Students read the local newspaper, identify a currrent community issue and develop plans to influence the formation, development, and implementation of a policy to affect the issue. They write a biography about someone who has influenced...

Students develop an understanding of the legislative process. They role play as legislators and witnesses commenting on the proposed bill.

Students begin the lesson by defining what a citizen is in today's society. In groups, they brainstorm a list of qualities and responsibilites a good citizen should have. They also develop and give a survey that measures the amount of...

Students brainstorm a list of items citizens can do to influence or change their government. In groups, they identify the reasons why it is important to vote and why they have a right to protest. They also write a letter to their...

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.

Government classes benefit from examining how a bill passes through Congress, while they focus on the compromises made by Obama's administration regarding health care reform. This includes an online video and a couple of handouts. The...

Eighth graders research "reparations," by examineing the institution of slavery, racial and economic discrimination against African-Americans, and the impact of these forces on living African-Americans, to make recommendations to the...

The world is a big place, so it only stands to reason that different forms of government exist. Democracy, autocracy, oligarch, monarch, and dictatorship are all defined. An extensive explanation of US government system is also included....

Investigate symbolism within a political cartoon in this critical analysis handout, which outlines issues of the 2010 election process. Background information (on the risk of gridlock in legislation and the challenges of either party...

Learners investigate amendments to the Constitution. In this government lesson, students research how an amendment is made and amendments that have both passed and failed. They write their own amendment and attempt to have it pass by the...

Using an article from The New York Times, students answer discussion questions about gun control. They are divided into four groups to research different standpoints on gun control, including the Executive Office, Congress, Gun...

Primary historical sources can be a challenge for some readers, so these seven guided-reading questions will be very useful to US History or Government classes studying The Articles of Confederation. Each question has multiple parts and...

This is a 4-H citizenship activity that asks learners to examine county government, city councils, the three branches of the United States government, and complete a community service project. It also includes a word search,...

Learners take a closer look at historical relations between the United States and Mexico. In this Texas annexation lesson, students examine primary documents authored by Zachary Taylor, James Polk, and Abraham Lincoln to consider why the...

Easily broken into pieces for several class sessions, this presentation is a great way to transition your class out of a Civil War unit and closer to the 20th century. Engaging photographs, including relevant maps and humorous political...

True to its titles, this engaging and appealing presentation brings the 1860's into close focus with a number of images and statistics that would delight any Civil War buff. A few graphs allow for pupil input, such as listing the...

Use this political cartoon handout to help pupils understand the role the Blue Dog Coalition plays with regard to Health Care Reform. Football is used metaphorically to represent a player (Blue Dogs) tackling someone on his team (Obama)....

This nicely-designed presentation does an excellent job of introducing the comma and its many uses. Each of the slides shows different ways in which the comma is used. Learners are given a chance to practice what they have learned in the...

Was the United States significantly more democratic in their governing structures and laws after the overthrow of British authorities? Compare and contrast summaries of the country's constitutions under British rule and after...

Students explore controversial current events. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students research selected issues and examine the issues from different perspectives. Students script and record news stories that feature their findings.

Students use pennies to illustrate how our states are represented in Congress. This lesson is to be implemented during a unit covering the branches of United States government.

Learners review the results of the November 2006 mid-term election. Using their text, they read the history of the balance of power and examine recent news articles. They present their findings to the class and may even hold a debate.

Pupils explore the views of both sides of the Civil War. Through class discussion and debate, they look at how each side justified their position during the Civil War. Students write a letter explaining one of the viewpoints from the war.

Students review the first three articles of the United States Constitution. In groups, they examine the three branches of government and their function. They follow the path of a bill until it becomes law and discuss Congress' role.