Curated OER
Qualifying to Vote Under Jim Crow
Literacy tests, poll taxes, grandfather laws? Scholars study the systematic ways African-Americans were kept from voting even after it was made a law. They analyze a series of primary source documents, complete a worksheet, and engaged...
Curated OER
Lesson 2: ". . . a delegation of citizens"
Students define socialism, capitalism and poll tax. They identify and discuss the multiple sides of the issue of governmental responsibilities.
Curated OER
The Effects of Segregation And "jim Crow" on Life in Virginia
Eighth graders study the effects that segregation and the Jim Crow laws had on life in Virginia after reviewing the Reconstruction period. They list the effects that the Jim Crow laws had on the lives of African Americans such as unfair...
ProCon
School Vouchers
Do school vouchers for private schools improve public school education, or do they lead to worse academic performance? Scholars read the top four pros and cons to decide if school vouchers are a good idea. They also participate in an...
ProCon
Obamacare
Former President Barack Obama reformed the United States' health care system with Obamacare, but is the new legislation good for America? Scholars read a historical timeline about the passage of health care reform laws and compare United...
Curated OER
Voter Qualifications Among the States
Twelfth graders research the voting qualifications for each state. In this American Government lesson, 12th graders complete a worksheet on the main ideas they have researched.
Curated OER
Designing Samples/Simple Random Samples
Students explore the concept of sampling techniques. In this sampling techniques lesson, students identify possible sources of bias in situations such as phone polls, supermarket surveys, and drawing names from a phone book. Students...
K12 Reader
Public Education
Your pupils may not know that school was not always required. Teach them a bit about the history of public education with a reading passage and related questions.
Curated OER
Keep Your Eye On the Prize
High schoolers learn about citizens who were actively involved in the civil rights movement, and the strategies they used to overcome the Jim Crow laws that were so prevalent in the 1960s. They investigate the voting amendments of the US...
Heritage Foundation
Voting and the Constitution
How difficult was it for everyone to get voting rights? Understanding voting rights and the fight to get them for everyone in the United States can be tricky for some learners. However, they are clarified after engaging in the...
PBS
From Selma to Montgomery: An Introduction to the 1965 Marches
The 1965 Civil Rights marches from Selma to Montgomery and the resulting Voting Rights Act of 1965 are the focus of a social studies lesson. The resource uses film clips to inform viewers not only about the discrimination that gave rise...
Center for Instruction, Technology, & Innovation
Did African American Lives Improve After Slavery?
The Civil War made slavery illegal, but all ex-slaves were not totally free. Scholars visit eight different classroom stations to uncover life during the Reconstruction Era in America. Groups discover items such as Black Codes, 13th,...
Curated OER
Suffrage and Civil Rights
Addressing the main ideas of the Civil Rights movement, this worksheet contains both multiple choice and true/false questions for student review. Teachers could use this activity as a quiz or homework assignment.
Curated OER
Why Can't I Vote?
Fourth graders take an unannounced test (failure is expected) and the top scores are rewarded with candy bars. They compare this test to the literacy tests given before 1960 and votes to candybars. They journal their responses.
Curated OER
The Election of Barack Obama 44th President of the United States
High schoolers consider the historic implications of Barack Obama's election. In this election of 2008 lesson, students research Obama's accomplishments and determine how his election signifies the success of the American Civil Rights...
Curated OER
Case Study of a Campaign
Students read a case study of one campaign to discover how political campaigns addresses the needs of the voters. In groups, they answer questions related to the case and discuss how the commercials affect society as a whole. They use...
Curated OER
Cristina Kirchner: Famous People (ELL Assignment)
This lengthy assignment for English language learners includes a one-page reading on the Argentinian president, Cristina Kirchner, and numerous activities/exercises that address listening and reading comprehension, speaking, vocabulary...
Curated OER
Understanding the Theoretical Basis for Civil Disobedience
Young scholars analyze Henry David Thoreau's 'On the Duty of Civil Disobedience' and Dr. Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail." In this civil disobedience lesson, students read Thoreau's essay and answer 6 questions for the...
Curated OER
U.S. Voting Amendments: Crossword Puzzle
In this United States history worksheet, learners use the 13 clues in order to fill in the crossword puzzle with the appropriate voting Amendment answers.
Curated OER
The Right to Vote
Students discover voting barriers. In this government lesson, students explore the history of voting. Students work in small groups to analyze and debate if certain groups of people should have the ability to vote or not.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Explaining Social Security with a Metaphor
In this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about Social Security. Students then respond to 4 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Universal Suffrage
Students examine suffrage. They participate in a classroom activity in which some students get to vote and others do not get to participate. Students discuss how they felt and how it wasn't fair. They write a one page essay about the...
Curated OER
Constitution Day: The 1965 Alabama Literacy Test
Tenth graders examine the United States Constitution. In this American Government lesson plan, 10th graders read excerpts from President Johnson's speech to Congress and parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Students research other...
Curated OER
Election 2005: Campaign Issues
Students take a closer look at the election of 2005. In this British politics lesson, students listen to a lecture about the 2005 campaign and active citizenship. Students then create collages and news boards about the election. Older...