How can one court acquit someone of a crime, while another convicts the person of the same one? It's all because of the differences between civil and criminal trials. An informative resource provides scholars in the field of criminology...

Municipal government takes on many roles, not just the ones we are used to hearing about such as Parks and Recreation. Scholars delve into the topic to get a grasp on how the government system functions. They participate in readings,...

Get your young historians thinking about East Asian culture and history during this partner research project, in which they analyze a variety of East Asian aspects to prepare for a presentation. After an initial "what do we already know"...

Did you know there are 567 federally recognized American Indian and Native Alaskan tribes and villages in the United States alone? The resource helps break down the complexities of many different tribal societies to explain the concept...

The Supreme Court gets all the glory, but very few federal cases make it to the highest court. An interesting lesson explores the structure of the lower levels of the federal court system. In addition to outlining the organization of...

The political system of the European Union is historically unique and has been constantly evolving. To better understand the structure of the EU, class members compare the EU's branches to those of the United States Federal Government.

Students research the Comox Band's system of government and report on what kind of government they think would work for them. In this government lesson plan, students decide between a hereditary system or an election system of...

Capitalism, socialism, communism ... these may seem like a whole bunch of isms to your scholars. High schoolers won't  confuse them after completing an informative resource. Your class masters how to use primary sources to...

Twelfth graders research and discuss the different elements of the governments of China, Great Britain, Mexico and the United States. They discuss the differences between the various governments and create explanation cards for each type...

Why doesn't the Supreme Court hear testimony from witnesses? How do they complete an entire proceeding in less than two hours? A helpful lesson guides scholars of criminology through these and other questions by explaining how appeals...

Not just anybody can do the job of a federal judge, but according to the United States Constitution just about anybody can be appointed. The lesson outlines the process and requirements for becoming a federal judge, focusing on the...

Unless you are a lawyer, you might not understand just how unrealistic Law and Order and other legal dramas actually are. Here's a great resource to help scholars of criminology gain a more realistic perspective. The lesson outlines the...

Students identify the branches of Indiana's judicial system and determine the differences between the different courts and different types of cases. Students create a flow chart showing how a court case works its way through the legal...

Popular culture often portrays the Feds as the most fearsome of law enforcement agencies. Yet, someone charged with a crime is considerably more likely to end up in a state court. The lesson, one of six covering the Organization of the...

Students investigate various political systems around the world. They complete a chart that compares the U.S. political system with other nations' governments, conduct research on a selected nation, and present an oral report.

Students read an essay by H.D. Thoreau as analysis of his philosophy on government. In this Thoreau analysis lesson, students work in groups to paraphrase two of Thoreau's criteria for his beliefs about government. Students write a...

Twelfth graders study confederal, federal, and unitary governments. They compose an essay that compares and contrasts the purpose of state/local government with that of the national government in the American federal system.

Students research the terrorist threat to the United States. They examine types of possible attacks and the best way to be prepared for each. Students disseminate information to the community. They publicize the school disaster plan.

Students examine the governance of natives in Canada. In this native studies lesson, students read handouts on the Iroquois and Huron Confederacies and then respond to discussion questions about the 2 governance systems.

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.

Here is a fantastic set of graphic organizers to accompany your study of civilizations such as ancient Egypt, Sumer, Assyria, and Persia. 

Students explore types of governments and political systems. In partners, students share information about their home country. Classmates work together to prepare a presentation about the history and government of a specific country.

Students compare and contrast the societies of India and the United States by creating a chart. In groups, they give examples of each type of classification. They present their material to the class while identifying the role of the...

Students discuss the three branches of government and the different levels. They talk about the purpose of laws and use the Internet to locate information about governments. They watch the video, "United States Constitution" and look up...