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Political Parties
Twelfth graders give their current events presentations to the class today. After completing the "T" exercise on classifying certain individuals as Democrats or Republicans, they pair up to figure out where the political parties fit into...
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The Statue of Liberty -- A Symbol of Freedom
Second graders explore the Statue of Liberty by reading books and internet cites. They must complete a story web
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The Philadelphia Convention
Eighth graders investigate the conflict over representation that occurred at the Philadelphia Convention. They participate in a class discussion, and in small groups represent a fictional large population state and small population...
University of North Carolina
Political Science
The right to vote and freedom of expression are democratic principles that fall under the study of political science. A handout describes writing assignments that are common in political science college classes and gives tips and...
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Red States/Blue States: Mapping the Presidential Election
Young historians investigate how voting patterns have changed by comparing the outcome of the 1960 election to the outcome of the recent election. A creative final assessment has participants making a news show wherein they provide...
Anti-Defamation League
Harriet Tubman on the $20 Bill: The Power of Symbols
How important are symbols and symbolic gestures in society? Middle schoolers have an opportunity to analyze the importance of symbols on American currency with a lesson that investigates the controversies surrounding redesigning the $5,...
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Citizen Me
Fifth graders examine what it means to be a citizen. Using the Constitution, they discover the functions and purpose of government. They compare and contrast the difference between a democracy and a monarchy. As a class, they discuss...
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Academic Raceway 500
In this community government PowerPoint, students participate in a game with a race track format in which they answer questions about local government, the election process, and the decision making process used in a democracy.
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Fidel Castro: El Comandante
Students view a documentary on Fidel Castro. After nearly forty years of rule, he remains one of the most controversial political figures of the twentieth century. After viewing, students discuss what they saw and research the Cuban...
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The People's Right to Know
Students review Supreme Court ruling on the right to know, prior restrain and access to government. They read The Progressive case and hold a moot court to argue the outcome.
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Introduction to Law I
Young scholars identify four basic values (economic, social, moral, and political) protected by law, examine different definitions of values, and correlate laws to values they aim to protect.
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Space Trader And Economics
Students' play a game applying different economic and game terms. In the game, the students' are to travel to 4 planets which provide the best resources for increasing their money to purchase a moon in the end. The students' keep track...
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Lasting Legacies of Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece lesson plans can open up a world of information for students.
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Creating Professional Awareness: What I Discovered At The Teachers' Institute On Canadian Parliamentary Democracy
Students do research about the Canadian government and become aware of all the resources available to them.
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Lobby Groups And Their Role In The Democratic Process
Students explain the role of the different players in the process of lobbying the government for changes in policy and or law. They select an issue of current concern and determine who their contacts would be both inside and outside of...
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Is It A Crime To Be Gay?
Students stage a parliamentary committee hearing in the newly independent Eastern European country of Boldovistan. Role playing characters with differing attitudes towards homosexuality, students testify on legislation to abolish laws...
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Helping Countries in Turmoil
Young scholars discover the struggles of emerging democracies. In this service learning instructional activity, students research a non-profit agency that is assisting the people of an emerging democracy and create and advertisement.
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Personal and Civic Responsibility
Learners identify the civic responsbilities of those living in a constitutional democracy. In groups, they brainstorm a list of those characteristics of a good citizen. They participate in various scenerios to identify the...
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Growing a Citizen
Students analyze messages and values associated with civic engagement present in the media. They analyze the local community's promotion of values associated with civic engagement by conducting investigative research. They hypothesize...
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Declaration of Independence and Acts of Courage
Students examine the trait of courage. In this Declaration of Independence instructional activity, students discuss what it means to be courageous and identify the courageous acts the signers of the Declaration showed. Students research...
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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Limited Government
Learners write a letter to King George III from the point of view of Thomas Jefferson. They defend constitutional democracy and explain the differences between limited and unlimited government.
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In a Tights Spot
Students investigate the work of the Chamber of Commons. In this current events lesson, students visit selected websites to learn what the Chamber of Commons is responsible for and determine how their jobs may be changing.
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Roots of the Documents of Freedom
Students examine and analyze various excerpts from documents of freedom such as Magna Carta and Virginia Declaration of Rights, identify how documents influenced each other, and discuss ideas and rights necessary to build representative...
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The Constitution & Native Americans
Students identify and consider US Constitutional origins in American Indian culture. They discuss and consider what it means to them to attribute the origins of the US Constitution to American Indian oral tradition. They compare the...