Curated OER
Chapter 6 – Road to the Civil War
In this U.S. history learning exercise, students read assigned textbook pages detailing the causes of the Civil War and respond to 37 short answer questions.
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Participatory Citizenship
Students explore U.S. politics by completing a class project. In this National policy lesson plan, students review and compare the National Service Act of 1990 and the Kennedy Service Act and the importance of service in the U.S.A....
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Gore Vidal
In this famous people worksheet, students read a selection about the life of Gore Vidal, then complete a variety of comprehension activities including synonym matches, fill-in-the-blank sentence completions, unscrambling words and...
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Government Lesson Plans
Students can learn how their government is organized through these engaging lesson plans.
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Who's Town is This, Anyway?
Fifth graders work in cooperative groups to simulate a town government as they consider an important change in their community growth. They analyze a real problem in the community and then determine their goals to fix it and make a...
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The U.S. Constitution: Practical Application of the Amendments
Students create their own HyperStudio cards which include scanned images of at least one member (designated reader) of each group. They add the text of a predetermined amendment. The designated reader then reads the selected amendment.
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Desegregating the Kentucky Public School System
Students watch a video which chronicles the struggle to desegregate Kentucky's schools. They write a paper on a given aspect of what they saw in the video.
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A Personal Reflection on the Canadian Parliamentary System and Its Delivery to Secondary Students
Young scholars develop a newspaper portfolio of "Canadian Democracy At Work" and find examples of events/decisions/people from media sources to reinforce the concepts of Power and Authority in the Canadian context.
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The Noble Savage - The Social Contract Rights and Freedoms of Modern Humanity
Learners, in groups, research various philosophers and the historical context of their work. They discuss the necessity and interaction of laws, regulations and human freedoms and consider the importance of the Canadian government to its...
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The Missouri Headwaters: A Confluence of Cultures
Fourth graders research and analyze how people create and change structures of power, authority and government diversity. They review their civic responsibilities. In addition, they identity the major responsibilities of local, state,...
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The 1812 Louisiana Constitution
Students analyze the Louisiana Constitution of 1812 and then draw up a constitution for their particular school. They compare the Louisiana Constitution to the United States Constitution of 1789 and create a graphic organizer of both...
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Civil Rights and the ADA
Middle schoolers examine and discuss the 14th and 15th amentments, and evaluate the agendas of Americans from underrepresented groups in the quest for civil rights. They conduct Internet research and create essays or posters regarding...
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Draw It Out
Students consider other great episodes of civil unrest in the nation's history. They think about what causes riots, what form they take, and how they end. It also provides lessons in peaceful conflict resolution.
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"Black ans White": Nineteenth Century Racism
Students examine Thomas Nast's illustration, "Black and White," looking for examples of racism. Contemporary stereotypes utilized to demonstrate the attitudes of people in the North and South in the 1800's are explored.
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Civil Rights and the Michigan Supreme Court I: A Case of Racial Discrimination in the late 1800s and Minority Supreme Court Justices
Students read the decision of the Michigan Supreme Court in the Ferguson v. Gies, a case dealing with discrimination in a restaurant. They participate in a class discussion about the case and the justices that presided over it. They...
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Michigan Court System (Part 1) (Middle School)
Students identify the courts that make up the Michigan judicial system. They explore the responsibility of each court and diagram how cases move to the Supreme Court. They compare and contrast the different types of courts.
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Michigan Supreme Court
Learners read articles on a hot topic (controverial topic) and prepare for a discussion on the article. They engage in forming an opinion on an important public concern and defending their opinion/position with supporting data. They...
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Michigan Judicial System Conclusion
Students identify the courts that make up Michigan's judicial system. They state the responsibilities of each court and diagram a flow chart of how a case moves to the Michigan Supreme Court. They participate in a quiz about the current...
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Friday Forum (Day 5)
Students evaluate their performance in different debates about the laws of Michigan. They write a letter to an editor of a newspaper sharing their opinions. They write journal entries as well.
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The Jessie Jackson Campaign
Students explore an African American's presidential campaign. In teams, students create a campaign for their presidential candidate. They create political ads and plan campaign strategies. Students are simulate jobs such as a campaign...
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Art Reflects Life
Fifth graders use the Internet to view collections of famous artists throughout the eighteenth century America. Using the artwork, they identify the themes that portrayed America as the land of opportunity. They record their findings...
Michigan State University
Michigan State University: Port Huron Statement: Students for a Democratic Society
The text of the Port Huron Statement of the Students for a Democratic Society, 1962.
Michigan State University
Michigan State University: Msu Libraries: Students for a Democratic Society
Primary source documents and texts related to the Students For a Democratic Society movement, a student protest group in the 1960s. All materials can be downloaded.
New York University
Sds: Students for a Democratic Society
Resource offers annotated explanation of a number of university student protest organizations, including Students for a Democratic Society and its chapter at New York University in 1965.