Curated OER
The Federal Legislative Process: A Mock Session in the House of Commons
Students examine the legislative process in Canada's House of Commons. They simulate the role of being a sitting member of the House of Commons, developing bills, conducting meetings, and voting on the written bills.
Curated OER
Painting Inside the Lines
Students examine how freedoms of expression and religion are shaped within democracies. They consider reactions to controversial art exhibit in Moscow. They compose reaction papers supporting or refuting a quotation from the article read...
Curated OER
Terrorism: How Should We Respond?
Students participate in an online ballot activity focused on the overarching question of the role of the United States in the world.
Curated OER
Where Canada Began
Third graders discuss the term "Birthplace of Confederation" in context to the beginnings of Canada. In groups, they create a list of the rights and responsibilities of citizens and identify examples of those who made contributions to...
Curated OER
Who's Who in Government: Past, Present and Future
Twelfth graders research a list of governmental leaders of South Carolina's past and present. They briefly identify each by writing a short summary which includes the dates of their political career, party affiliation, positions held in...
Curated OER
Letters to Local and State Legislators
Pupils locate their local or state legislator's address. They write and send letters to their local and state legislators critiquing their voting record on environmental issues and sharing their own views on these issues.
Curated OER
Corps of Discovery
Students assess their knowledge of the Corps of Discovery through a written pretest, follow the journey of Lewis and Clark on the internet, record data on events, dates, places, people, animals, distance traveled, and geographic...
Curated OER
Interest Groups in South Carolina Government
Students create an outline and short class presentation about an assigned interest group by conducting research using the Internet and interest group contacts. They evaluate the role of an assigned interest group in the South Carolina...
Curated OER
Dear Congressperson...
Students identify their local, state, and national officials. They create a short blurb about each official and their function in office. Students choose an issue of concern they would like to write to their local official about,...
Curated OER
Human Rights Around the World and at Home
Students research a set of statements from their worksheet. They generate a list of affirmations and abuses that are specific to their own country and ocmmunity.
Curated OER
Create Your Own Constitution
Eighth graders explore the processes, purpose and components of a good and just constitution. They focus on the Constitution of the United States of America. Students discuss the purpose of a constitution and reasons why the Constitution...
Curated OER
Respect and Care of the American Flag
Students properly fold the American Flag and demonstrate proper care and use of the flag to younger students. They properly raise and lower to the flag on a flagpole and demonstrate care and use to younger students as well.
Curated OER
How Does My Government Grow?
Students identify the core democratic values. They explain how the values affect their life in America. They also relate the topic of philantrophy to the core values.
Curated OER
Jackie Robinson, Civil Rights Advocate
Learners examine the life of Jackie Robinson and the ways in which he and they can influence government policy.
The Newberry Library
Newberry Library: Dissent and Democracy in Modern American History
Learning resource in which students examine primary source material for a look at the forms of dissent in U.S. history and the role dissent plays in a representative democracy. Questions for consideration are included.
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: America in Class: Thoreau's Critique of Democracy in "Civil Disobedience"
National Humanities Center lesson explores the criticisms Thoreau makes about a representative democracy form of government. Lesson includes interactive assignments, teacher notes, strategies for Close reading, follow-up and vocabulary.
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: The Democratic Process
Overview explaining some fundamental characteristics of the political processes of a representative democracy.
US Department of State
America.gov: Government of the People: The Role of the Citizen
A chapter taken from the U.S. State Department's "Outline of U.S. Government," that focuses on the foundation of American representative democracy. Provides comparison with other democracies, along with the essential role of the U.S....
Other
Representative Democracy Has Failed
This politically oriented site outlines the degeneration of American Democracy and the erosion of democratic principles as exemplified by unconstitutional actions on the part of the Federal and State governments, as in the examples of...
Wikimedia
Wikipedia: Democracy
A detailed Wikipedia resource on democracy that explains what it is, what the types of democracy are, and gives examples.
iCivics
I Civics: Cradle of Democracy Mini Lesson
No one person invented the kind of government that we have in the U.S. Check out two early governments that inspired the system that we have today: Athenian democracy, and the Roman Republic.
Other
Are We a Democracy or a Republic?
An essay on the present political state in America contending the country is leaning further towards a republican form of government instead of a democracy. Defines and explains the major differences between democracy and republicanism...
iCivics
I Civics: Who Represents Me?
Do you know who represents you in the federal, state and local government? Do you know how to get in touch with them? This web quest will guide you through a number of web resources that will give you information about your...
University of Maryland
Howard County Public School System: Foundations of American Government [Pdf]
How was the foundation of today's representative democracy established in early colonial America? Students will be able to source three documents and corroborate evidence to draw conclusions about the development of democratic ideas and...