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Legislative Branch
Students analyze Article 1 of the Constitution. They respond to the Public Criticism E-Learning module.
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Basic Concepts of Democracy
Bring the government to your classroom with this challenging activity. Great as either a review activity or a quiz, the worksheet contains ten questions about the philosophy and characteristics of a democratic government.
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Participating in Democracy
Students analyze film clips in class. In this democracy lesson plan, students identify the differences between civil liberties, democracy and freedom. Students view a video regarding Japanese internment and answer study questions as well...
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Rules and Responsibilities: Youth and the Process of Change
First graders analyze politics by participating in a class rules lesson plan. In this democracy lesson plan, 1st graders identify several class and school rules they dislike and conduct discussions to examine if they should be changed or...
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Citizens Together
Students examine the bill of rights as it relates to founding documents and their significance today. In this bill of rights lesson plan, students use newspapers as sources to answer critical questions regarding democratic citizenship....
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"An American Story"--The Responsibility of Citizenship
Students describe the importance of being a responsible citizen. In this philanthropic actions lesson, students view "An American Story" and identify examples from the movie. Students discuss and recognize philanthropic behaviors in the...
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Piggy Tale Election
Second graders investigate democracy by reading The Three Little Pigs. In this government instructional activity, 2nd graders discover ways laws are changed or enacted by holding their own election in class. Students compare the Big...
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Ancient Greece
Students explore the origins of modern language. In this etymology lesson, students discuss the cultural influences of Ancient Greece on modern society. Students design and complete charts that demonstrate the original and contemporary...
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Hitler's Fatal Gamble
Students consider the differences between totalitarianism and democracy. In this comparative politics instructional activity, students will read a handout describing the major components that comprise totalitarianism and democracy,...
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Take a Stand
Students explore the importance of taking part in our government. In this government lesson, students decide between several families as to who will recieve a goat. Students try to convince each other who to vote for.
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To Be or Not to Be Democratic
Seventh graders explore the democratic republic principles of U.S. government. In this U.S. government lesson, 7th graders compare and contrast the governments of ancient Athens,the Roman Republic, and the United States today. Students...
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The Rise of the City States in Greece
Sixth graders examine Ancient Greece and its development of democracy. In this Greek History instructional activity, 6th graders explore the rise of city-states in Greece and its overall effect on the development of democracy. The class...
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No Choice!
Students investigate freedom. In this character development and U.S. history lesson, students participate in role playing in which the teacher assigns recess restrictions including whom they play with and what they play. Students discuss...
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The League
Middle schoolers explore the concept of civic virtue in a democratic state. In this democracy lesson, students listen to John F. Kennedy's inaugural speech, read selections on democracy, and discuss the importance of civic rights and...
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Greece
For this comprehension worksheet on Greece, students read the article presented and then answer the questions that follow. There are 12 short answer questions to complete about Greece, where it is located, the people, celebrations, and...
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Classroom Constitutional Convention
Students investigate the eight phrases that comprise the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution to determine its principles and purpose. Their own Constitutional Convention is convened to craft a preamble for their school's governance.
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When Property Rights and the Public Good Clash
Students analyze a case involving a government's use of eminent
domain powers to construct a comprehension of property rights and how they might be viewed as essential protections for citizens in a constitutional democracy. They Use the...
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"All Men Are Created Equal"
Students identify the premise of the United States' Democracy. They list the major elements of the document. Students reflect on the inequalities of the late 1700's premise of other units. They complete a KWL chart about the Declaration...
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Tiananmen Square
Students identify and explain the Tiananmen Square incident of June 1989.
Studentsl compare what it is to be an American Citizen (Democracy) vs.
Chinese Citizen (Communism). Students identify and define various vocabulary terms,...
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The Election
Students participate in an election. They are asked to vote for one of four candidates without knowing who they are or what they stand for. Students gain an important lesson when voting to make sure that security of freedom and...
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What is a Democracy?
Students identify what makes a country democratic and compare United States and Indian political party symbols. They create their own political party and party symbol. They create a campaign speech, participate in the voting process...
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My Way or the Highway
Students read "Saudis Uneasily Balance Desires for Change and Stability" from The New York Times and discuss Saudi Arabia as it considers a change from monarchy to democracy. Students work in groups to research and create timelines on...
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Changing of the Guard
Learners reflect on their knowledge of democracy. After reading an article, they examine current plans for the placement of a democracy in Iraq. In groups, they research past regime changes and democratization attempts and discuss the...
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Constitutional Struggle Over Centralized Power
Students participate in a classroom simulation to discover the issues facing those who formed the new U.S. government. They compare and contrast the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution. Using resource sheets and working in...