Curated OER
Balance of Power
High schoolers explore the impact of the Federal Reserve Bank. In this central bank lesson, students read specific selections out of their textbooks about the history of the bank and its role in the U.S economy. High schoolers then...
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Branches of Government
Students explore the three branches of government. In this government and U.S. history lesson, students listen to a story about a boy who attempts to sponsor a bill to ban cartoons. Students interview three teachers who each represent...
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Hunger at Home
Students discuss the plight of the homeless in the U.S. and in their own community. They participate in a food drive for a local shelter. They role play being homeless and discover what it would be like to not have food or shelter.
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History of Supreme Court
Students study the role of the U.S. Supreme Court in U.S. history. They explore current events about the U.S. Constitution and discuss the Marbury v. Madison case from 1803. They identify the term "judicial review" and judicial...
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When Property Rights and the Public Good Clash
Students analyze a case involving a government's use of eminent
domain powers to construct a comprehension of property rights and how they might be viewed as essential protections for citizens in a constitutional democracy. They Use the...
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Stamp Act: Virtual Representation vs. Actual Representation
Eleventh graders research and discuss the different points of view of colonists in terms of taxation, as well as how these viewpoints helped lead to the revolution.
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The Role of Government and Citizens
Students define term representative democracy, explain how the government responds to the needs of its citizens, describe the role of citizens in a representative democracy, and explain how citizens can influence public policy.
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Molly's Pilgrim
Third graders explore the multi-ethnic nature of America's citizens and examine the symbolism of the Statue of Liberty. In this Molly's Pilgrim lesson, 3rd graders discuss the poem "The New Colossus," examine vocabulary words...
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Government by the People
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. For this service learning lesson, students examine primary documents regarding the founding of the United States. Students analyze section of the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of...
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Memorandum Regarding the Enlistment of Navajo Indians
Students examine the Navajo dictionary used by the U.S. military in W.W. II. They role-play Navajo messengers and Marine Corp staff. They research the Battle of Iwo Jima and confirm or discount the claim that Navajos made the victory...
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Launching Your Ship with Citizenship Lesson 4: Hoisting the Flag
Students discuss the U.S. electoral process and brainstorm solutions to increase voter turnout in their community. For this democratic citizenship lesson, students identify keywords in speech and video related to freedom of speech and...
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Keep Your Eye On the Prize
High schoolers learn about citizens who were actively involved in the civil rights movement, and the strategies they used to overcome the Jim Crow laws that were so prevalent in the 1960s. They investigate the voting amendments of the US...
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Land and Liberty: The Saga of Sam McCulloch
The struggles of Sam McCulloch, a free black man, to be recognized as a citizen entitled to own land in Texas are the focus of research project that ask groups to examine a series of primary source documents and piece together...
iCivics
Taxation
A paycheck stub can offer loads of information on the taxes American citizens pay. This resource not only includes analysis of a stub as an activity, but also provides a wealth of informative reading material on such topics as the...
Curated OER
First Things First: Using the Newspaper to Teach the Freedoms of the First Amendment
Young scholars use the newspaper as a tool to make connections about what the five freedoms guarantee in the First Amendment. In this first amendment lesson plan, students analyze events in the newspaper to form conclusions about the...
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Interpreting Political Cartoons – Vietnam Era
Eleventh graders explore opinions regarding U.S. involvement in Vietnam. In this primary source analysis lesson, 11th graders analyze political cartoons related to the Vietnam War and then respond to the provided discussion questions.
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America's Heartland
Students complete geography and trade activities about global trade. In this geography and trade lesson, students read information to learn about absolute advantage, comparative advantage, trade factors, U.S. trade partners, and...
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Tracing Migration Patterns
Seventh graders analyze migration patterns. In this migration lesson, 7th graders use U.S. Census records to trace the migration patterns of 2 German families in Kansas.
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Discovering American Symbols
Help youngsters get to know their states and capitals, explore their own country, and study American symbolism. They take a "trip" across America collecting symbols, images, and information about each state as they go (through text and...
Curated OER
It's Your Right: A Civil Rights Brochure
Learners examine the US Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Supreme Court cases in order to broaden their understanding of the US Judicial System. They research a variety of textual and Internet resources to create a tri-fold brochure,...
Curated OER
Preamble to the Constitution: What is Good Government?
Young scholars identify what a good government should provide for its citizens, and link their ideas to those of the founding founders by analyzing the Preamble to the Constitution. They create a mural depicting their understanding of...
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The Russian Years: Back in the USSR
Students examine communist Russia. In this lesson on changes in politics, students work in small groups to compare and contrast soviet communist era citizen rights to those of the US. They participate in discussion of a film and create a...
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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
Texas Quarter Drawing
Students recognize the U.S. penny, nickel, dime, and
quarter by design and denomination and study the historical figures depicted on the coins. They study simple Texas symbols and choose
one to draw in a design for a Texas Quarter.