Ashbrook Center at Ashland University
Bill of Rights
Do citizens need protection from the federal government? Scholars investigate why the framers of the Constitution created the first 10 amendments and what these amendments mean to citizens of the United States more than 200 years later....
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Comparing Democracies
Could a president just ignore election results? For this analysis handout, scholars consider this question as they read background information on the 2008 elections in Zimbabwe. Two political cartoons poke fun at President Robert Mugabe,...
iCivics
For The President, All In A Day's Work
How does the president of the United States get the authority to exercise his/her duties? What responsibilities and tasks go into a hard day's work for the president? Here is a lesson plan that includes several instructional materials...
Theodore Roosevelt Association
Theodore Roosevelt: A Presidential Timeline
Throughout his life and presidency, Theodore Roosevelt contributed to the America we know today in so many ways. An adaptable lesson prompts young historians to create a chronological timeline of Roosevelt's contributions to different...
Facing History and Ourselves
Laws and the National Community
When it comes to the law, is justice always served? Teach scholars about how law sometimes enables prejudice of entire groups of people with a unit on World War II that includes a warm-up activity, analysis of primary sources,...
Curated OER
Focus on Economic Data: US Employment and the Unemployment Rate, March, 2012
Read all about the various types of unemployment and the United States is are currently at the low-point of an unemployment cycle. Kids examine what economic factors affect the unemployment rate, and what data shows for different US...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classrooms: Wall Street
Open up an intriguing dialogue about Wall Street controversy using political cartoons! Background information gives context, including quotes from various newspapers about compensation caps, bonuses, and the growing disenchantment with...
Curated OER
Hunger in the World
Background information is a great tool for any teacher. This resource provides background information on nutrition and world hunger, as well as ten different activity options to help learners understand this global issue. Each activity...
Curated OER
Teen Domestic Abuse and Violence
Inform your class about teen dating abuse. This resource lays out a comprehensive plan for helping teens become aware of the signs of abuse. The lesson is complete with vocabulary, worksheets, a PowerPoint presentation, and videos....
State Bar of Texas
White v. Regester
One vote doesn't really matter, right? Class members investigate the concept of voter rights and restrictions using the 1973 Supreme Court case White v. Regester. They view a short video and work in pairs to analyze how people create...
Museum of the Moving Image
Evaluating Information: Focus on the 2008 Election
Just how true is the information contained in political ads? Determining the veracity of campaign ads from the 2008 presidential race is the focus of a lesson that introduces class members to several fact-checking resources.
Curated OER
Constitution/Impeachment/Reconstruction
Eleventh graders analyze a chart comparing U.S. census data from 1850, 1880, 1900, and 1920. They read a handout summarizing immigration legislation from 1882-1996 and create a graph charting how open / closed U.S. immigration is over time.
Curated OER
Does Rick Warren Represent Diversity?
The topic of this lesson focuses on whether or not Obama was able to convincingly defend his choice of choosing Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration. This is considered a controversial or hot topic because it...
Curated OER
Ancient Roman Travel Brochure
Ancient Rome is the topic of this creative lesson plan. Students research Ancient Rome using the links provided, and then create a travel brochure using Microsoft Publisher. What a fun way to review facts on Ancient Rome!
Council for Economic Education
Tax Time Scavenger Hunt
Is a 1040EZ tax form really easy? Scholars investigate the complexities of the United States taxation system with an economics instructional activity. Using a wide variety of web sources, they interpret IRS taxation rules and regulations...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Camp Aliceville: The Story of WWII Prisoners of War Who Came to Alabama
POW camps in the United states? In Alabama? The German POW camp in Aliceville, Alabama is used as the focus of a study of the more than 700 camps built in the US during World War II.
Teaching Ideas
The Aztecs
Did you know the Aztecs had two different calendars? Or that Aztec men could have more than one wife? Find out more about this ancient civilization including how they lived, what they ate, and their cultures and beliefs with a set of 20...
Deliberating in a Democracy
Parental Liability
How many teenagers have wanted their parents to let them make their own decisions? The answer is ... all of them! Scholars investigate where parental liability begins and ends in the eyes of the law. Using case studies and legal...
Curated OER
Rights of the Accused in Search and Seizure
Young scholars explain the rationale behind the Fourth Amendment, and the types of activity regulated by the Constitution. They analyze situations, and explain a citizen's rights when an unlawful search or seizure is conducted.
State Bar of Texas
Roe v. Wade
At what point does the right of privacy end and the government begin? Scholars research rights under the Ninth Amendment to the Constitution. Using the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case as a starting point, along with small group work...
US National Archives
WWII: Western Europe 1939-45 – Invasion
Without the benefit of history, Western Europe in the 1940's had no idea what was about to befall them. Class members use primary sources, including political cartoons, videos, and internal documents, to analyze how much of a threat...
Curated OER
The Five W's of Tax Day
Use April 15th to teach your students the fundamentals of the American federal tax system.
Curated OER
3 Branches of State Government
Fourth graders discuss what they think of when they hear the word government and write their suggestions on the board. They discuss what the state government is and what it does. They then discover the three separate branches of...
Curated OER
The Role of Government
Students are introduced to the economic roles of the federal government. Using the internet, they read information related to government spending and the actual dollar amounts attached to budget items. In groups, they develop their own...