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LEGISLATION: Passing a bill in The House of Representatives
Ninth graders explore how legislation is introduced to the House of Representatives with special emphasis on how issues of national importance arise and how bills move through the chamber. Students debate an urgent bill and direct...
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Photographs of Lewis Hine: Documentation of Child Labor
Students use the Archival Research Catalog to complete assignments and activities about Lewis Hines and the National Child Labor Committee.
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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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Building the Foundation
Students understand the purpose of the judicial branch of government. In this judiciary lesson, students participate in exercises to understand how the court system works. Students complete activity sheets to develop understanding of...
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What is Government?
Students explore values that unite Americans. In this government lesson, students recall the symbols of America and discuss how to create a "Classroom Constitution." Students form rules and write their own Constitution.
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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...
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Social Studies: Campaign Finance Reform
Students develop arguments for and against campaign finance reform, examine federal and state laws that attempt to limit contributions to political candidates, evaluate various plans for campaign finance reform and formulate their own...
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Active Citizens 101
Students explore and investigate multiple aspects of citizenship and democracy in a sequence of lessons that involve thoughtful discussin and participation to assist in gaining a better perspective of what citizenship and domocracy is,...
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Who Are Our Greatest Presidents?
Young scholars create criteria to evaluate U.S. Presidents. In this presidential legacy lesson, students determine criteria to rank presidents. Young scholars research the presidents, then evaluate the current president and assess how...
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A System of Rules
Students write letters, create models, create a photo display, and make charts about the rules that a state has. In this rules lesson plan, students learn about and make different displays of how states come up with rules, change them,...
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Civil Rights
Twelfth graders survey how controversial court cases have changed the viewpoints of civil rights. For this U.S. Government lesson, 12th graders work in small groups to prepare summaries of specific court cases, then present their...
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We the People…in the News
Students use the newspaper to explore the world around us, our past and our government. In this civics unit, students complete 40 different lessons in civic education using that day's newspaper to reinforce the concept being taught.
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Resistor and Resistance
High schoolers explore electrical resistance through various experiments. In this physics lesson, students calculate resistance using a mathematical formula. They explain how colors identify the resistance value of a resistor.
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Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
Students examine state rights and the commerce clause. In this Supreme Court lesson, students examine primary documents from Gibbons v. Ogden and discuss the implications of the decision.
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Bill of Rights
Twelfth graders list, describe, and illustrate the specific rights guaranteed to individuals and how they are secured. Then they examine landmark Supreme Court cases, such as, Airport Commissioner vs. Jews for Jesus, New Jersey vs. TLO,...
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Justice Demands an End to Segregation, But it Does Not End
Students define human rights and describe how it applies to politics, economics and cultural rights. As a class, they watch a video how the Constitution was made and discuss its purpose. In groups, they present information to the class...
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Music Education, The Blues
This instructional activity examines both the content and form of lyrics in blues songs. In addition to highlighting the basic musical form of a blues song, it also addresses the use of floating verses in blues music, both within the...
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Racial Inequality: Remnants of a Troubled Time
Students watch the Discovery program "Racial Inequality: Remnants of a Troubled Time" then examine the ratification of the 14th Amendment and the Plessy v. Ferguson decision. They research one of three events that tested Brown v. Board...
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The Plight of Four Million Newly Emancipated Slaves: Reconstruction - 1865-1877
Students study the Reconstruction Era after the US Civil War. In this Reconstruction lesson set, students examine the problems that were encountered by the South after the Civil War, look at different plans for Reconstruction, and...
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Thinking About Violence: Assault
Students explain how the law defines an assault causing bodily harm - identifying the important elements that constitute the offense.
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Activism and Social Reform in America from 1800-1850
Students discuss idea of social status, examine antebellum social reform movements, and compare and contrast experiences of activists who sought to improve workers' lives, end slavery, reform immigration laws, and establish voting rights...
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Who Represents You?
Students investigate Congress and how individuals are represented in this Country. In this government lesson, students complete worksheets research government web sites to determine which senators and congressmen represent them....
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Reviewing the Election Process by NOW Classroom for PBS
Students take a closer look at presidential elections. In this election process instructional activity, students discuss the roles of the primary, caucus, polls, Electoral College, delegates, and lobbyists in the process. Students then...
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Separation of Powers
Students examine the roles of each of the branches of U.S. government. In this checks and balances lesson, students watch Discovery video segments and discuss the concept of federalism as they create a school-wide policy for government...