James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation
Application of the Principles of the Constitution
If you want to challenge your US government class, this assignment requires them to identify a contemporary issue or event that reflects the four main principles of the Constitution (federalism, separation of powers, protection of...
Curated OER
The First Amendment
Eleventh graders examine the First Amendment. In this US Government activity, 11th graders analyze the scope and meaning of the first amendment. Students conduct a survey on First Amendment freedoms. Student evaluate the First...
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Government Lesson Plan 17
Students analyze evidence of society's socioeconomic goals, prioritize goals, and identify the opportunity costs of limited government funding.
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The Need for Government—A Cinematic and Literary Perspective
Students examine the philosophy of government. In this types of government lesson, students explore literature and movie clips to determine the value of rules in lawless societies.
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Government
Young scholars evaluate how the United States government has maintained a balance between protecting rights and maintaining order. They analyze the impact of Supreme Court decisions on governmental powers and the rights and...
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Stitching Truth Lesson One: What is Civil Society?
Ninth graders create a working definition of civil society. In this US History lesson, 9th graders create a list of terms that help make up the term civil society. Students examine the case study of life in Pinochet's Chile.
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Voting and US Resident Aliens
Twelfth graders examine the process of voting. For this American Government lesson, 12th graders evaluate the arguments for and against alien voting. Students participate in a debate on voting rights.
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Civil Rights - What are yours?
Students explore US Civil Rights. In this us government lesson, students watch a video and then complete a worksheet on identifying and understanding their personal civil rights.
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The Role of State Government and the State Constitution
High schoolers examine sections of the Nebraska Constitution and the U.S. Constitution, and compare/contrast the two. They research policy issues, and decide whether they should be solved at the state or federal level.
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ONE VOTE
In order to understand the political process and the importance of voting, pupils will construct a class time line. They will group up and research a specific era, creating a time line of political events where one vote made a...
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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,...
Annenberg Foundation
Controversial Issues in Practice
Wow! This resource provides three related lessons on the First Amendment that challenge US government students to explore their personal opinion on the separation of church and state. Each lesson can be adjusted in length, but is...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Military Conscription in World War I: Alabamians Express Their Opinions
If called, would you go? Should the US government have the power to impose a draft during any war? The Selective Service Act of 1917 (aka the Conscription Act of 1917) authorized the drafting of men into the military for only the second...
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Rome's Rise To Power: The Republic
Middle schoolers investigate the government structure of ancient Rome. In this government systems lesson, students compare and contrast the government of ancient Rome with the government of the United States.
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We the People
Students create a map illustrating the three branches of goverment. They identify the branches of government and the shared or exclusive powers of each. Students use mapping as a prewriting stategy. They discuss our national...
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Documents and Symbols and American Freedom
Young scholars complete a unit of lessons on the documents, symbols, and famous people involved in the founding of the U.S. government. They create a personal bill of rights, write a found poem, design a flag, conduct research, and...
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Governing National Socialist Germany
Students spend a month discovering the role of the Nazi Dictatorship during the Holocaust. Using the internet, they research the history of the Nazi party and the decline of the Weimar Republic. They examine how Hitler rose to power...
Curated OER
US Policy Toward Egypt: A Dialogue
Young scholars examine U.S. foreign policy concerning the 2011 Egyptian uprising. In this current events instructional activity, students discuss the uprising in Egypt and examine news reports related to it. Young scholars then discuss...
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It's a Grand Ol' Government!
Students discuss the three branches of government and the different levels. They talk about the purpose of laws and use the Internet to locate information about governments. They watch the video, "United States Constitution" and look up...
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U.S. and Iroquois Governments
Eighth graders compare the roles and functions of the different branches of the Iroquois and US governments, and the the principles of separation of power.
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Local Government and Leaders
Third graders research their local government and leaders. Throughout the lesson, they engage in discussions, a visit by an elected local government official and research. In addition, 3rd graders study some basic facts about the local...
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We Are the Government
Students read primary documents to find the motivations of the founding fathers of the United States. In this primary documents lesson, students discuss the meaning of the Preamble to the Constitution, read parts of the Constitution...
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The Role of Government
Pupils 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...
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The Need for Government
Students, in groups, play a game of skill in which the outcome depends on decisions the other players make. After playing they discuss the game and how they liked playing a game that was controlled by the decisions othe rpeople made. ...