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School Museum
Fourth graders research individuals who contributed to the history of Illinois, and what school was like at that time. They compare schools of various times.
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Regulating the Harvest
Students study the effect of trapping in the Illinois Territory in 1805 and compare it to trapping today. They participate in a role playing activity in which they discover how practices in early Illinois Territory led to wildlife...
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Participating in the Political Process
Students explain why it is important to participate in government, and name at least three ways citizens can participate.
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Raising Money for Government Services
Students evaluate how money is raised to pay for government services. They describe why governments need revenue to provide goods and services. They create a list of government expenditures at the federal, state and local levels. They...
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Paying for Government Services
Students identify major sources of revenue for government spending and identify the type of tax that makes up the largest percentage of the federal budget. They are introduced to the major services provided by local, state and national...
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Candidate Obama Support and President Obama's Agenda
Students research categories within President Obama's agenda and create a PowerPoint presentation. In this President Obama agenda lesson, students research a category within President Obama's agenda and present their topic in a...
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"I've Been Working on the Railroad" - Federal Land Grants and the Construction of the Illinois Central Railroad in Mid-nineteenth Century Illinois
Eleventh graders, in groups, design a self-sufficient community. Groups present the communities they've designed. They compare and contrast the communities presented. They research the theories of Johann Heinrich von Thunen online and...
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Trappers Then and Now
Students study how trapping in the Illinois Territory in the 1800's effected the beaver population in the state. They compare methods, rules and regulations of the 1800s to those of today. In groups, they research a variety of...
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THE KING AND QUEEN OF ENGLAND
Second graders compare the parliamentary and democratic government in an attentive discussion, make realistic predictions for the story read aloud, use realistic examples in their stories about their life as a king or queen, and...
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Life before Congress
Students name some interesting backgrounds of Members of Congress, identify their current representatives in the legislative branch of the national government, and describe the background of one local representative or senator.
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How Should Congress Allocate Money?
Students discover and examine how the government spends money and then determine what they this are priorities for national spending by illustrating their ideas on a pie chart. They research the national spending allocations on the...
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Civil Service Reform: Campaign Contributions
Students investigate the campaign contribution scandal in Illinois during the 1990s. They listen to a teacher-led discussion, answer discussion questions, compare/contrast two reform acts, and write their own civil service law.
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Honoring An Imperial Legacy
Students research, compare, and identify imperial Rome's impact on modern governments. They compare the political system of ancient Rome to modern political systems throughout the world.
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Working Together to Improve Our Community
Students from the fourth grade research a solution to a community problem and converse with eighth graders via email. Eighth graders study the political process and work with the fourth graders to present information to the public to...
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Pardon Me, Please
Students research capital punishment policies supported by leaders who have issued pardons, then reflect on how executive pardons might affect the balance of power between the branches of government.
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The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854: Popular Sovereignty and the Political Polarization over Slavery
High schoolers read selections from the Declaration of Independence, Northwest Ordinance of 1787, and the Wilmot Proviso of 1846. They contrast the maps of 1820 and 1854 to analyze developments in the national debate over slavery. They...
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School Bill of Rights
Students study the Bill of Rights. As a class, they create a "School Bill of Rights," with amendments. Students discuss the difference between rights and responsibilities and examine Supreme Court decisions dealing with the first ten...
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Why Does Congress Work That Way?
Students discover the powers of Congress. In this legislative branch lesson, students examine the legislative process as they analyze Article I of the U.S. Constitution. Students consider the powers of Congress as they define the role of...
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Roles of Individuals and Groups in Politics
Students review the Federalist Paper by James Madison. They discuss the influence of interest groups in contemporary politics.
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Democracy is Cool
Students discuss the components of a representative democracy. In groups, they create a t-shirt that shows the components and why it is "cool" to live in a democracy. As a class, they examine the concept of the common good and how...
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New Citizen Exam is Democracy 101
Learners read a USA Today article about U.S. democracy and then complete questions about the topic. In this democracy lesson, students read the article 'New Citizen Exam is Democracy 101.' Learners learn about the test for U.S....
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Civil Service Reform: Campaign Contributions
Eleventh graders discuss the 19th-century spoils system. They discuss the 1990s licenses for bribes campaign contribution scandal that occurred under George Ryan's (Illinois's then-Secretary of State) tenure. .
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Harvesting the River Lesson: Commercial vs. Sport Hunting of Waterfowl: How Did One Lead to the Other?
Students investigate the environmental impact of market hunting leading to new laws and sport hunting. They conduct Internet research, and summarize their opinions on the need for and formation of public policy on waterfowl hunting.
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Lincoln: The Constitution & the Civil War
Learners examine the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. In this Abraham Lincoln lesson, students analyze the political and constitutional issues that Lincoln dealt with during his time in the White House as they play an online game and...