The Mining Act of 1872 allows mining companies to purchase land from the U.S. Government at 1872 prices - about $5.00 an acre! This video features the town of Crested Butte, Colorado, and a mountain just outside of town that was...

Young sociologists explore how local, state, and federal governments work. This very impressive and ambitious lesson requires pupils to contact government officials who represent them and their families. They research elections, and hold...

Learners review their knowledge on the First Amendment. After reading an article, they identify specific church and state issues. Using the Internet, they research President Bush's proposal from a specific point of view. They summarize...

Students explore the mathematics behind opinion polls, as well as provides a framework for interpreting trends in opinion poll graphics.

Help your students undertand the critical problems around healthcare. By focusing on the political and private process of healthcare, students will watch a video, analyze issues, and write an essay on their findings. Additionally, they...

Discuss the separation of church and state as it relates to government entities. This is a great way to launch a discussion on the relationship between these groups. Learners analyze this relationship in governments throughout the world,...

Games are a great way to motivate learners to internalize information.. Using this PowerPoint which is in a Jeopardy format, students can review map skills and facts about the Civil War, famous places, and our government. This is a handy...

Young scholars examine the concepts of power and authority as they begin learning about government in this elementary social studies lesson. Through a series of readings, discussions, and problem solving activities, children learn about...

Introduce young historians to the US Constitution with this upper-elementary social studies lesson plan. Beginning with a general discussion about the role of government in society, students go on to work in small groups identifying and...

Young historians explore the meaning of the Preamble to the US Constitution in this upper-elementary social studies lesson. Working with partners or in small groups, children discuss the purpose of government before reading and analyzing...

Explore the importance of rules in a community with the engaging first lesson 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...

In this social studies worksheet, 3rd graders complete multiple choice questions about laws, government, states, and more. Students complete 25 questions.

Students investigate amendments to the Constitution. In this government lesson, students research how an amendment is made and amendments that have both passed and failed. They write their own amendment and attempt to have it pass by the...

What was the voter turnout at your last state election? Examine voter turnout statistics from the most recent election to learn which ten states have the best turnout record. This instructional activity offers election data, handouts,...

Students identify government officials and resources on a local, state and national level. They determine the structure of local, state, and national governments.

What does the United Nations do? This highly informative presentation gives learners an overview of the types of jobs, policies, and functions of the UN. Note: This resource is text-heavy and would be most appropriate for children in...

Robert Coles’ The Story of Ruby Bridges forms the basis of this powerful cross-curricular study of civic education and civic responsibility. Class members consider how the book presents authority, responsibility, justice, and privacy.....

Explore the influence social activism can have on important issues, and create a class full of young citizen activists. This plan calls for learners to participate in a whole class discussion and brainstorm about ways to effectively...

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....

In this social studies worksheet, 4th graders complete multiple choice questions about government, wars, natural resources, and more. Students complete 30 questions.

John Q. Public was a notable cartoon representation of the average American; but how accurate was this portrayal? Emergent analysts consider several topical points as they take a critical look into a cartoon portrayal of the American...

Build critical analysis skills with this cartoon for the classroom. Upper graders answer three critical thinking questions to help them analyze a political cartoon, which depicts how Presidential Candidates are judged and chosen. Put...

Help develop assertive, critical-thinking skills that enhance growth and change while teaching economics. In groups, select a topic from a list and then discuss the pros and cons of each topic. Debate why advertising is necessary to our...