DocsTeach
The Impact of Bloody Sunday in Selma
Who is to blame when a peaceful protest turns deadly? Scholars research the impact of the civil rights march in Selma, better known as Bloody Sunday. The activity uses files from the FBI's investigation to help academics understand the...
Foreign Policy Research Institute
Defining Democracy and Freedom
This is a simple but effective introduction to democracy. It requires the class to generate working definitions of key terms (provided) and to determine the degree of democracy in various geographic locations today. After they conduct...
Curated OER
Creating a Government
A simulation gives scholars a personal look at what goes into forming a government. Each of them is assigned 1 of 4 tribes which make up Borka, a hypothetical country. The tribe distribution is based on the percentage of people in each....
Curated OER
World History Pre-Assessment
What do the members of your class already know about world history? This is a fabulous pre-assessment that will illustrate the varying levels of general world history knowledge among your young historians that you can use to inform your...
Teaching Tolerance
The Truth About Voting
True or False: Only Presidential elections matter. Academics delve into common voting myths to understand what is true and why the election process is critical to democracy. The lesson uses group discussion, activities, and handouts to...
Curated OER
What is Democracy?
Young scholars examine civic duties. For this citizenship lesson, students play an online game that requires them to consider the needs of their community. Young scholars campaign for the issue they choose in the game.
Online Publications
Become a Journalist
Explore the newspaper as a unique entity with a detailed and extended unit. The unit requires learners to consider the newspaper's role in democracy, think about ethics, practice writing and interviewing, and examine advertising and news...
Curated OER
Respect and Democracy
Students explore the concept of respect. In this respect and democracy instructional activity, students define respect and brainstorm examples of showing respect and disrespect. Students read Core Values of American Constitutional...
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.
Center for Civic Education
What Does Returning to Fundamental Principles Mean?
Looking for materials for your Constitution Day and Citizenship Day lessons? Then check out this packet of activities that not only gets your class members thinking critically about the fundamental principles at the heart of American...
Curated OER
So You Think You Can Teach? Democracy in America
Learners act as teachers and develop a lesson plan that teaches the concepts of democracy and how important it is to become involved in the democratic process. They "teach" their lesson to the rest of the class.
Curated OER
International Day of Democracy
In this International Day of Democracy worksheet, learners complete activities such as reading a passage, phrase matching, fill in the blanks, correct words, multiple choice, spelling, sequencing, scrambled sentences, writing questions,...
Curated OER
Democracy and Freedom
In this reading comprehension worksheet, students read four selections about democracy and freedom and choose which multiple choice answer correctly states the meaning of each boldfaced word. Students interact with the words press,...
Curated OER
Democracy is Cool
Students discuss the components of a representative democracy. In groups, they create a t-shirt that shows the components and why it is "cool" to live in a democracy. As a class, they examine the concept of the common good and how...
Rice University
American Government 2e
An informative resource provides a textbook on American government that covers topics such as the definition of government and how democracy works. Each section provides brief questions at the end to assess scholars' understanding.
Judicial Branch of California
Our Government Today…What A System!
A group of citizens in North Canada has decided to leave their country, and they are asking for help in setting up an American-style democracy. Using a carefully structured activity, pupils lay out the principles in the American...
Curated OER
Hitler¿¿¿s Fatal Gamble ? Comparing Totalitarianism and Democracy
Students compare/contrast totalitarianism and democracy and examine their roles in World War II. They read a handout, complete a Venn diagram, and participate in a class discussion.
Curated OER
Democracy in Your Hometown Scavenger Hunt
In this democracy worksheet, students utilize the Internet to access one specific website to answer five multiple choice questions about who makes the decisions in your hometown.
Curated OER
Core Democratic Values of American Constitutional Democracy
Students describe the ideas found in the core democratic values. In groups, they design and create a brochure explaining how the values relate to other ideas that Americans accept as a nation. They share what they know with with...
Curated OER
What is Meant by Returning to Fundamental Principles?
High schoolers explain in what ways the American experience in self-government can be called an adventure in ideas. They evaluate positions on a number of issues related to the fundamental principles and values of government and...
Curated OER
Pericles and Democracy
In this Athenian democracy activity, students read a 1-page selection about Periclean democracy and then respond to 27 short answer and fill in the blank questions.
Curated OER
Voters, Ballots, and Elections: Matching
After studying voting and elections in the United States, have your class show what they know. They match 15 terms related to voting, ballots, and elections to the proper definition. This is a great way to practice vocabulary or content...
Curated OER
Creating a Bill of Rights
Creating a Bill of Rights isn't easy! Help your scholars experience what the Founding Fathers did by challenging them to write a Bill of Rights. Groups pretend they are a new democratic country and proceed to create that country's Bill...
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Tyranny of the Majority
In American democracy, majority rules but what prevents the voices of the few from being crushed? Using excerpts from Alexis de Tocqueville's writings, young historians explore cases where minority rights were trampled upon. Extension...