+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

36 Public Policy Questions to Energize Your Government/History Classroom Debates

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Need topics that are sure to engage your debaters? This list of public policy questions includes such topics as school mascots, regulation of major league baseball, physician-assisted suicide, and violence in video games. A great...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigation of a Key Public Policy Issue

For Teachers 12th
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...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A River Ran Wild: An Environmental History

For Teachers 11th - 12th
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...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Express Your Opinion

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore local, state, and national levels of government and discuss which level of government they should contact to get information, express their opinions, or get help on specific issues.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Choose Your Own Adventure: School Nutritional Policy

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Mature audiences are required for this instructional activity on implementing health-related policies. First, they openly explore the CDC obesity page while taking notes about what they discover. Then they view a PowerPoint about the...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Words to Action

For Teachers 8th - Higher Ed
What's better than talking about water quality issues in your hometown? Doing something about it! Scholars come up with a community action plan to take care of a local environmental issue having to do with the water supply. They...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Friday Forum (Day 4)

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Have your young speakers participate in a discussion/debate with their whole class on their prepared argument. They listen and analyze other student's arguments and refute arguments using logic and not emotion.
+
Worksheet
Curated OER

The Formation of Public Opinion: Ch 8

For Students 10th - 12th
After reading about the formation of public opinion, the class can complete this quiz. They answer 5 true/false statements regarding public policy, political attitudes, and public opinion. Then they answer 5 multiple-choice questions...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Idealist Lesson 3: Participation through Public Policy

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students explore America's War on Poverty. In this American history lesson, students research the work of Sergeant Shriver regarding poverty during the Johnson administration. Students share their research finding in an essay or oral...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Public Policy Research

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore a public policy issue of local importance. Through research and survey, they identify a public policy issue affecting people in their local area. Students determine how this issue affects the lives of those involved and...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Current Events to Understand Elections

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore the the major phases of the electoral process for president.  In this US Government lesson, 11th graders compare and contrast the delegate system of nomination and the electoral college. 
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Developing An Action Plan

For Teachers 10th - 11th
In this action plan worksheet, students complete a table after they create an action plan. The table lists activities, resources, and responsibilities necessary to complete the plan.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Influencing the Agenda: The Impact of Interest Groups on Policy Making

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the role of interest groups and how they affect voters. In groups, they research how the groups have affected policy making in the county. They examine a specific issue and discover whether or not a vote was changed...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Public Policy Changes Using Technology

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students discuss the problem of wrestling on the playground that has resulted in injuries to classmates. They research the problem using print and Internet resources. They listen to a presentation by the high school wrestling coach. They...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning about Interest Group Politics

For Teachers 7th - 10th
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,...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Public Policy

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine a Legislative website to view the biography of a member and a map of the district that the member represents. They are then visited by the member who engages students in a discussion about how legislators make...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

House Bill No. 4097

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young scholars identify healthy and unhealthy foods while considering a bill that would ban certain foods in schools. Through survey and discussion, they discuss a proposed legislative bill that would ban certain types of food in...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Citizen Involvement Action Plan

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers create an action plan based on their research of a public policy issue. Working in small groups, they discuss a public policy issue and research possible solution within certain guidelines. After completing their plan,...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Growing Pains

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students comprehend the process of working within a commission engaged in examining public policy. They use a simulated commission that has been charged with the task of making recommedations for dealing with issues surrounding sprawl.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Analyzing Public Policy Options

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discuss what is meant by the term "public policy". In groups, they use the internet to research a specific public policy issue affecting Fairfax County, Virginia. They analyze and report their findings of the effectiveness of...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Analyzing Public Policy Opinions

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers 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...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Influencing the Agenda: The Impact of Interest Groups on Public Policy

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students define the terms "interest groups" and "public policy". In groups, they discuss the ways in which interest groups can have an effect on how a Board member votes. Using examples, they discover the effectiveness of interest...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Public Policy Analysis

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read an article about a pressing public policy issue. Using the text, they identify the themes, facts and ideas presented and develop an argument supporting or disagreeing with the position of the author. In groups, they...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Laws

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars 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.