Explore the importance of rules in a community with the engaging first activity of this series on the US government. To begin, children play a paper clip game that requires them to make up their own rules as they go, after which the...

Travel back to 1787 as young scholars investigate the creation of the US Constitution. After first working in small groups to create sets of classroom rules, students go on to read a summary of the Constitution and watch a short video...

Students identify the different forms of civic engagement. They identify their responsibilities at the different levels of government. They also analyze young leaders running for office.

Encourage effective internet research and e-mail correspondence as scholars investigate a US capital city they've never visited to find pertinent and relevant information. They begin by picking a city, then visit that city's chamber of...

Students explore historic West Virginia. In this US history lesson, students examine primary sources and political cartoons that depict the issues of statehood for West Virginia and the role that those played in the Civil War. This...

What happened in the Supreme Court case of McCulloch v. Maryland? The resource teaches the specifics of the case with a video and provided discussion questions covering issues such as precedent and the Supreme Court as an equal branch of...

Students participate in a sorting activity to research and categorize the three branches of government. They listen to teacher read aloud and write questions for a game based activity

Students investigate politics by speaking to the Mayor of their city. For this local politician lesson, students listen as the Mayor speaks in front of them in their class and ask the Mayor questions about his daily duties. Students...

First graders explore the geography of Montana by analyzing geographic maps of the area. In this Native American reservation lesson, 1st graders discuss the similarities and differences between reservations in the state of Montana....

How do new amendments become part of the US Constitution? AP government students explore, analyze, and use the US Constitution to develop a deep understanding of the interworkings of law and government while practicing synthesis and...

Madison was there! Scholars go on a journey to discover the person behind the founding father label as they explore James Madison's role in the formation of the United States government. The culmination is a writing assignment and...

Here is a fascintating lesson which relates how the motto "In God We Trust" came to appear on all US currency. It turns out that a man from Arkansas came up with the idea and petioned his congressman and President Eisenhower himself to...

Students spend a month discovering the role of the Nazi Dictatorship during the Holocaust. Using the internet, they research the history of the Nazi party and the decline of the Weimar Republic. They examine how Hitler rose to power...

Students are introduced to the economic roles of the federal government. Using the internet, they read information related to government spending and the actual dollar amounts attached to budget items. In groups, they develop their own...

Fifth graders explore American history by viewing videos on the Internet. In this Japanese internment lesson, 5th graders discuss the politics that took place between America and Japan during WWII and why it was necessary to incarcerate...

Don't limit your curriculum to texts! Young historians listen to a song, read an interview, and examine a cartoon as they explore motivations for immigrating to the US in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 

Students examine the international conflicts that might have caused the terrorist attacks of 9/11. In groups, they research the similarities and differences between the three major religions and how they connect to 9/11. To end the...

Third graders observe properties of three worms. For this living and non-living lesson, 3rd graders study characteristics of living and non-living worms. Students experiment to find how light, heat and moisture effects each of the worms....

Ben Franklin was the only American to sign The Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Alliance with France, the Treaty of Paris, and the US Constitution. An interesting resource explores his role in the latter by comparing the US...

Students explore U.S. history by participating in a government activity. In this Constitution instructional activity, students identify the role government plays in our society and the differences the British colonies had in the early...

Although this legislative process activity is designed to accompany a specific text, it is valuable independently. Young learners participate in a picture walk (worksheet included) through My Senator and Me:...

Young scholars explore the US Constitution. In this Bill of Rights activity, students work in pairs to select and examine amendments to the Bill of Rights. Young scholars will identify what the amendment means, why they chose it, what it...

Even lawyers can find the US Constitution to be very wordy! Help learners create a foundation for understanding the Constitution with several analysis essays. Multiple activities complement the reading and allow for active and meaningful...

Students analyze treaties made between the US government and Native American tribes. In this government lesson, students evaluate bias emotionally connect with what was gained and lost during the late 1700's. This is a 3 part lesson...