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Skepticism Toward Government
Students explain how the media portrays certain events and its effects on public opinion of government. They focus on Watergate, the Vietnam War, and the Clinton impeachment. They write essays about skepticism promoted by the media.
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Raising Money for Government Services
Students evaluate how money is raised to pay for government services. They describe why governments need revenue to provide goods and services. They create a list of government expenditures at the federal, state and local levels. They...
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Paying for Government Services
Students identify major sources of revenue for government spending and identify the type of tax that makes up the largest percentage of the federal budget. They are introduced to the major services provided by local, state and national...
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Members of Congress Who Have Made a Significant Contribution
Pupils examine laws that have benefited the nation in a variety of ways. The congressperson in the legislative branch of the government primarily responsible for the passage of the law and the current representatives are sought in this...
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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.
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"I've Been Working on the Railroad" - Federal Land Grants and the Construction of the Illinois Central Railroad in Mid-nineteenth Century Illinois
Eleventh graders, in groups, design a self-sufficient community. Groups present the communities they've designed. They compare and contrast the communities presented. They research the theories of Johann Heinrich von Thunen online and...
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Trappers Then and Now
Students study how trapping in the Illinois Territory in the 1800's effected the beaver population in the state. They compare methods, rules and regulations of the 1800s to those of today. In groups, they research a variety of...
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Age of Enlightenment
Studnets compare example of primary documents that have shaped U.S. government and our Constitution.
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THE KING AND QUEEN OF ENGLAND
Second graders compare the parliamentary and democratic government in an attentive discussion, make realistic predictions for the story read aloud, use realistic examples in their stories about their life as a king or queen, and...
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Slow-moving Process
Students explain why the Framers designed a long and complicated legislative process, and evaluate how effectively the legislative branch of the government is serving the purposes for which it was created.
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Trees
Students investigate the parts of a tree, measure its circumference and the length and width of its longest branch. The data is compiled and placed into a bar graph.
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Working Together to Improve Our Community
Learners from the fourth grade research a solution to a community problem and converse with eighth graders via email. Eighth graders study the political process and work with the fourth graders to present information to the public to...
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Civil Service Reform: Campaign Contributions
High schoolers investigate the campaign contribution scandal in Illinois during the 1990s. They listen to a teacher-led discussion, answer discussion questions, compare/contrast two reform acts, and write their own civil service law.
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Pardon Me, Please
Young scholars research capital punishment policies supported by leaders who have issued pardons, then reflect on how executive pardons might affect the balance of power between the branches of government.
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Honoring An Imperial Legacy
Students research, compare, and identify imperial Rome's impact on modern governments. They compare the political system of ancient Rome to modern political systems throughout the world.
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Balancing the Budget
Students identify the different components that make up the federal budget. They discuss the relationship between government revenues and spending and between budget deficits and the national debt. Students predict how changes in...
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Why Does Congress Work That Way?
Students discover the powers of Congress. In this legislative branch instructional activity, students examine the legislative process as they analyze Article I of the U.S. Constitution. Students consider the powers of Congress as they...
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Roles of Individuals and Groups in Politics
Young scholars review the Federalist Paper by James Madison. They discuss the influence of interest groups in contemporary politics.
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Democracy is Cool
Students discuss the components of a representative democracy. In groups, they create a t-shirt that shows the components and why it is "cool" to live in a democracy. As a class, they examine the concept of the common good and how...
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Candidate Obama Support and President Obama's Agenda
Students research categories within President Obama's agenda and create a PowerPoint presentation. In this President Obama agenda lesson, students research a category within President Obama's agenda and present their topic in a...
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FDR-Hitler: Conflicting Political Systems
Students compare and contrast the governments of the United States and Germany during World War II. Using different media, they identify the actions of both countries during the war and their major mistakes. They write a short summary...
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The Eiserloh Story
Students read "The Eiserloh Story" and evaluate decisions made by the government in time of war. They determine if the government violated the rights of innocent civilians. They identify the Bill of Rights and analyze each Right.
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Life before Congress
Students name some interesting backgrounds of Members of Congress, identify their current representatives in the legislative branch of the national government, and describe the background of one local representative or senator.
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Nationalism and Immigration
High schoolers use the internet to research how immigration patterns changed after 1880. Using this information, they create a pie chart to organize it effectively and discuss how immigration changed Europe and the United States. They...