach About Racism
More Than Meets the Eye in Cross-Racial IDs
Women's History Month
International Transgender Day of Visibility
Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month
Earth Day
It’s a Warming World–What Can Be Done?
Holding Corporations Accountable for Climate Change
Garden State Leads the Way on Climate Change Education
Garden State Serious About Protecting the Environment
Climate Change Litigation Heats Up as Temperatures Rise
Legal Eagle Spring 2018–Special Climate Change Edition
Legal Eagle Spring 2014–Environmental Law Edition
Global Warming Debate Heats Up in High Court
National Weed Out Hate Day
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Jewish American Heritage Month
World Press Freedom Day
Constitution Week
Fourteenth Amendment Slow to Grant Equality
Equal Justice Under Law–Is Everyone Included?
Updating an Old Act
Allowing the Freedom to Practice Religion or Not
Protecting Privacy in the Past and Future
Fifth Amendment All About Protecting Individual Rights
Defining What Is Cruel and Unusual
Sharing the Power of a Nation
National Bullying Prevention Month
Banned Book Week
Free Speech Week
Freedom of Speech Vital to Democracy
Battles Intensify Over Social Media Bans and Free Speech
First Amendment Freedoms Allow for Dissent
Supreme Court Takes on Case of the Cursing Cheerleader
Access to Social Media Protected by First Amendment
Balancing the Right to Protest with the Right to Be Heard
Right to Protest Forms a More Perfect Union
Limiting Protests Silences Dissent
Election Day
Primaries & Caucuses–Why Do Iowa and New Hampshire Go First?
Voter Suppression Threatens the Right to Vote
Understanding Ranked Choice Voting
Mailing in the Votes
Sowing Seeds of Doubt to Suppress Youth Vote
High Tech Not Always Best When it Comes to Voting
Settling the Question of Faithless Electors
Vote Locally if You Want to Make a Difference
Making Your Choice and Your Vote Count
Battling Over How to Elect a President
Should the Voting Age Be Lowered Again?
Gerrymandering Becomes a Problem for the States to Solve
Native American Heritage Day
Native American Mascots: Racial Slur or Cherished Tradition?
Promises Made and Finally Kept in Oklahoma
Indigenous Women and Girls Seek Visibility and Justice
Coping with the Tragedy of Indian Boarding Schools
Ending Discrimination Against New Jersey’s Native Americans
Unique Challenges and Protections When Adopting Native American Children