Our elected officials are supposed to represent us, but what does it mean when they aren't like us? Budding citizens explore the demographic makeup of the US Congress, the role of money in political elections, and the Citizens United...

What don't we know about our government? Explore the concept of transparency and freedom of information throught this analysis handout, in which scholars examine 2 political cartoons. Background information provides context, explaining...

Students investigate American citizenship. In this civics lesson plan, students consider the basic knowledge of U. S. government new citizens are required to have. Students also examine the 14th amendment that describes U. S. citizenship.

In this government and citizenship worksheet, students learn the duties and responsibilities of the three branches of government and the system of checks and balances.

For this American government worksheet, students respond to 12 true/false, 11 alphabetical order, 15 fill in the appropriate articles, 15 matching, and 1 cryptogram about the structure of the American government.

Students focus on the rights and responsibilities of being an American citizen as they develop a T-chart and discuss the topic.

Prompted by a viewing of Emiko and Chizu Omori’s Rabbit in the Moon, a documentary about the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, high schoolers examine a series of documents, including the Bill of Rights and the UN’s...

Middle schoolers explore the concept of philanthropy. For this service learning lesson, students examine primary documents regarding the founding of the United States. Middle schoolers analyze section of the U.S. Constitution and the...

In this current events activity, students analyze political cartoons about government secrecy and respond to 3 talking point questions.

Learners examine the voting practices of the past several presidential elections while using data to determine the influence of different factors. They identify the reasons for high or low voter turnout and then display the outcome of...

The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments are outlined in this PowerPoint. Each amendment is noted on its own slide, with a summary of its purpose and important sections of the actual document. Tip: Have students choose an amendment and write...

Should immigrants who illegally reside in the United States be eligible for citizenship? With information about undocumented immigrant population estimates, sanctuary cities, and unaccompanied immigrant children, pupils consider the pros...

This is a true gem. This PowerPoint is well-organized, has bullet points you control (which gives you time for discussion), has sound effects, and covers several aspects of American industrialization after 1900. The presentation begins...

High schoolers learn about citizens who were actively involved in the civil rights movement, and the strategies they used to overcome the Jim Crow laws that were so prevalent in the 1960s. They investigate the voting amendments of the US...

Class members examine two documents—The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and The Rights of Migrants in the United States—and then use reports in the media to assess how well the US is doing in ensuring these rights.

To understand how the Homestead Act of 1862 changed the US and the lives of the people during that time, class members examine primary source materials including letters, broadsides, and images. They then assume the voice of a...

In this social studies worksheet, 3rd graders complete multiple choice questions about laws, government, states, and more. Students complete 25 questions.

Voting rights have expanded over time, but some voters are still being suppressed. A thought-provoking resource explores the history of voter suppression in the US and efforts to remove roadblocks to voting. Young historians learn about...

Bring some energy to your physical science curriculum with this engaging Bill Nye the Science Guy instructional activity. Based on his Renewable Energy video, students explore the concepts of potential and kinetic energy and learn how...

One vote doesn't really matter, right? Class members investigate the concept of voter rights and restrictions using the 1973 Supreme Court case White v. Regester. They view a short video and work in pairs to analyze how people create...

Students investigate their right to participate in the governing process of our nation. They look ast the different ways they are able to participate. They define citizenship, and decipher between whether or not citizens should...

Students use the newspaper to explore the world around us, our past and our government. In this civics unit, students complete 40 different lessons in civic education using that day's newspaper to reinforce the concept being taught.

Students discuss the three branches of government and the different levels. They talk about the purpose of laws and use the Internet to locate information about governments. They watch the video, "United States Constitution" and look up...

This resource uses primary source documents to explore the First Amendment. After reviewing key events of the 1790s, government or US history classes explore Madison's letter to Jefferson regarding the Alien and Sedition Acts. They then...