Curated OER
Cyberbullying and Civic Participation
Encourage your class to create rules and regulations for cyberbullying. Learners explore civic participation by thinking about the rules and regulations already in place in their lives and studying Canada's Canada Gazette. As a final...
Curated OER
What Does It Mean To Be a Good Citizen?
Students study citizenship and what it means to be a good sitizen. They create their own country and determine its citizenship rules. They work together to create a visual representation of what makes a good citizen.
Curated OER
Citizenship City
Students design labels promoting civic responsibility to distribute to the community. In this civics lesson, students engage in a simulated reunion and discuss their future careers and research various community organizations and...
Curated OER
Characteristics of a Good Citizen
First graders examine characteristics that good citizens need. In this civic virtues activity, 1st graders discuss people they know who are heroes or good citizens. Students name three qualities they believe heroes need. Students create...
Curated OER
Exploring Citizenship: Me, My Family and Friends
Students explore citizenship and identify their interests, families, and friends. They work in groups to discuss each others' interests, friendship, and ways to reach out to others. After discussing their neighborhoods and communities,...
Curated OER
Good Citizen Posters
Third graders create a poster documenting the responsibilities of a good citizen. During group discussion, they develop a list of ways in which they can participate as responsible citizens in their society. Students use their list to...
Curated OER
Character and Citizenship Education
Students analyze the importance of being a socially healthy citizen. In this character education instructional activity, students brainstorm personal traits that they think make the world a better place. Students compile their ideas as a...
Curated OER
School Safety Survey Project
Students investigate safety issues at school. In this citizenship lesson, students discuss things they are fearful of at school. Students then conduct a school survey asking what others are fearful of.
Curated OER
Benjamin Franklin and the U.S. Constitution
Students explore U.S. history by completing a quiz about civics. In this Benjamin Franklin lesson, students read assigned text about Franklin's role in the development of the Constitution and the creation of a new society. Students...
Curated OER
Sharing Our Surplus Stash: A Trick-Or-Treat Twist
Students give the gift of candy to community members. In this citizenship and giving lesson, students read Franklin's Halloween and discuss why the main characters give away part of their Halloween candy. Students brainstorm who in their...
Curated OER
We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution: The American Revolution
The contributions of African-Americans to the American Revolution are the focus of this Social Studies and language arts instructional activity. After reading and discussing Linda Crotta Brennan’s The Black Regiment of the American...
College Board
Using Politics to Improve Participation in Elections
Instructors new to teaching AP U.S. Government and Politics classes, as well as seasoned veterans, will find this teaching guide an invaluable resource. Using a project-based approach to civics education, the lessons emphasize real-world...
Curated OER
Energetic Citizenship
Students analyze how to use less energy. For this energy conservation lesson, students discuss fluorescent and incandescent light bulbs and experiment to examine the energy of both sources using thermometers. Students complete the...
Curated OER
Welcome to My World
Elementary schoolers discuss what a community is, and what their community has to offer them. They create posters, or flyers for the different businesses or places in their community to place around their school. After the learners have...
Curated OER
Acting for the Common Goods
The first of a three-part series on bullying, this plan has class members present skits about bullying, write and sign an anti-bullying pledge, and complete a service project. For the skit, learners use information from previous lessons...
Carolina K-12
The Cold Within
“. . . one of the great challenges to humanity is acknowledging and overcoming a natural tendency to think less of and discriminate against people who are different from us . . .” Launch an examination of competition and cooperation, of...
Annenberg Foundation
Service Learning in the Social Studies
Active Citizenship Today (ACT) is a "unique social studies service learning program" that requires students to learn about the public policy associated with community issues they identify in their local community. This web site provides...
Curated OER
Creating Civic Awareness Through Artistic and Literary Forms
Interpret current events using editorial cartoons and other print media. Middle schoolers explore the meanings of literary and artistic terms such as satire, irony, and caricature. They visit internet sites to develop an understanding of...
Curated OER
Zen and the Art of Murder
Students describe the importance of citizen involvement in the judicial system. They play the role of a witness to a crime scene by watching the video clip. Students discuss how differing eyewitness accounts can affect a police...
Curated OER
Community Calendar
Students create a calendar about good citizenship. In this character building instructional activity, students work in groups to make a citizenship calendar to sell to others. They use the profits to improve their community.
Curated OER
Pulling-Together Web
Students roll a ball to each other that is attached to a string to form a web. In this web lesson plan, students learn how one person's actions affect a whole by making the class web. They discuss citizenship and how they are all...
Curated OER
Arrest- A Legal System Simulation
What would your class do if a police officer arrested a student in class? This is exactly the anticipatory set that gets learners engaged in a unit on the legal system. The plan is to get the officer to simulate an arrest, and then guest...
Curated OER
Service Learning
Young scholars view video clips to define service learning. In this civics lesson, students read quotes, take a survey, and define altruism. Young scholars view video clips and evaluate the motivation and impact of those who perform...
Curated OER
Voting: Your Civic Responsibility
Fifth graders research the viewpoints of the major Presidential candidates. Using this information, they create brochure comparing and contrasting them on important issues. They write a persuasive essay to state the importance of voting...