New ReviewUnless you are a lawyer, you might not understand just how unrealistic Law and Order and other legal dramas actually are. Here's a great resource to help scholars of criminology gain a more realistic perspective. The lesson outlines the...

As part of a study of the American Civil Rights movement, class members search the Internet to find important facts, people, events, and pictures that they use to create a timeline of events between 1955 and 1970. 

How does an individual take a stand for a principle or belief? what skills are required to do so? What are the challenges and risks in doing so? Class members study examples of individuals engaging in such activities and then identify...

All rise! Scholars put their skills to the test in a mock trial. Using evidence, photographs, and testimony, they role play the trial in the classroom. Rules of law—and the court room—come to life as the class becomes a place of law! 

Have you ever had a goal, but needed help achieving it? Scholars analyze the purpose of stakeholders in the fifth installment of a 10-part County Solutions - High School series. They investigate finances, personal concerns, geography,...

How can understanding government regulations help your class to comprehend real-world policies? Resource exercises include a warm-up activity, a graphic organizer, case studies, and analysis questions. The lesson finishes with a lively...

Do we have a civic duty to help people who are less fortunate? A thought-provoking resource challenges learners to think about topics such as relative and abject poverty, social responsibility, and charity versus philanthropy. After...

The German youth faced an onslaught of propaganda when they went to school, thanks to the Nazi regime led by Hitler during World War II. Pupils relate their education experiences to German youth by analyzing primary source readings,...

During elections, headlines constantly lament the issue of low voter turnout. Help class members understand why this is such an important topic with relevant articles, a discussion of both sides of the issue, and a reflective essay. 

Active citizenship is the bedrock of any great democracy. Continue the trend by teaching the next generation about voting rights and the functions of elections in society. The variety of activities in the resource includes a human...

Get high school historians to step outside their own shoes by responding to JFK's inaugural address from the perspective of a civil rights activist, a soviet diplomat, or a Cuban exile. After a class discussion about the address, the...

Ask not what the lesson here can do for you, but what you can do with the lesson. The answer is quite a lot! Young scholars revisit JFK's famous inaugural address with a focus on his plea for civic engagement. There's a letter to JFK...

To conclude their study of immigration and human rights, class members create a civic engagement project centered on an issue of immigration and designed to influence US immigration policy. They examine examples of attempts to influence...

The soldiers of the American Revolution and the soldiers of the modern war in Iraq may have different tactical objectives, technology, and strategies, but they share the goal of protecting the American way of life. Compare the ways that...

Whether it's an election year or not, a unit on voting patterns and political campaigns will awaken the civic pride in your high school citizens. Divided into six parts, the curriculum covers various facets of an election, including...

Address both social studies and critical reading skills with a resource dedicated to the voting process, the American democracy, and the ability to evaluate information in order to develop a stance on an issue. Each themed activity set...

Now that the class has decided on an issue to be addressed by their project, it is time to collect information. The focus of this lesson is on websites, how they are organized, how to evaluate and rate them, and how to collect...

Class members review the issues presented in the second lesson and vote on the civic project the class develops.

Drawing on all the work they have done so far, class members draft a position paper that summarizes the problem, the research they have completed, and analyzes the benefits and limitations of the proposed regulation or action.

Class members have selected the problem to be addressed. They've collected evidence. Now it's time to come up with solutions. Class groups brainstorm ideas, share them with the class, and then the whole class votes on the best solution...

Here is a lesson that asks class members to identify a problem or an improvement that would be appropriate for their county government to address and to begin research into solutions.

Whether you are teaching a newspaper unit in language arts, covering the First Amendment and censorship in social studies, or focusing on writing ethics in journalism, a unit based on the foundations of journalism would be an excellent...

What does it feel like to be the victim of intolerance? Class members engage in activities, watch a video, and reflect on their own experiences with intolerance or discrimination before creating a project designed to combat intolerance...

Whose responsibility is it to protect equal rights? Class members engage in a series of activities that create awareness of the prejudice and intolerance persons with disabilities face. They then create a message addressed to their...