Curated OER
Investigation of a Key Public Policy Issue
Twelfth graders select and analyze a public policy issue. In groups, they create a hot list of web sites that have been explored and investigated as a result of a web search. Using their research, 12th graders individually produce a...
Curated OER
Analyzing Public Policy Opinions
Learners brainstorm a list of the major issues affecting Fairfax County, Virginia. Using the internet, they choose one topic to research in depth. To end the lesson, they analyze the effectiveness of an actual public policy proposal or...
Curated OER
Making an Appeal
Learners make an appeal. In this making an appeal lesson students give characteristics of the Washington Supreme Court. Learners examine public policy conflicts and present an appellate case.
Curated OER
The Foreign Policies of Harry S. Truman
Students read an article about the new interest in Harry S. Truman. In groups, they review his foreign policy decisions and how situations might have been different if he had made a different decision. They also examine the problems he...
Curated OER
Making Laws
Students list examples of how laws have impacted their daily lives, and describe how legislators debate, discuss, and pass into law public policies that affect individuals and society.
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
Social Studies: Public Service to a Better Image
Students, in a program entitled "Strategies for Success," examine ways to change public perception of their school. In this project-based lesson, they explore local social and environmental issues, develop a conflict resolution...
Curated OER
Redistricting: Drawing the Lines
Difficult redistricting concepts are covered in a context that will make it understandable to your government scholars. They begin with a KWL on the term redistricting and then watch a video to answer some questions. They analyze...
Curated OER
Social Studies: Elections and Public Policy
Students explore the methods employed by political parties to influence voters. By creating presentations, they illustrate how voters can critically interpret that information. Students compare and contrast the influence of various...
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Learning about Interest Group Politics
Students identify and interpret major interest groups and think tanks of the government. Students evaluate, record, and discuss the viewpoints of guests on the News Hour. Students select several Web-based transcripts of interviews,...
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Environmental Law-Making
Learners 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
Government Policy and Its Impact on HIV/AIDS
Learners examine "President Bush's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief", identify important U.S. policy events related to AIDS/HIV from the last 25 years and hold a policy debate on the funding for AIDS/HIV programs.
Curated OER
Genetics
Learners investigate public policy regarding genetic research and have formed an educated opinion on what they believe the government role should be.
Curated OER
The Power of One
Students study the principles on which Canada was founded. They examine the elements that affect federal and provincial policy making. They identify and evaluate various strategies for influencing public policies. They create a visual...
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Education Research Search
Learners research post-World War II educational development and policy in the United Kingdom. In groups, they develop pro and con arguments about grammar, secondary modern, comprehensive, and independent schools. Collaborative work...
Curated OER
The Declaration of Independence
Students identify and examine the Declaration of Independence and ascertain its true intent and its eventual realization. Then they analyze the Declaration of Independence and summarize the intentions of the Declaration. Students also...
Curated OER
Rural Communities Make a Difference
Students research what analysts say influenced Ohio voters in a Presidential election and discuss what that meant in the election, especially in Ohio. Students use provide Internet sources for research.
Curated OER
Immigration Debate
Students examine statements made by immigrants about immigration. They use the internet to research the truthfulness of these statements. They practice their decision-making skills.
University of Wisconsin
Analyzing Presidential Campaign Propaganda
Campaign propaganda has evolved from 1952 through the presidential election of 2008. A social studies activity prompts class members to analyze the devices used in ads and political cartoons, noting strategies they believe would work to...
Curated OER
Exposes in Different Eras: The Work of Dorothea Dix and Burton Blatt
Students discover that Dorothea Dix was the first to make the pubic aware of the terrible living conditions of people with mental illness in the 1800's. They evaluate the influence of citizen action on public policy.
Curated OER
Participatory Citizenship
Students explore U.S. politics by completing a class project. In this National policy lesson, students review and compare the National Service Act of 1990 and the Kennedy Service Act and the importance of service in the U.S.A. Students...
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Noncombatancy and the Seventh day Adventist Church
Upper graders investigate how the Seventh Day Adventists are objectors to the practice of war. The lesson covers the Civil War and examines the church's position about the practice of war. The research extends to modern wars and learners...
Curated OER
Pen Pals
Students make their own predictions about the amount of different types of birds at each site before they go there. In groups, they collect the bird data and compose letters to their pen pals sharing their information. To end the lesson,...
Curated OER
German Energy Conversations
Learners identify and interpret the current German energy mix and trends, as well as to make comparisons and contrasts to that of their own country. They write a two paragraph description of including its likely position in the future...