Curated OER
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...
Center for Civic Education
Citizenship Schools and Civic Education During the Civil Rights Movement and in the Present
Your young historians will discover the importance that citizenship education has played in the social progress of the United States as they learn about early efforts to discourage African Americans from voting in the 1960s.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
History of Immigration From the 1850s to the Present
The Statue of Liberty may embrace the huddled masses of the world, but has American society always joined in? After young historians read a passage about the history of American immigration in the 19th and 20th centuries, focusing on...
Curated OER
Environmental Law-Making
Students go through the process of creating and passing a federal law. They select an environmental issue, research related policies for the issue, draft the bill, discuss it among committee members, bring it before the class and bring...
Curated OER
Your Safety and Security or Your Civil Liberties - Which is More Important?
Students examine provisions of USA PATRIOT Act and controversies that led the ACLU to take legal action against the legislation. They create, conduct, and document results of a survey related to the PATRIOT Act and controversies...
Curated OER
Abraham Lincoln, the 1860 Election, and the Future of the American Union and Slavery
Students examine the political alternatives regarding the spread of slavery and the preservation of the American union facing the American people in the decade leading up to the 1860 presidential election.
Curated OER
Witch Hunt or Red Menace? Anticommunism in Postwar America, 1945-1954
Students investigate the goals and methods of the House Un-American Activities Committee and offer an opinion regarding whether their investigation of Hollywood was justifiable.
Curated OER
Founding Myths, Stories that Hide Our Patriotic Past
Learners participate in a scavenger hunt using their textbooks to find information about historical events, people and places in US history during the Revolutionary Era. After creating their list of important people, students create...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Immigration Enforcement Raids
Class groups take on the role of advisors to the Assistant Secretary of the Office of Policy & Planning of ICE. Their charge is to prepare a report for the secretary on the effectiveness of enforcement actions of the ICE in stemming...
Curated OER
Case Study of a Campaign
Students read a case study of one campaign to discover how political campaigns addresses the needs of the voters. In groups, they answer questions related to the case and discuss how the commercials affect society as a whole. They use...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Ellis Island—The “Golden Door” to America
Are you one of the 100 million Americans whose ancestors passed through the doors of Ellis Island? Learn about the historic entry point for immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with an informative reading passage. After...
Curated OER
Sow the Seeds of Victory! Posters from the Food Administration During World War I
Students engage in a class analysis of posters, responding to each of the worksheet questions. They identify the similarities and differences between the posters.
Curated OER
Affidavit and Flyers from the Chinese Boycott Case
Students divide into small groups and study one of the three union flyers. Groups share their findings with the whole class and clarify unfamiliar vocabulary terms.
Curated OER
Participation in Local and State Government
Students investigate the state and local levels of government. They demonstrate an examineing of government at these levels. The identification of officials and resources can be used for assessment.
Curated OER
Municipal Government in South Carolina
Twelfth graders complete several activities as they study and explore the three different types of municipal governments allowed in South Carolina and the types of services provided for people within these metropolitan areas.
Curated OER
Memorandum of a Conference with President Eisenhower after Sputnik
Students document and list excerpts from a document that shows how calmly officials reacted to the launching of Sputnik. They research contemporary magazines and newspaper articles of the day as well.
NYC Department of Records
Citizenship and Elections: The Importance of a Ballot
Approximately 58 prcent of those eligible voted in the 2016 US Presidential election. In an attempt to impress upon learners the importance of voting and voting rights, class members examine primary source documents related to the...
Foreign Policy Research Institute
Understanding China: The Prospects for Democracy in China
This document provides useful information for a unit on democracy in China. While it does not include detailed activities, it does have a list of democratic principles, and important facts about China that facilitate understanding of its...
Curated OER
Washington Irving in Context
Students examine the various roles Washington Irving had in his lifetime. Examining the situation in Europe and the United States, they are encouraged to relate Irving's experiences to different events. They examine themselves in many...
Curated OER
Understanding Federalist #10
Students read the Federalist #10. In groups, they discuss the meaning of each paragraph. Afterward, students write a summary exploring the important arguments of the paper. Students explore the historical significance of the document.
Curated OER
The Origins of American Government
Young scholars create an advertising campaign to persuade the Founding Fathers to adopt a particular political philosophy. Working in groups, they conduct research about a certain political philosophy. Students create a pitch to be...
Curated OER
How the Electoral College Works
Pupils research the history and mechanics of the Electoral College and formulate opinions as to whether this institution should be preserved, modified or eliminated. They predict future outcomes of electoral vs. popular votes.
Curated OER
Push/Pull factors in Immigration
Students explore the push/pull factors experienced by immigrant families. They interview a parent and an American about their family's immigration history. Students write a summary of the interview and compare the push/pull factors of...