University of North Carolina
Political Science
The right to vote and freedom of expression are democratic principles that fall under the study of political science. A handout describes writing assignments that are common in political science college classes and gives tips and...
Curated OER
THE KING AND QUEEN OF ENGLAND
Second graders compare the parliamentary and democratic government in an attentive discussion, make realistic predictions for the story read aloud, use realistic examples in their stories about their life as a king or queen, and...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan: Early Political Parties
Students examine the platforms of early political parties in the United States. In this political parties activity, students discover details regarding the attributes and ideals of the federalists and the democratic-republicans. Students...
Curated OER
World War I: War in a Democratic Society
Students research opposition and support for World War I from a number of perspectives. They analyze a number of primary and secondary sources, while considering what (if anything) makes a war just and write a letter expressing his/her...
Media Smarts
Making Media for Democratic Citizenship
Pupils analyze global issues. For this video podcasting lesson plan, pupils research Internet and print sources regarding selected global development issues. Pupils plan and create video podcasts that feature their research findings.
Curated OER
Michigan Court System (Part 1) (Middle School)
Students identify the courts that make up the Michigan judicial system. They explore the responsibility of each court and diagram how cases move to the Supreme Court. They compare and contrast the different types of courts.
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
The First American Party System: Events, Issues, and Positions
Students examine and discuss the philosophical differences that arose during the Constitutional Convention and how these differences played a role in the formation of the first political parties.
Curated OER
Social Studies Lesson: Apartheid
Students examine the Apartheid system of South Africa through a role-play activity. The role-play activity ends with a class discussion on how the events affected each individual. A class discussion continues after reading an article...
Curated OER
Desegregating the Kentucky Public School System
Students watch a video which chronicles the struggle to desegregate Kentucky's schools. They write a paper on a given aspect of what they saw in the video.
Curated OER
Mock Election
Here is an excellent PowerPoint presenting loads of information about the US election process. Some of the topics included in the slide show: the reasons voting is important, how to choose a candidate, how the federal, state, and local...
Curated OER
Presidential Election Year: Major Issues
Whether or not it's a presidential election year, this debate activity will spark research on current political issues. Split your government scholars into 4 groups and assign each a political party. One person will be the "candidate"...
Judicial Learning Center
Law and the Rule of Law
We hear a lot about the importance of the rule of law, but most people do not really know what those words mean. The lesson is a webpage that defines the rule of law, explains why it is important in a democratic society and provides...
Global Oneness Project
Repairing the Fabric of Democracy
During elections, headlines constantly lament the issue of low voter turnout. Help class members understand why this is such an important topic with relevant articles, a discussion of both sides of the issue, and a reflective essay.
Odell Education
Building Evidence-Based Arguments: "Cuplae poena par esto: Let the punishment fit the crime."
Should a criminal's punishment match the crime? An argumentative writing plan explores this question as class members investigate a variety of mixed-medium sources by experts in the field, form evidence-based claims, and support them...
Foreign Policy Research Institute
Understanding China: The Prospects for Democracy in China
This document provides useful information for a unit on democracy in China. While it does not include detailed activities, it does have a list of democratic principles, and important facts about China that facilitate understanding of its...
Curated OER
History of Political Parties in the U. S.
Twelfth graders name some of the parties in the political system of the United States. They identify the two main parties along with key information, issues, events, elections and/or people for each system. They then break into groups...
Curated OER
Looking Back
Students examine the difference between a communist and a free-market economy. They discuss challenges occurring in Macedonia and explain the mood of its people.
Curated OER
Jazz in America
Students explore different instruments and what role they play in Jazz. They also each person's role in a democratic society.
Curated OER
The Election of 1912
Tenth graders examine the Election of 1912. In groups, they identify the roles of the Democratic and Republican parties along with any third party mentioned. Using the internet, they describe the main issues of this election and discuss...
Curated OER
Political Parties and What They Do
The emerging politicians in your government might be familiar with the words "Democrat" and "Republican," but what do they really know about the role of political parties in America? Use this activity to reinforce information from your...
Curated OER
Observing Elections Around the World
Young scholars examine elections in countries around the world. In this elections lesson, students watch a video segment regarding election observations and then access selected websites to research specified elections. Young scholars...
Curated OER
Political Parties Questions
In this political parties worksheet, learners respond to 14 short answer questions about the history of party politics in the United States.
Curated OER
Civil Rights and the Michigan Supreme Court II
Students view a PowerPoint presentation on the Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society's Civil Rights and/or the Native American Rights. They write a reaction paper and prepare for a class discussion. They work in groups and discuss...