Active Citizenship Today (ACT) is a "unique social studies service learning program" that requires learners to learn about the public policy associated with community issues they identify in their local community. This web site...

Key in the struggle to gain the rights of democratic citizenship was the April 1963 arrest of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for civil disobedience. To deepen their knowledge and understanding of events during the civil rights movement,...

Students explore teamwork, decision-making, and ways to communicate. They discuss their favorite activities, places they would like to travel and set ground rules for their groups. After identifying their feelings toward the program,...

Students identify and disuss the various laws that are in place in their commmunity. In groups, they illustrate the different laws and write a description. As a class, they discuss the reasons why the laws are necessary and their...

Sixth graders investigate the problem of crime in the United States. They conduct class discussion and roleplay the types of actions that should be taken when witnessing a crime. They discuss the roles of social responsibility and its...

Build on high schoolers' awareness of what's wrong with society. Here they examine Jimmy Carter's extensive involvement in volunteer action in the local, national, and global arenas. Define and explore concepts -- philanthropy, citizen,...

In an engaging simulation, class members imagine immigrating to the United States in the late nineteenth century and arriving at Ellis Island. They then write creative journal entries about their experience and chart their journeys.

Which creates more digital traces: surfing the Internet in a coffee shop, or using an iPhone to send a text message? The answer may surprise you! An interactive resource prompts users to choose which devices, operating systems, and...

Once a registered voter isn't always a registered voter. Academics explore the topic of voter registration and hindrances to remaining registered. The resource focuses on data analysis, federal voter registration law, and Supreme Court...

Students describe the objectives of the Department of Health and Human Services. They list the agencies within the Department that deal with health issues in America. Students explain the role of government in skin cancer prevention.

In this ESL activity, students answer 18 questions about American history and government. For example, "Who was the first president of the United States?"

In this character education instructional activity, students read a short cartoon about some people picking up litter in order to keep their city clean.

Learners examine the origins of well known charities and the impact of the first Band Aid single 20 years ago. They explore what is involved in turning the dream of a different kind of world into a reality. They complete a worksheet...

Middle schoolers explore how people viewed George Washington in the 19th Century.  In this U.S. History lesson, students create a timeline of events during the Civil War, including government and court decisions.  Following...

Students explore the meaning of quality of life. Also, the need to prioritize means that government spending decisions are political, with winners and losers. Discussion platforms are on the six dimensions to a child's well-being:...

Students explore heroism. In this character development and Holocaust instructional activity, students generate adjectives that describe familiar heroes. Students view a video clip that includes testimonies of Holocaust survivors, and...

Students locate the geographic origin of a variety of products used in our society. They find countries in an atlas or on a wall map. They define the term imports and emphasize the theme of MOVEMENT and use it to explain interdependence.

Students investigate the laws covering smoking in public places in their community and find out if city council or other governing bodies have considered changing these laws. Students conduct interviews and write an article explaining...

Learners interview police and city officials, find out what makes these places dangerous. Students develop a plan to get the city or county or state +++ whichever is in charge of these spots to make changes that would make them safer for...

Take photos of human activities that impact air quality. Collaborative groups present one of the photographs, identifying how the activity contributes to air quality and what can be done to minimize the impact. As one in a series of...

What does it mean to be American? Explore the constitution and what it really means to be a citizen here. First, learners of all ages will investigate different primary source documents. Then, they establish each document's...

"Without concerned citizen action to uphold them (human rights) close to home; we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world. . ." Eleanor Roosevelt's comment is used to set the stage for the conclusion of a five-lesson unit...

The focus of this, the third in a five-activity unit study of human rights, is on individuals who made a difference. Billy Bowlegs, Dr. Sun Yat Sen, Fannie Lou Hamer, Michi Weglyn, and Yuri Koshiyama are some of the people class members...

This is an exceptional series that you can use in an environmental or engineering unit. There are four lessons: "Sustainable Transportation," "Designing for Safety," "Changing the Landscape," and "Engaging in Policy." Each lesson...