Curated OER
50th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education
Students examine a poster of Brown v. Board of Education and discuss what the important details are. They read the story behind the poster and court case. They role play different sections of the case such as the court case or Linda...
Curated OER
Representation: Majority Rule
Students explore government. In this decision making lesson, students discover the importance of majority rule in the passing of bills. They all participate in a class debate and practice the different forms of decision making. This...
Curated OER
U.S. and Canada: How are We the Same? How are We Different?
Get high school geographers to compare and contrast Canada and the United States. They begin by drawing a freehand map of North America, then complete readings to gain insight into Canada. The text is not provided; however, another text...
Curated OER
A Lesson To Accompany "The First Bank of the United States: A Chapter in the History of Central Banking"
Here is an interesting topic. Learners examine the economics that led to the founding of the First Bank of America. They participate in a reader's theater experience depicting the debate between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson...
Curated OER
The Federalist Debates: Balancing Power Between State and Federal Governments
Students examine the pros and cons of state sovereignty vs. federalism, as argued by the Founding Fathers. They identify the basic positions of each side, complete a worksheet, and write a persuasive essay arguing for Jefferson or Hamilton.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Factory vs. Plantation in the North and South
North is to factory as South is to plantation—the perfect analogy for the economy that set up the Civil War! The first lesson in a series of five helps teach beginners why the economy creates a driving force for conflict. Analysis of...
Carolina K-12
Are You a Democrat or a Republican? Are You Really?
Have new or soon-to-be voters examine different political parties and their platforms as they figure out which one aligns most with their beliefs. After taking a few online quizzes, students split into pairs to discuss and then...
Federal Reserve Bank
The Story of the Federal Reserve: High School Lesson Plan
Is there a bank for the banks? Pupils analyze the complexities of the Federal Reserve system by breaking it down into easy-to-understand sections. Step-by-step investigation using flow charts and graphs of how the monetary system works...
Curated OER
Debate over the Ratification of the Constitution
Twelfth graders discuss the creation of the United States, the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution. Through a class debate, role-playing Federalists and Anti-federalists, they identify the reasons for and against ratification...
Curated OER
Civic Engagement for Us?
Students identify the different forms of civic engagement. They identify their responsibilities at the different levels of government. They also analyze young leaders running for office.
Curated OER
The Government of North Korea
Ninth graders study the Government of North Korea. They identify the system of government of North Korea today and explain how power is acquired, used and justified by it. They describe the use of propaganda by this government system...
Curated OER
Democracy and Representative Government
Students complete a worksheet about the government and identify the characteristics of different governments. In this government lesson plan, students define representative democracy and complete a worksheet.
Curated OER
Discovering Aristotle's Three Forms
Learners, working in small groups, role play different kinds of governments--oligarchy, monarchy, dictatorship, and democratic republic. They portray their form of government in a skit, while other groups guess which kind of government...
Curated OER
Compare the United States Government with Other Political Systems
Students explore the U.S. form of government and illustrate other forms of government found throughout the world. They explain the similarities and differences between the U.S and other governments.
Curated OER
What Is Government?
Students investigate and describe the various levels of government. They develop a list of the services provided by each level of government, and identify the needs not being met by the government.
Curated OER
Lesson 6: Crowded Skies
This is a treasure-trove of multimedia resources to help your scholars analyze transportation methods. They discuss different forms of movement, utilizing several infographics to spur conversation deeper and get visual learners engaged....
Curated OER
The Roots of Prohibition: Examining the Effort to Prohibit Alcohol in America
Five segements from Ken Burns' documentary series Prohibition, easily accessed on the PBS website, are at the center of a terrific short unit on the roots of America's ambivalent relationship with alcohol. Engage your secondary...
Curated OER
Cold War Era Film Censorship: High Noon- a Slice of Americana Or Communist
Young scholars study of the effects of the Cold War on the home front. They analyze the film High Noon according to an abbreviated version of the standards that films were judged by in the early 1950s and determine whether or not High...
Curated OER
Be the Kiwi: Government and Politics in New Zealand
Students examine the structure of government in New Zealand. In this government instructional activity, students listen their instructor present information about the government in New Zealand then create diagrams that compare its...
Curated OER
Kings, Knights, And Countrymen
Students look back in time into the feudal form of government. They view Powerpoint presentations to take them back in time.
Curated OER
Attributes & Nets of a Cube
Third graders engage in a instructional activity that focuses on the attributes and forming of a cube. They construct a cube using different combinations while comparing a square with only two-dimensions. Students fold paper while...
Media Smarts
The Broadcast Project
As part of a unit on media studies, kids are asked to chart their viewing habits, observe the advertising that sponsors their favorite shows, and then to imagine what they would broadcast if given a block of airtime.
Curated OER
The Beginning of the War -- Two Views on Texas
Young scholars discuss the factors that can lead to war, and the motivations of countries going into war. They research two viewpoints on Texas during the Mexican War and participate in a debate with their classmates.
Curated OER
The Republic; Roman History, Democracy
Students explain the ways in which current American system of government both resembles and differs from the system of government in Rome form about 510 to 264 B.C.