iCivics
Branches of Power
Learners take on the roles of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government in the United States and work to develop public policy issues and ideas into laws in this engaging and well-designed online interactive.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Starting a Government from Scratch
Young historians have an opportunity to experience the challenges of starting a new government. After watching a short video about the Articles of Confederation, class members generate a "to-do list" of actions that a new government...
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum
Practice Passing Laws
Getting a bill through the legislative process to become a law in the United States is a very long and difficult procedure by design! To understand the deliberation, debate, and compromises involved, class members take on the role of...
Curated OER
How Ordinary People Can Have an Impact
Students identify three or more ways the Federal Government impacts their daily lives and then explore ways in which citizens can influence political leaders.
Curated OER
Who influences the development of the laws?
Ninth graders explore how laws are created. They examine how committee members are selected. Students assess the influences that affect the voting of Congressional Committee Members. They identify the formal majority and minority leaders...
US House of Representatives
From Exclusion to Inclusion, 1941–1992
The legacy of Japanese American internment impacted America for decades, including Congress. Class members consider the tenure of Asian American representatives in Congress and how the legacy of World War II affected their service. Other...
Facing History and Ourselves
The Political Struggle, 1865-1866
Healing versus justice. The central source of tension following the United States Civil War was between the demands for healing and the demands for justice, the battle between President Andrew Johnson and Congress. A video introduces the...
US House of Representatives
Women Pioneers on Capital Hill, 1917–1934
As part of a study of the women elected to Congress from 1917 to 1934, groups research and then design a museum exhibit that describes the life and the congressional service of one of these women.
US House of Representatives
Congresswomen in an Age of National Crises, 1935–1954
Class members investigate congresswomen and the role these senators and representatives played in congress during the period from 1935–1954.
Newseum
Weighing the Arguments
To understand how personal perspectives can affect policy and politics, scholars examine the woman suffrage media map and historical artifacts to analyze arguments for and against women's suffrage. Class members then take on the role of...
University of Wisconsin
Analyzing Presidential Campaign Propaganda
Campaign propaganda has evolved from 1952 through the presidential election of 2008. A social studies activity prompts class members to analyze the devices used in ads and political cartoons, noting strategies they believe would work to...
iCivics
Executive Command
What is it like to be the commander in chief? Learners find out using an engaging video game simulation. As they juggle diplomacy and bills sent from Congress, they make choices to push forward an agenda on issues they think are important.
National Woman's History Museum
Congresswoman Jeannette Rankin
Political activist, suffragette, pacifist, and the first woman elected to Congress, Jeannette Rankin has been largely ignored in history and history textbooks. Young historians set out to rectify that situation by examining primary...
Facing History and Ourselves
Interracial Democracy
Radical Reconstruction, the 10-year period referred to after Congress passed the Reconstruction Act of 1867, saw the establishment of manhood suffrage, men voting without any racial qualifications. Southern states also rewrote their...
Curated OER
Government and Politics
Challenge your students' knowledge of the American government with this activity, which prompts them to fill in missing key terms (no word bank is provided, allowing students to come up with answers on their own) and complete short...
Curated OER
The Battle Over Reconstruction: The Politics of Reconstruction
High schoolers participate in a simulation as a Congress member to decide which policies to support in Reconstruction. In this Reconstruction era lesson, students read primary source documents to use as the basis for a mock debate. High...
Curated OER
Graphically Speaking
Students discover the links between population and Congressional representation. In this government lesson, students research population statistics and create spreadsheets that compare population to the number of Congress members per state.
Curated OER
Branches of Government: Crossword Puzzle
Reinforce terminology that goes along with the branches of government with this crossword puzzle. There are 17 clues provided. Learners fill in the crossword puzzle with the appropriate answers regarding the legislative, executive, and...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Marketing a Bad Idea: Why So Many People Joined the Klan in the 1920s
How did the Klu Klux Klan manage to gain so many members during the 1920s? Class members examine Klan documents and promotional materials to gain an understanding of the propaganda techniques used to attract members.
Curated OER
Legislative Branch (Congress) Questions
In this U. S. government worksheet, students respond to 10 short answer questions about the responsibilities of congressional members.
Curated OER
How Government Works and the Rights of the People
Eighth graders identify how to be responsible citizens. In this civics lesson, 8th graders review websites of congressional members and then create questionnaires about the responsibilities of citizens.
Curated OER
Oil Crisis: What Would You Do?
The dynamics between the economies and politics of the United States and the Middle East are here to study. Upper graders read and discuss scenarios relating to OPEC and the current oil crisis, then in small groups role-play members of...
Center for Civic Education
The Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s and Today
Discover the fascinating history of the Equal Rights Amendment and discuss the major implications and considerations associated with it today. Here you will find background information on the topic, a graphic organizer summarizing...
Northshore School District
American Voices and Their Audiences
Those new to teaching an AP level language and composition prep course and seasoned veterans will find much to treasure in a unit that is designed to help young language scholars develop the skills they need to analyze the language...