Curated OER
Identifying Career Interests in the Volunteer and Government Sectors
Here is a great way to give your class a real-life job experience, while also serving the community. They explore a variety of volunteer opportunities to build career interests, gain work experience, and help their community grow. This...
Curated OER
We the People: 270 out of 538
Students engage in a lesson that helps them better explain the quadrennial ritual surrounding the election of a president in the United States of America.
Student Handouts
Comparing Countries’ Constitutions
Analyze the constitutions of five different countries and see how they relate to each country's culture and traditions. Pupils read the preambles to the constitutions of India, Ireland, Russia, Suriname, and the United States. After...
Curated OER
The Importance of Rules
No rules...awesome! Or is it? It's tough for young learners to think about what would happen if a rule didn't exist, but understanding the rules and where they come from helps keep everyone safe. Youngsters write a rule on the front of...
Curated OER
Benjamin Franklin and the U.S. Constitution
Students explore U.S. history by completing a quiz about civics. In this Benjamin Franklin lesson, students read assigned text about Franklin's role in the development of the Constitution and the creation of a new society. Students...
Curated OER
The Children's March
Students watch the film, The Children's March. In this civil rights lesson, students view a video on the Civil Rights Movement in Montgomery Alabama. Students then complete a worksheet that will prompt a classroom discussion about the...
Center for Civic Education
What Is Authority?
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...
Center for Civic Education
Orb and Effy Learn About Authority
Simplify the teaching of the US Constitution with this primary grade social studies lesson. While reading a fun story about an imaginary place called Bubble Land, children learn about the concept of authority and the importance of...
Curated OER
We the People
Students show how the meaning of the Preamble is reflected in current American culture. They collect images and/or sounds from media sources that represent, symbolize, or explain each phrase in the Preamble and create a media...
Curated OER
Energy: Power to the People
Students explore the concept of renewable energy. In this green design lesson, students research local energy issues facing their community and create policies to address the issues.
US Institute of Peace
Peacebuilders in Action
What contributions have great peacebuilders made to our society? Civic-minded scholars take an in-depth look at people who have made a difference world-wide during the 12th lesson in a 15-part series. After researching facts about their...
US Institute of Peace
What Does It Take to Be a Peacebuilder?
Is the spirit of peacebuilding already inside you? Scholars take a closer look at the characteristics of peacebuilders, past and present, in lesson 13 of a 15-part series. Individuals identify common traits of peacebuilders, then work...
Curated OER
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
Use the historical account of Claudette Colvin to study civil rights and connect past injustices to modern issues. As learners read, they examine chapter titles, record quotes, and participate in discussion. Next, they research...
Curated OER
We the People... What Conflicting Opinions Did the Framers Have about the Completed Constitution?
Students study some of the disagreements about the Constitution which set the stage for the debates over its ratification. These are significant because many have to do with issues that are still discussed and debated today.
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Recipe for an Inaugural Address
An inaugural address represents the first moments of a new beginning. Using John F. Kennedy's speech as a model for guided practice, groups examine the ingredients of an inaugural address. Individuals then repeat the analysis...
Judicial Branch of California
A “Commemorative” Bill of Rights
It's 1943, and Jewish people in Denmark are in hiding from the Nazis. What protection can the United States offer them? By examining the Constitution, specifically the Bill of Rights, scholars consider the protections afforded to those...
Curated OER
American Women Who Shaped the Civil Rights Movement Explored Through the Literature of Eloise Greenfield
Examine the women who contributed to the Civil Rights movement. In groups, children read excerpts of writings from Eloise Greenfield and research the women she mentions using the internet. To end the lesson plan, they create a timeline...
Curated OER
Fascinating Figures: The Middle East from the 20th Century to Present
Young scholars examine the leaders of the Middle East. In this Middle East lesson, students read biographies regarding featured twentieth century leaders of Egypt, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, and Yemen....
Personal Genetics Education Project
DNA, Crime and Law Enforcement
Civil rights meets biotechnology in a instructional activity that scrutinizes the collection of DNA of citizens who have been arrested, but not yet convicted of a crime. Real-life cases are examined in which the DNA of a relative was...
Curated OER
We Are the Government
Students read primary documents to find the motivations of the founding fathers of the United States. In this primary documents lesson, students discuss the meaning of the Preamble to the Constitution, read parts of the Constitution...
University of Wisconsin
Teaching Things Fall Apart in Wisconsin: A Resource Guide for Educators
“There is no story that is not true, . . .” And uncovering the truths in Things Fall Apart is the focus of a 68-page resource packet designed to provide instructors with a wealth of materials that enhance understanding of Chinua Achebe’s...
Curated OER
We Are a Comm-un-it-y. I've Got All My Classmates with Me-Part I
Students investigate the meaning of community. In this community lesson, students look at the concepts of civic engagement, civic responsibility, and common good. They determine how a classroom is a community and the need for having...
Curated OER
We the Community
Learners explore the concept of philanthropy. For this service learning lesson, students design and create informational books regarding nonprofit agencies and philanthropists in their community.
Curated OER
Civics Review for Grade 3
For this civics review for grade 3 worksheet, 3rd graders answer 25 multiple choice questions about U.S. government in standardized test format.