High schoolers examine a situation in which there is no effective authority and identify problems which the lack of authority creates. They explain how authority can be used to deal with these problems.

Students apply the principles and ideas suggested by the Constitution to a contemporary issue or problem, and work through the issue to reach their own conclusions.

Students explore the U.S. Census and come to understand more about it. In this census lesson plan, students build reading confidence, explain who is counted in the census, and recognize the connection between census information and...

Fourth graders gain an appreciation of knowledge about recent history by interviewing senior citizens. They summarize their interviews and organize them into a written presentation.

Students examine the racial inequality that existed in the United States before the Civil Rights Movement. After listening to song lyrics and viewing photographs, they discover the importance of the movement in helping society move...

Students explore the concept of individual rights. In this McCarthyism lesson, students determine how government may affect the rights of individuals as they examine the Constitution, participate in class discussions, and research the...

Students explore the impact of the Plessy v. Ferguson case. For this social justice lesson, students examine the case, Jim Crow laws, and non-violent forms of protest. Students write essays to persuade the government regarding unjust laws.

Students examine social justice issues regarding American Indians. In this civil rights instructional activity, students investigate the Red Power Movement of the 1960's and 1970's. Students then roleplay interviewing Native...

Eighth graders discuss the importance of serving in the community. Individually, they choose a community agency or program to volunteer for a specific period of time. They realize their sense of pride and accomplishment as well as...

Eleventh graders examine a petition presented by the Quakers to the Delaware General Assembly in 1785 and an anti-slavery broadside published in 1836.

Students discuss the 2008 Presidential election. They examine the significant issues of the election and focus on the economy. Students study the major issues with the economy. Students decide how they feel about each canidates' views...

Young scholars practice identifying and solving problems. They assume a role to solve an authentic problem. During the simulation, students explain the structure of the government and reasons for adopting that particular structure. ...

Twelfth graders evaluate their own state on how well the government protects their citizens from specific health issues. In groups, they list the environmental health concerns regarding water, air, toxic waste and radiation. They...

Students complete a variety of written and discussion activities regarding Rosa Parks and the Alabama bus boycott and how they changed an accepted way of life in America.

Tenth graders design a "deck" of individual slides on Power Point to synthesize, in a graphic organizer, their recently acquired knowledge of different levels of government in Canada.

Fifth graders read the Sacred Blade at Heart of School Dispute, a religious freedom story. In groups students create a mediation session to demonstrate the conflict in the story.

Eighth graders, in groups, design, research, and create a newspaper that explains four historical events that have influenced the American system of government.

Students engage in a lesson to find information about the history of the Little Shell Tribe. The concepts of sovereignty and treaty are defined in relation to the information gathered using research methods. They answer the inquiry of...

Eighth graders examine the importance of the Declaration of Independence by using a variety of research sources and computer technology to obtain information. They internalize the thoughts, actions, and motives of the signers of the...

Students research the roles of the Board of Supervisors in Fairfax County, Virginia. In a role-play activity, they practice making decisions for the county as if they were members of the Board. To end the activity, they discuss how...

Students compare and contrast specific characters in the book, "Old Henry." They discuss similarities and differences between people and define character traits. They assess one's own character traits and have a class discussion about...

Students investigate the meaning of the First Amendments right of freedom of speech. They examine the anti-war movement that occurred during the 1960's in response to the war in Vietnam. While studying primary sources, they determine how...

Third graders learn the effects of temperature on the states of water. Then students create paper snowflakes. Finally students complete a computer project with software which teaches the different states of water.

Students identify the courts that make up the Michigan judicial system. They explore the responsibility of each court and diagram how cases move to the Supreme Court. They compare and contrast the different types of courts.