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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Branches of Government

For Teachers 4th - 6th
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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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Send Lincoln a Letter

For Teachers K - 4th
Learners discover the postal service through a letter writing activity.  In this U.S. Government lesson, students read the book Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers, and discover the life history of President Abraham Lincoln.  Learners write a letter...
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Lesson Plan
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Why Don’t More People in the U.S. Vote?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
To vote or not to vote, that is the question. Secondary scholars explore voter turnout in the United States. The resource uses informational text, group discussion, and  a worksheet to help academics understand hindrances to voting and...
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Lesson Plan
NPR

Civil Rights of Japanese-American Internees

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Prompted by a viewing of Emiko and Chizu Omori’s Rabbit in the Moon, a documentary about the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, high schoolers examine a series of documents, including the Bill of Rights and the UN’s...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Separation of Powers

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students examine the roles of each of the branches of U.S. government. In this checks and balances lesson, students watch Discovery video segments and discuss the concept of federalism as they create a school-wide policy for government...
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Lesson Plan
iCivics

Constitution Day

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Celebrate Constitution Day, September 17, with an activity that asks class members to identify the responsibilities of the three branches of the U.S. government.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Studies

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Entitled American Studies, this small unit covers various topics related to the study of the United States. Learners warm up by creating a dictionary of democracy, then dive into three different lessons focused on government, famous...
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Lesson Plan
Council for Economic Education

Government Spending: Why Do We Spend the Way We Do?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars examine the categories for federal spending using the internet to locate them. They create a list of expenditures noting them as government purchases or transfer payments. They analyze the patterns of spending during the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Examine Your State Government's Demographics

For Teachers 8th - 11th
How is your state government organized? How many elected officials are women? What is the mean age of your state representatives? Young scholars answer these questions in a research project before creating a chart to reflect their...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lessons from the Holocaust

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers discover what a dictatorship is by examining the holocaust.  In this government lesson, students discuss the laws that were enacted for Nazis to take control of Germany, and the types of laws we have put place to prevent...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Why Does Congress Work That Way?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars discover the powers of Congress. In this legislative branch lesson, students examine the legislative process as they analyze Article I of the U.S. Constitution. Young scholars consider the powers of Congress as they define...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Juvenile Death Penalty

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Sensitive material is discussed in this lesson. Please review to ensure that the content is suitable for your class. The topic is the Eighth Amendment and how the U.S. Supreme Court makes determinations about what constitutes cruel and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Taxes in U.S. History: Tax Reform in the 1960s and 1980s

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explain the content, purpose, and impact of the Tax Reform Acts of 1969 and 1986.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Taxes in U.S. History: The Social Security Act of 1935

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explain the history of the Social Security Act and the FICA tax. They describe what Social Security is and whom it is intended to help. They explain the purpose of the FICA tax.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Impact of the IWW on the Nation or Who were the Wobblies?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students evaluate the role labor groups had on the U.S. Government in the early 1900's.  For this teaching American history lesson, students complete several activities, including response writing and listening to music, that reinforce...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Local Government: Caring for Your Community

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders investigate the role of local governments. In this government lesson, 7th graders examine historical photographs and determine what services are being performed in the photographs. Students research how the services are...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Presidential Nominating System

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the process by which candidates for U.S. president are nominated by the Democratic and Republican parties. They identify the differences between primaries and caucuses and key terms and issues related to the primary...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is Government?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars explore values that unite Americans. In this government instructional activity, students recall the symbols of America and discuss how to create a "Classroom Constitution." Young scholars form rules and write their own...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who Are Our Greatest Presidents?

For Teachers Pre-K - 6th
Students create criteria to evaluate U.S. Presidents. For this presidential legacy lesson, students determine criteria to rank presidents. Students research the presidents, then evaluate the current president and assess how they will be...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Mayflower Compact

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders investigate historical documents of the United States by reading the Mayflower Compact.  In this U.S. History lesson, 8th graders analyze the wording of the original Mayflower Compact of the first U.S. settlers and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Voyage to Freedom - What Does It Mean?

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders investigate the Underground Railroad by creating a quilt.  In this U.S. History lesson, 5th graders discuss the history of slavery through a class "word splash" and by reading an Underground Railroad map online.  Students...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Perks and Perils

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Learners research the life of the first family. In this U.S. Government lesson plan, students take a White House quiz, read an article about the first family and write in their journals about a typical day in their lives versus what a...
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Lesson Plan
iCivics

Wanted: A Just Right Government

For Teachers 6th - 11th Standards
What type of government did American colonists gain and seek after gaining their independence after the Revolutionary War? Here is activity that will guide your young learners through the new nation's progression from the Articles of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

New Supreme Court Justice Sworn In

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students react to a series of statements about the Supreme Court, then read a news article about the confirmation of Chief Justice John Roberts. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and...

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