National First Ladies' Library
Opening the Olympic Games
Learners examine the history of the Olympic Games, including the opening ceremonies. In small groups, they create Olympic flags using symbols that represent their country and communities. In phase two of the lesson, students work in...
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Debating Our Destiny
Students participate in debates related to the history of the United States. In groups, they research their opinion on the purpose of debates and how a debater's posture affect the outcome of the debates. They identify the political...
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Spotlight On Stem Cells
Students discover the differences in how stem cells develop and function depending on their source. They see how scientists are using stem cells - from a variety of sources - to study how they can be used to cure certain illnesses and...
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...
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War Fair
Students gather a general understanding of terms related to international rules of warfare and human rights, then discuss hypothetical applications of those rules. They write letters expressing their opinion on the current application of...
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Red, Undecided, and Blue
Students analyze voter preferences in past elections, and then write letters to a presidential candidate, recommending winning strategies drawn from their research.
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The Great Debate
Young scholars watch tapes of televised presidential debates dating from 1960. They analyze debates and participate in mock debates.
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Border to Border
Students use the Internet to gather information on the country of Mexico. They also discover the culture of their people and compare them with the United States population. They take a virtual tour of some of Mexico's most historical ruins.
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Fallacies
Students examine the ten most common logical fallacies. They identify the ways in which arguments fail. Students give reasons why one or more premises or conclusions can cause an argument to fail based on the ten logical fallacies they...
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Flip Flop Diplomacy
Ninth graders examine the dress of diplomats. In this American Government lesson, 9th graders read an article and answer guided questions. Students participate in a quiz on the reading.
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Justices for All
Students examine role of Supreme Court justices in the American political process, research the qualities of the current Supreme Court justices, and write opinion papers evaluating the current justices and recommending future nominations.
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Facing War
Students visit two sites about World War II. These sites show how war can impact a nation and how people have coped with life during years of war. Particular attention is paid to how the media covers the current war in Iraq.
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Explore the Motivations of Kurdish Nationalists
Young scholars watch a video showing the viewpoint of Kurdish Nationalists. They take notes during the video on why the Kurds want their own country. They role play a meeting between the Kurds and Iraq's National Assembly.
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Proud to Be of Service
Observe the National Day of Service and Remembrance with a service learning lesson plan. After discussing the events of September 11, 2001, learners plan and implement their own service learning project in honor of American heroes.
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All Aboard The Campaign Train!
Learners explore campaign politics. In this political campaign lesson, students investigate multimedia sources in order to examine the structure of political parties and platforms from previous presidential elections. Learners then...
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Official Statements
Students research the viewpoints of famous Americans, and then write commencement speeches reflecting these viewpoints to be delivered to high school graduates of today.
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Reviewing Rumsfeld
Students use the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, or SWOT, institutional analysis method to evaluate Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's performance to date. They write formal recommendations based on their analyses.
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US Constitution And Amendments
Students become familiar with the US Constitution and consider how it affects their lives. They research the Preamble to articulate the purposes of government, compile collages, and research the separation of powers within each branch of...
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Who Should Rule the Interim Government in Iraq?
Students study the concept of an Interim Government in Iraq and propose possible leadership options.
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Slick Moves: Exploring the Controversial Plan to Drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Students recount their knowledge of natural resources and articulate their understanding of the multi- faceted debate that surrounds drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. They then examine the complexity of drilling in the...
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Hail to the Chief
Students explore how the New York Times has represented presidential victories on its front page throughout the 20th century.
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The Election of 2008: Primaries and Caucuses
Students examine the American presidential election process. In this presidential election instructional activity, students discover details regarding the campaigns of McCain and Obama in the 2008 election. Students create timelines that...
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Troop Surge vs. Redeployment
Students explore American foreign policy regarding the war in Iraq. In this Iraq debate lesson, students examine videos and documents about the pros and cons of keeping American troops in Iraq.
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Bird Flu Worries Humans
Middle schoolers examine what the bird flu is and how it spreads through an interactive program and videos. They discover why doctors are concerned about a pandemic. They examine other pandemics in the United States and how to prepare...