Robert Coles’ The Story of Ruby Bridges forms the basis of this powerful cross-curricular study of civic education and civic responsibility. Class members consider how the book presents authority, responsibility, justice, and privacy.....

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...

Class members research citizenship in Ancient Rome and in the United States and use the provided graphic organizers to compare the rights and responsibilities of citizens in these two democracies.

Students consider what qualities and values make a good citizen. Students compare the requirements to become a U.S. citizen in 1896 to current requirements. Students create a country and write out the qualities a good citizen would possess.

An interesting middle school lesson focuses on the rights and responsibilities of citizens. Academics choose a civic project to complete, such as an oral history or photo essay. They then conduct interviews with members of the community...

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...

Seventh graders write a five paragraph persuasive essay on a contemporary civic-life issue.

Groups research participatory democracies and compare the role and rights of citizens in ancient history with those in recent U.S. history. Guided by a series of questions, individuals compose a persuasive essay in which they discuss the...

The Nashua River serves as the focal point of an investigation of the treatment of and care for natural resources. A reading of A River Rand Wild: An Environmental History by Lynne Cherry, launches the study and class members consider...

Build on high schoolers' awareness of what's wrong with society. Here they examine Jimmy Carter's extensive involvement in volunteer action in the local, national, and global arenas. Define and explore concepts -- philanthropy, citizen,...

Inspired by the humanitarian work of President Jimmy Carter after he left office, high schoolers explore the history of civic action in the United States and generate ideas about problems at the local, national, and international levels....

Students identify and describe characteristics of civic virtue. Following a class discussion, they create their own definitions of civic virtue. They write essays based on their own definitions and formulate conclusions on the state of...

Learners examine the role of citizen journalism, freedom of the press, and the First Amendment. They analyze the results of an Internet survey, discuss the ethics of downloading copyrighted material on the Internet, and write a news story.

Students identify the civic responsbilities of those living in a constitutional democracy. In groups, they brainstorm a list of those characteristics of a good citizen. They participate in various scenerios to identify the...

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,...

What are the requirements to register to vote in the United States? Young citizens evaluate this process by working with handouts, informational texts, discussion, and research, as well as complete a sample voter registration form.

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. 

Students examine the character of George Washington. In this George Washington lesson, students read "Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior,"  Washington's First Inaugural Address, and his Farewell Address. Students use the...

To launch a study of civil rights, class members brainstorm rules and expectations of behaviors at home, in school, in the workplace, and in sports. They then look at civil rights cases and examine the rules embedded in these cases. 

Young scholars 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.' Young scholars learn about the test for...

Students explore U.S. history by completing a quiz about civics. In this Benjamin Franklin lesson plan, students read assigned text about Franklin's role in the development of the Constitution and the creation of a new society. Students...

Students explore the humane treatment of animals. For this character development and civic responsibility lesson, students define "hero" and brainstorm related attributes. Students complete an action plan using the "rational approach"...

The Fair Play Act of 2009 came about due to the actions of one woman. Young historians research Lilly Ledbetter and what she went through to get pay equal to that paid to men for the same work at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. The...

Active Citizenship Today (ACT) is a "unique social studies service learning program" that requires young scholars to learn about the public policy associated with community issues they identify in their local community. This web...