Curated OER
Can You Follow Me? Writing Instructions
Young scholars write directions for completing everyday activities. In this writing instructions lesson students exchange their set of written directions with a partner and follow their partners directions. If the directions...
Judicial Learning Center
Your 4th Amendment Rights
Americans love to learn about their rights, especially those that protect them from the government's power to invade their privacy. Young people are especially engaged by this topic. An informative lesson explores four Supreme Court...
Judicial Learning Center
Your 1st Amendment Rights
Why should classes care about the First Amendment? An engaging lesson serves as a powerful tool for answering just that. As all four cases in the lesson relate directly to freedom of expression in schools, young scholars explore the...
Curated OER
Air Movers
Young scholars learn about Rube Goldberg machines (complicated devices designed to accomplish simple tasks and then design and build a machine that uses more than six separate steps to move an empty aluminum can. They can either work...
Curated OER
Can you Follow Me? Conventions
Use the present tense to create written assignments. Critical thinkers take a passage written in past or future tense and rewrite it in present tense. They then write a set of instructions in present tense.
Curated OER
British Royalty Tours the U.S.
Students share their knowledge of England, then read a news article about Prince Charles's anticipated visit to the U.S. In this current events lesson (written prior to Prince Charles's visit), the teacher introduces the article with a...
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 instructional activity, students look at the concepts of civic engagement, civic responsibility, and common good. They determine how a classroom is a community and the need...
National History Day
Challenging the Status Quo: Women in the World War I Military
Why are some so resistant to change? The status quo is often to blame for a lack of forward movement in society. Following the events of World War I, women in America suddenly had a voice—and were going to use it. Scholars use the...
Curated OER
Economics: Property Rights and the Rule of Law
Students examine the economic value of property rights. In a classroom activity, "You're the Economist," they analyze actual research data from establishing land holding titles in Para, Brazil. They assess several case studies about the...
Curated OER
Know The Code
Students explore how codes of conduct guide our daily lives. After learning about specific codes of conduct, students write articles exploring aspects of different codes and how they affect people in their community.
Curated OER
Rights or Fights
Students identify and explain the four doctrines of groundwater use law. Students compare and contrast the doctrines of groundwater use law; Students also research and decide on a groundwater case based on the groundwater use law. ...
Curated OER
No Vehicles in the Park: Working with Legislation
Students in pairs, or groups of three, determine if the "No Vehicles in the Park" law has been violated in each of the following situations. Let students know that it is not the definition of "vehicles" that is in question in all c
Curated OER
Writing a Class Constitution
Young scholars view a short play and explore the United States constitution relating it to the importance of rules in the classroom and in the community.
Digital History
The Age of Constitution Writing
Was the United States significantly more democratic in their governing structures and laws after the overthrow of British authorities? Compare and contrast summaries of the country's constitutions under British rule and after...
C-SPAN
Voting Discrimination and the Effects of Shelby County v. Holder
Show students that every vote counts as they debate the federal government 's role in protecting voting rights in historically racially discriminated areas. In the Supreme Court case Shelby County v. Holder, the high court found...
Childnet International
Crossing the Line: Sexting
Technology may be changing every day, but peer pressure remains difficult for teenagers to resist. After watching a video about feeling pressured to text provocative pictures, middle schoolers learn about the laws and school policy...
EngageNY
Final Performance Task: Final Draft of Essay to Inform
Sometimes, it's fun to follow the rules. Using their drafts of an evidence-based essay from previous lessons, scholars write their final informative essays about rules to live by. Next, they choose and share quotes from their essays that...
PBS
Constitution Day
Travel back to 1787 as young scholars investigate the creation of the US Constitution. After first working in small groups to create sets of classroom rules, young scholars go on to read a summary of the Constitution and watch a short...
Reading Through History
Flag Day
Why is the United States flag such an important symbol to America that it gets its own day to celebrate it? Pupils read a passage that discusses the symbolism and significance of the American flag. Following the reading, they answer quiz...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Sorting Functions
There's no sorting hat here. A high school assessment task prompts learners to analyze different types of functions. They investigate graphs, equations, tables, and verbal rules for four different functions.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Educating About Immigration The DREAM Act
Group members role play state legislators, supporters of and opponents to the The DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors). After listening to the arguments put forth for and against the immigration...
Pearson
Advice: Should, Shouldn't, Ought to, Had Better, and Had Better Not
You shouldn't miss out on an opportunity to review should, shouldn't, ought to, had better, and had better not! Elementary and middle schoolers view a slideshow presentation that focuses on usage rules and examples for...
ProCon
Sanctuary Cities
Should sanctuary cities receive federal funding, or do they defy federal laws? That is precisely the question scholars attempt to answer as they prepare for a class discussion or debate. After reading some brief background information,...
Georgia Standards
Sociology Unit Six: Socialization Within the Group
How do we learn the rules of society? How do beliefs and ideas affect these rules? Introduce your young sociologists to the factors that socialize individuals with a unit that uses observation and experimentation to analyze how factors...