Curated OER
VS.6b
Sixth graders explore, analyze and identify the ideas of George Mason and Thomas Jefferson as expressed in the Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Virginia Statue for Religious Freedom. They list and declare the responses stated in...
Curated OER
Fairness
Pupils explore how a bill becomes law. They discuss the concept of human rights and fairness. In groups, students research a topic of interest. Given a problem, pupils work together to solve it fairly. They prepare and give an oral...
Curated OER
In His Own Words: James Madison On the Problem of Faction
Students are introduced to the writings of James Madison and explain why he is often called "The Father of the Constitution". Using primary source documents, they examine his view of the Bill of Rights and what he meant by faction. In...
School Improvement in Maryland
Political Systems: Advantages and Disadvantages
Every political system has advantages and disadvantages. To gain an understanding of these differences, groups investigate the political system of another country—oligarchy, monarchy, dictatorship, parliamentary—and prepare a...
Curated OER
Our National Documents
Students consider the significance of selected American documents. In this civics lesson, students analyze excerpts of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
Curated OER
The Preamble to the U. S. Constitution
Fifth graders explain the purpose of the government by examining the Preamble to the Constitution. They identify ways in which the government is preserving those rights today. They discover one of the fundamental principles of...
Curated OER
Money Talks
Students move from fact finding to interpretation as they examine paper money from the time of the American Revolution. In the final exercise, they use the issue dates of the bills to construct a chronology of political changes during...
Curated OER
A Woman's Crusade: Dorothea Dix
High schoolers examine the life and reform efforts of Dorothea Dix on behalf of people with disabilities. They also examine the role of women in the 1840s and 1850s. They discover different sources of examples of citizen's rights.
Curated OER
The United Nations: Fifty Years of Keeping the Peace
High schoolers examine the work of the United Nations. In this United Nations lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding the history of the United Nations. High schoolers respond to discussion questions...
Curated OER
A World At Peace
Young scholars view a film segment and identify examples of world conflict. They examine why groups fight for control of land or natural resources. They discover ways in which conflict can be avoided.
Curated OER
Freethought Day Lessons
Freethought Day provides a way for students to discuss the current justice system.
Curated OER
The U.S. Trade Embargo on Cuba
Students examine perspectives for and against the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba, develop a position on the embargo and articulate viewpoints in a public forum.
Sea World
Shark!
Is that a shark? Here's a 10-lesson unit that will have learners expanding their definition of what a shark actually is as they examine different features, habitats, and diets. They explore endangered species, using information cards...
Heritage Foundation
Substantive Amendments: Amendments I and II
The First and Second Amendments remain some of the most famous, even to this day. Learners read about several clauses from the US Constitution through a variety of captivating activities including before and after reading, group work,...
Curated OER
Grapes of Wrath: Setting up Historical Context
Discuss life in the 1930s in relation to the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, then do a cross-media analysis. Here you'll find background information on film maker John Ford, writer John Steinbeck, and 1930s America. You can compare the...
Consumers Energy
The Cost of Electricity
How much is your toaster costing you every day? Young environmentalists calculate the monetary costs of household appliances based on their average consumption of wattage.
Curated OER
Fairness: Incarceration of Japanese Americans During World War II
Pupils examine fairness in relation to the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. In this equality lesson, students watch a video "Rabbit in the Moon" and discuss what happened to the Japanese Americans during WWII. Pupils use...
Curated OER
Checks on Presidential Power
Students examine presidential powers. In this checks and balances lesson, students identify the constitutional and informal restraints of the president and consider the reasons for the limitations.
Curated OER
Word Formation
In this word formation worksheet, students choose the kind of words that the bold words are and fill in the blanks with words derived from other words. Students complete 35 problems.
Curated OER
Vietnam Trade Pact
Students explore world trade issues. In this economics lesson, students read "Opening Doors to Vietnam," and discuss the trade negotiations between Vietnam and the Untied States. Students conduct further research on the topic and...
Curated OER
Jazz in America
Learners explore different instruments and what role they play in Jazz. They also each person's role in a democratic society.
Curated OER
Jeopardy: Seventh Grade Terra Nova Review of Literary Terms
This literary terms PowerPoint provides a structured game to review the literary devices. The Jeopardy-style review game includes instructions for play, the game board slide, and questions that feature examples of the literary terms.
Curated OER
War of 1812
Eighth graders locate the major land forms and bodies of water on a map of Louisiana. In groups, they discuss the role of the Mississippi River in the Battle of New Orleans and how land and water affect the outcome of battles. To end...
Curated OER
American Colonists Protest Song
Students explore the role of protest songs. For this early American history lesson, students research the acts passed by the British that angered colonists. Students then listen to protest songs from contemporary American history prior...