Living in a Democracy

This is a must-have resource for every social studies teacher covering the civil rights movement. Through an engaging video and detailed viewing guide, young historians learn about the Freedom Riders, and discover how everyday...

Prepare even our youngest citizens to participate in the democratic process with this powerful packet of materials. Kids consider what it means to be a good citizen, examine voter qualifications, investigate initiatives and referenda,...

Rousseau's ideas about natural and general rule, representative and direct democracy, and the role of government are the focus of this informational packet that also looks at how these ideas influenced the American form of government.

Students discuss the components of a representative democracy. In groups, they create a t-shirt that shows the components and why it is "cool" to live in a democracy. As a class, they examine the concept of the common good and how...

Simulate the inner-workings of three different types of government with one activity. The class splits into three groups, and each group creates a Frisbee. The twist is that each group must behave like a certain type of government. Who...

How does the Bill of Rights, created over 200 years ago, still apply to the lives of American citizens to this day? Here is a fantastic resource that includes several resources on approaching the Bill of Rights with your class. After...

Elementary or middle school scholars learn about the significance of the first televised live presidential debate between Nixon and Kennedy, all the while discussing what qualities make a good leader, what they can or can't learn about a...

The world is a big place, so it only stands to reason that different forms of government exist. Democracy, autocracy, oligarch, monarch, and dictatorship are all defined. An extensive explanation of US government system is also included....

Did you know elections only played a small role in Athenian democracy? Take a look at the fascinating origins of Athenian direct democracy in ancient Greece, and compare their political structures to our understanding of representative...

Students explore core democratic values. In this citizenship lesson, students discuss unitarian governments, confederation governments, the federal system, and representative democracy. Students then write about the experience of living...