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Group Newspaper-American System of Government
Eighth graders, in groups, design, research, and create a newspaper that explains four historical events that have influenced the American system of government.
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Congressional Moments
Students listen to clips from Congressional Moments radio programs to examine role government plays in our lives, and discuss role of citizens in a representative democracy.
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Recommended Reading?
Students examine and defend various positions in the argument over a book ban in the Miami-Dade school system and then write a letter to the Miami-Dade school board expressing their opinion about the issues raised in the debate.
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Secession: A Southern Perspective
Eighth graders determine how secession impacted South Carolina as well as the United States. In this American Civil War lesson, 8th graders examine selected primary and secondary sources in order to study the state's sovereignty and the...
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Rome: Republic to Empire
Sixth graders discuss the rise of Rome from a republic to a dictatorship. In small groups, they role-play as congress people debating whether or not to give the president more powers. In another activity, 6th graders produce television...
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Cuba On My Mind
Students explore the Cuban society, politics, culture, and economy. As a class, they take a look at the Bush administrations policy on Cuba after reading "Embargo Remains Until Cuba Alters Policy, Bush Says" from The New York Times....
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Just Say It
Young scholars explore the initial Supreme Court decision to regulate commercial speech, and then analyze the legal precedents and principles underlying a recent case contesting this regulation.
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Who Is Sarah Mae Fleming?
Fifth graders learn about two influential women. In this historical figures lesson, 5th graders work in groups to read articles about Rosa Parks and Sarah Fleming and share their findings with the class. Students use a Venn...
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Treason and Trials - Aaron Burr
Students examine the Constitutional definition of treason and research the case of Aaron Burr as first interpreted in 1807. They consider how Burr's case relates to the case of John Walker Lindh.
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Working Together As a Team
Learners examine the need for rules to keep order at home, in school, in communities, and in the country using trade books and teamwork activities. They work in cooperative groups to define a positive learning community by writing a...
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Telegram from Senator Joseph McCarthy to President Harry S. Truman
Students research the McCarthy hearings to determine the following: time frame of hearings, how they were broadcast, how the press reacted, and how the American people reacted in light of the Korean Conflict and the Cold War.
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Minting a New Mint
Students explore why the Founding Fathers felt it was necessary to have a solitary form of money used throughout the land. Students create their own money systems and have a class sale to simulate the confusion of multiple forms of...
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Rights And Responsibilities: Debating Free Speech, Responsibility And Censorship on Campus
Students weigh rights of students and others to free speech versus the responsibilities that come with those rights.
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What is Democracy?
Learners explore the facets of democracy. In this civic responsibility lesson, students create a definition of democracy and discuss the difference between a spectator and a participatory citizen. Learners discuss whose responsibility...
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Civil Action
Students will observe the legal procedures involved in class action lawsuits and gain knowledge of how they are sometimes used as a tool to deter polluters of the environment. Students will also read about the background the Love Canal...
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Measuring Economic Success
Students are introduced to the Gross Domestic Product and what this number tells us about the economy of the United States. In groups, they discuss what constitutes a healthy society and if the GDP is an accurate representation. They...
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HEALTH & SOCIAL SCIENCE
Students use the information gathered from the Nick News Special Edition about homelessness. Each student creates a homeless collage poster featuring magazine and newspaper pictures and articles about the topic and a brief descriptive...
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An Introduction To Law
Students identify 4 branches of law-criminal, civil, consumer, and family. using a newspaper, they locate examples of how laws affect citizens on a daily basis.
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Feudal Japan
An excellent overview of historical Japanese culture, this presentation could carry through a world history unit or a lesson on the history of Japan. Especially interesting are the slides that compare Japanese armor and castles to other...
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Sharing Or Stealing? Debating the Ethics of Napster
Students debate ethics of free Internet file-sharing of copyrighted materials.
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Cartoons for the Classroom: The Bush-Clinton Years
In this current events worksheet, learners analyze a political cartoon about political dynasties and respond to 3 talking point questions.
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Civil Rights Lesson Plans
Civil rights lesson plans can help students delve into history, music, law, and literature. There are a multitude of options.
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How a Bill Becomes a Law
Young scholars make a chart on what they learned about how a bill becomes a law. In this law making lesson plan, students research the authority and restrictions placed on Congress on how they make a bill into a law and then present...
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It is Our Right-Don't Waste It!
Young scholars explore the basic rights granted to all American citizens by the U.S. Constitution in the light of women's issues. The women's suffrage movement, the role of Susan B. Anthony, and the timeline of events on voting rights...