"Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;. . ." Why is this guarantee of free speech and a free press the First Amendment to the US Constitution? Why are these rights so essential to a...

After researching statistics about their community in local census reports, young journalists interview a resident about their interests and then analyze a local newspaper or homepage to see how similar the stories are to the residents'...

Fifth graders research one of the 50 U.S. States that they were unfamiliar with.  For this U.S. Geography lesson, 5th graders utilize encyclopedias as well as the Internet to research a chosen U.S. State in order to write a report....

Fourth graders write about slavery and freedom.  In this freed slaves lesson, 4th graders read historical information about free blacks during slavery and explore books, objects and slave narratives to learn more.  Students...

The debate over the integrity of stories in media is not new. Young journalists analyze historical sources that reveal freedom of the press controversies and draw parallels to challenges freedom of the press faces today. 

Students label states and capitals on a United States map and complete research on one of the states. In this states lesson plan, students fill in the states on blank maps.

Students engage in a study that explains how laws and government have policies that affect the economy to run more smoothly. The focus is upon the historical development of the free market and how the government was involved. Students...

In theory, news reports should be fair and unbiased. Young journalists test this theory by selecting a current news story covered by various media outlets about the President of the United States. They then locate and analyze five...

As part of the study of segregation in U.S. schools, scholars research and create a timeline of events that led to the historic Supreme Court case, Brown V. Board of Education. Groups research a topic or event that led to the decision,...

Students research a US state, design and construct a state 'poster' to display important facts about that particular state. They present their work to the class.

Young historians study civilian Arkansas during the Civil War. They look at the many challenges they faced to keep their homes in order while the men were at war. Learners hear stories of bands of outlaws who ravaged the state during...

Students discuss key business and consumer indicators that are used to measure the health of the economy. They compare the economic recovery (from the 2001 recession) of Utah and the United States. They discuss the benefits and...

Students read the Knight report and discuss key findings before deciding what aspects of the findings students can replicate in their own school and conduct a survey. They write survey questions and test them on sample group before...

Young scholars research the culture of the Mayans. For this early civilizations lesson, students research selected Maya city-states including Tikal, Clakmul, Piedras Niegras, and Uaxactun. Young scholars use their research...

Students explore justice issues. For this social activism lesson, students watch "Social Activism in the United States," and then locate newspaper articles from the 1960's and 1970's about events during the era.

Middle schoolers read one of the most important documents in our nation's history: The Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. After everyone reads the proclamation, they set out to write a "You Were There" type of report on it. They pretend...

High schoolers take a closer look at legislation passed in the 1960s. In this Great Society lesson, students research 6 key pieces of legislation signed into law by Johnson. High schoolers use their findings to write...

Who is the greatest US president? George Washington? Abraham Lincoln? FDR? Find out the opinions of your young historians with this cross-curricular writing prompt that engages them in researching the accomplishments of these influential...

Rally your administration and facilities manager to let your class examine the water flow rates in different areas of the school. After the audit, the class researches opportunites for conserving water and writes a report or develops a...

Students examine growth of debt in Utah state government from 1991 to present, compare general obligation debt and revenue debt incurred by state, identify four primary methods used by governments to finance projects, and complete...

Students research statistics about sports participation in references such as the Statistical Abstract of the United States. They make and analyze a list of the 10 sports that the highest number of Americans participated in on an amateur...

Students research the contributions of Civil Rights leaders. In this human justice instructional activity, students research selected websites about the accomplishments of leaders of the American Civil Rights Movement....

Students examine the benefits and the challenges Alaska has presented to the United States. They research what the government and the people of the United States considered at the time of the purchase of Alaska in order to debate the...

Middle schoolers investigate the government structure of ancient Rome. In this government systems lesson, students compare and contrast the government of ancient Rome with the government of the United States.