One of the features of C-SPAN Classroom that I particularly like is the Bell Ringer category of activities. Bell Ringers are short videos about contemporary issues in government, politics, and business. Each Bell Ringer video is accompanied by a list of key vocabulary terms and a list of discussion questions to use in your classroom.

C-SPAN Classroom recently released a new batch of Bell Ringers. Two of the Bell Ringers that grabbed my attention were World War II – The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb and The Role of the Speaker of the House. I’ve embedded both videos below, but the videos alone aren’t nearly as valuable as the vocabulary lists and teaching ideas that can be found by clicking through to each of the lessons.

You will need to be a registered member of C-SPAN Classroom in order to access all of the Bell Ringer materials. Registering is free and only takes a minute.