Stossel in the Classroom: Ideas in Action

In this issue of Ideas in Action: Invite students to weigh competing solutions to America’s healthcare challenges and examine the gap between presidential campaign promises and foreign policy. Plus, make an assignment worth more than a grade with SITC’s student contests, and meet Empowered, another source of free ideas and tools for your classroom.

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BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE:

MEDICARE FOR ALL REVISITED

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Same Diagnosis. Different Prescriptions.
Both Sides: Medicare for All Revisited

Everyone agrees health care costs too much. That's where the agreement ends. One side says the fix is a single government plan that covers everyone. The other says government rules helped drive up costs in the first place. Your students get to play doctor: same patient, two prescriptions, and they decide which one they'd sign.

Concepts: healthcare policy, government spending, government regulation

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VIDEO LIBRARY:

PRESIDENTS’ BROKEN PROMISES

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From Campaign Peace to Combat
Video Library: Presidents' Broken Promises

Why do candidates who campaign for peace so often turn to military force once in office? Drawing on Matt Taibbi’s argument, John Stossel traces the pattern across recent presidencies and asks why campaign promises and foreign policy rarely align.

Concepts: market economy, planned economy, standard of living

Resources: Teacher’s Guide, Quiz, Kahoot!

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STUDENT CONTESTS

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Save the Date: Contests Launch Sept. 9

Put Your Students in the Running!

Build our 2026–27 Student Contests into your plans as a class assignment, extra credit, or enrichment.

  • Essay Contest: Research a topic and support a position in 500–1,000 words.
  • Video Contest: Make a persuasive case in a 1–3-minute video.
  • AI Challenge: Challenge an AI tool, evaluate its responses, and reflect on the results.

Each contest features four compelling topics, with a combined $31,500 in cash prizes available across all three. Teachers can also earn gift cards based on student participation.

Learn how to make your next assignment worth more than a grade!

Our Student Contests are designed with classroom flexibility in mind! The Essay and Video Contests deadline is Mar. 12, while the AI Challenge closes Jan. 18 and typically takes students just a couple of hours to complete.

Take a look—they may fit your schedule better than you think!

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FEATURED PARTNER: EMPOWERED

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Save the Date: Contests Launch Sept. 9

Free Tools. Fresh Ideas. Fellow Educators.

Looking for more classroom support? Join Empowered to connect with a community of educators and access hands-on activities, practical resources, and innovative tools you can put to work right away. From ready-to-use ideas to its AI-powered Activity Creator, Empowered can help you spend less time starting from scratch. And it’s all free.