Curated OER
Using the newspaper to learn about state and local government
Students investigate the purposes of state and local government. They categorize newspaper articles into state and local issues. Pupils summarize nonfiction text. Students given an oral presentation on a news report to the class.
K12 Reader
Three Levels of Government
Help your learners work their way through a reading assignment for informational text. Using context clues, they answer five comprehension question based on a short passage about the three levels of government: local government, state...
K12 Reader
Branches of Government
Set down the basics of the three branches of government with the reading passage included here. After reading, class members answer five questions related to the passage.
Curated OER
Seals: From the National To the Local
Third graders investigate official government symbols by completing a scavenger hunt. In this U.S. Government lesson, 3rd graders participate in a scavenger hunt in which they locate seals or logos in their community. Students...
Dream of a Nation
Read, Watch, Write for Pathos, Logos and Ethos
Encourage your young citizens to make a difference. Using Tyson Miller's Dream of a Nation: Inspiring Ideas for a Better America as a starting point, class members watch documentaries, investigate issues, and then write letters to...
Curated OER
Who Are My Local Representatives? Can I Influence Their Vote?
Students find out who their national, state, and local representatives are and write and mail a letter to one of them. The letter should be persuasive and should attempt to influence their representative's vote on a given issue.
Curated OER
From a Bill to a Law
Learners explore government by participating in a role playing activity. In this legal system lesson, students discuss the tasks which needed to be competed in order to write a bill and have it turned into law by the President. Learners...
Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights
Vaclav Havel: Free Expression
Develop an understanding of universal human rights, particularly the freedom of expression, with the questions and activities that analyze the conflicts of Vaclav Havel. Learners define, interpret and rephrase the human rights article in...
Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights
Van Jones: Police Brutality
Develop an understanding of how the media and society are connected and responsible for the defense of universal human rights. Learners investigate and examine the conflicts of police brutality as it is portrayed in the media and through...
Curated OER
Town Meeting with Class
Students discover civic responsibility and the purpose of town meetings. In this U.S. Government lesson plan, students investigate how the government is involved with almost every decision made in a city, no matter how big or small....
Curated OER
Soiled Again
Students propose and perform an experiment using the scientific method. The purpose of the experiment is to discern some earth materials or combinations of earth materials that best increases the pH of "acid rain". From the results of...
Curated OER
Driving Safety and Distractions
Learners research process necessary to add local or state law limiting such driving distractions as cell phones or other technological devices, interview city leaders or legislators, research areas that already have such legislation and...
Curated OER
In My Opinion
Young writers craft letters to the government stating their opinion on different topics. They pick an environmental or ocean issue, research it, and craft their formal persuasive letter. Ensure your learners include supporting facts and...
Curated OER
Lesson: Emory Douglas: Revolution in Our Time, Part 2
I love lessons like this because they let kids see the power of art, poetry, and activism in times of social injustice and unrest. They'll analyze the art used by Emory Douglas in the production of the Black Panther newspaper and...
Curated OER
History Close to Home: Creating Your Own Special Museum
Students create their own museum exhibit. In this museum creation lesson plan, students research their local history so they can decide on a theme for their exhibit and what objects they will use in order to design a museum exhibit. A...
Curated OER
Democracy: Understanding the Canadian Parliamentary System
Students study democracy, levels of Canadian government and the responsibilities of elected officials. They write letter's to the Prime Minister about their pride in Canada.
Curated OER
The Mayflower Compact
Twelfth graders discover the ideas of our government by reading the Mayflower Compact. In this U.S. Government lesson plan, 12th graders identify the main ideas of the Mayflower Compact, how it came to be and who was affected the most...
Curated OER
Telemarketers Rights and Yours
Students research the controversy of whether or not the National Do Not Call Registry is constitutional, and then hold a class debate. Students research the National Do Not Call Registry, the FTC, the FCC, and the most current status of...
Curated OER
2nd Grade - Act. 26: It Looked Like...
Second graders read book, It Looked Like Spilt Milk, and create page in class book.
PBS
The Big Picture-Economic Security in the Country and your Community
High schoolers explore economic security at the local and national level during the time period preceding the 2008 presidential election. They fill out surveys on their thoughts and concerns regarding the US economy, and watch a video...
Curated OER
Grown-ups at Play
Students realize that adults entertain themselves at work and in their private lives and that much of adult play, like children's play, is part of adults' folklife and that they play in various folk groups. They consider the elite,...
Curated OER
Don't Just Dream-Act
Students create campaign materials to encourage the passage of legislation supporting higher education for immigrant minors. They produce flyers, brochures, pins and a voter presentation for a school fair. To prepare the materials they...
Curated OER
Federalism: The Nation and The States
Twelfth graders discuss the division of powers between national and state governments. Groups create a PowerPoint slide representing one of the 3 types of powers.
Curated OER
Who's Town is This, Anyway?
Fifth graders work in cooperative groups to simulate a town government as they consider an important change in their community growth. They analyze a real problem in the community and then determine their goals to fix it and make a...