Democratic Principles Teacher Resources

Bring the government to your classroom with this challenging activity. Great as either a review activity or a quiz, the learning exercise contains ten questions about the philosophy and characteristics of a democratic government.

Eighth graders examine the road to the American Revolution. In this Boston Massacre lesson, 8th graders investigate the testimony of Captain Thomas Preston. Students write their own verdicts based on his testimony.

Eleventh graders explore the roles of civic participants.  In this Social Studies activity, 11th graders discover the level of what he/she has access to and/or possess.  Students create pie charts on their goals.

Young scholars consider words that reflect their knowledge and opinions about democracy. They work in groups to research countries that have recently transitioned to democratic forms of government.

Encourage pupils to design an election plan for the entire school. They participate in a Board of Elections, create polling rules, discuss election controversies, write questions about the issues, run the election through an online...

The Election of 1912: an election with four competitive opponents. Pupils get to know the candidates with informative reading passages that provide context to the election. Then, the class engages in a debate and answers questions as one...

Young scholars reflect on their knowledge of democracy. After reading an article, they examine current plans for the placement of a democracy in Iraq. In groups, they research past regime changes and democratization attempts and...

Third graders demonstrate an understanding of geography and its effects on lifestyles and culture. Then they apply basic economic terms and principles and identify the United States government and history. Students also identify and...

In this citizenship and government laws learning exercise, students identify what the United States government provides for its citizens, the foundations of that government, the principles of the Constitution, any amendments to the...

Second graders explore the concept of cultural assimilation. They study the affects of prejudice on the authors of Curious George (Margret & H. A. Rey). They communicate ideas and opinions of the rights and responsibilities of...

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...

Students become familiar with the Core Democratic Values that are the fundamental beliefs and constitutional principles of American society which unite all Americans. Each student is responsible for finding three pictures in magazines...

Students apply the principles of American democracy to people with disabilities. They analyze how individuals and groups in American society have struggled to achieve the liberties and equality promised in the principles of American...

Learners discuss democratic ideals and constitutional principles. They decide which side of the issue they are on dealing with the placement of Japanese-Americans in camps during World War II. They examine primary source documents for...

Pupils determine the meaning of democracy and investigate accomplishments of a number of United States presidents. They look at images of the presidential one dollar coins before they determine how the job of the president differs from...

Students investigate the influence of the Enlightenment on American society and government. In this Enlightenment lesson, students work cooperatively in groups to define the principles of the Enlightenment, American...

Introduce your class to the Core Democratic Values. The lesson focuses on defining the Core Democratic Values and related terms. Small groups look up terms and present a song based on the information they've found. After the...

Students explore different types of government. For this government lesson, students discuss the role of government in modern society, identify different types of modern governments, and play a game based on the information gleaned from...

Students consider the significance of selected American documents. In this civics instructional activity, students analyze excerpts of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

Students identify the principles of democracy when framing the United States Constitution. In groups, they analyze the differences that were settled before anyone signed the document. They role play their own activity in which they...

Students examine the strengths and weaknesses of the Senate in the Canadian Parliament. The role of the Senate is probed as its usefulness is scrutinized.

Engage your class in a series of activities, each related to the use or analysis of symbols used to convey patriotic or national concepts. They identify different national symbols and explain their meanings, discussing the importance of...

Students analyze the Preamble of the Constitution and identify the historical context that led to its wording. They, in groups, interpret phrases from the Preamble, examine relevant court cases and create illustrations for their portion...

Learn about the destruction of the rainforest by analyzing statistics. Young learners make an original line graph showing destruction in the rainforest. Additional activities include making a collage, sequencing Dr. Seuss' The...