The relationship between Native nations and the U.S. federal government is important …
The relationship between Native nations and the U.S. federal government is important to understand. This mini-lesson provides an overview of tribal sovereignty from the past to the present. It also introduces students to the controversy surrounding the federal approval of construction projects that affect tribal land. How to use this lesson: Use this lesson by itself or pair it with more iCivics resources, like the Supreme Court case Lyng v. Northwest Cemetery Protective Association (1988) or our Tribal Government lesson. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Define sovereignty *Explain how sovereignty applies to Native American tribes in the U.S. *Explain the relationship between the U.S. government and Native nations in the past and today *Identify how national interests and Native sovereignty can clash
Students find out how the checks and balances of the three branches …
Students find out how the checks and balances of the three branches of government work. Through the process of creating a healthy school lunch menu, students role-play each branch's responsibility in the law-making process. They then compare the simulation activity to a real-life example of a bill that became law. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Simulate the roles of each of the three branches of government. *Identify the main role and function of each of the three branches. *Compare the simulation to a real-life example of a bill that became law. *Compare and contrast the simulation activity to the real-life interaction of the three branches.
In case of emergency, declare it! What are the powers of the …
In case of emergency, declare it! What are the powers of the U.S. government during times of unexpected emergencies? Use this printable infographic to help your students understand when a state of emergency can be declared, and what resources that declaration provides for response. **Need reinforcements?? Have your students practice their new knowledge by applying real situations to the infographic with our Google Slide deck activity. Students will research a current or past situation that activated a state of emergency and find all the steps and outcomes of that declaration. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Understand the purpose and outcomes of declaring a state of emergency *Recognize the extent and the limits of the power of the executive who makes the declaration
From Commander-in-Chief to Chief Executive-keep track of the many hats worn by …
From Commander-in-Chief to Chief Executive-keep track of the many hats worn by the president with this printable infographic for your classroom! Love this infographic? Explore all of our free election curriculum and teaching resources at our Election Headquarters. LESSON OBJECTIVES: List the six roles of the President of the United States *Cite Article II of the Constitution as the source of the powers of the president
The debate over slavery ultimately helped drive the United States into civil …
The debate over slavery ultimately helped drive the United States into civil war, but before it did, there were decades of careful balance between slaves states and free states. In this lesson, students learn about that balance and its geography, including the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Label slave states and free states. *Identify and draw geopolitical changes brought about by the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850. *Compare United States maps of 1820 and 1850. *Use charts to illustrate the 1850 slave population in slave states.
From the basics about slavery to the attitudes that defended it and …
From the basics about slavery to the attitudes that defended it and the efforts of those who wanted to see it abolished, in this lesson students learn about this dark part of America's past. ** Please note: The section about the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850 has been moved to a new mini-lesson called Slave States, Free States that explores the debate about the expansion of slavery. We recommend teaching this mini-lesson along with the Slavery lesson. Find it in our Geography Library. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Explain the impact of slavery on African Americans. *Identify modes of resisting slavery through the actions of Nat Turner and Dred Scott. *Explain the ‘necessary evil' defense of slavery. *Describe the methods of the abolitionist movement. *Identify the inconsistencies in the founding documents regarding the legal existence of slavery
Are your students experts on U.S. citizenship? Put their knowledge to the …
Are your students experts on U.S. citizenship? Put their knowledge to the test with Sortify: U.S. Citizenship, an original BrainPOP game made by BrainPOP with iCivics. Share Sortify: U.S. Citizenship with your students using the "Share" button above. You must be logged in to access. This new feature allows teachers to assign Sortify outside of iCivics using learning management systems like Google Classroom, Edmodo, and more. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Recognize and recall rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens Identify active ways in which citizens can participate in government and contribute to the common good Relate like terms and concepts by deducing shared relationships
Where do laws come from? This lesson teaches students about the sources, …
Where do laws come from? This lesson teaches students about the sources, types, and unique systems of law that exist in the United States. Students learn about sources of law from the Constitution to local ordinances. They also compare and contrast civil and criminal law and peek into the special systems of military and juvenile justice. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Identify sources of law, including constitutions, statutes, regulations, judicial precedent, and local ordinances. *Compare and contrast civil and criminal law. *Describe the military and juvenile justice systems.
In this lesson, students learn four features of a sovereign state. Graphic …
In this lesson, students learn four features of a sovereign state. Graphic organizers and mini-quizzes help reinforce the information. Using what they learned, students then create a fictional country and decide on a variety of features their new state will have. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Identify and describe the four features of a state. *Differentiate between a sovereign state and the "states" in the United States by deciding whether the four features of a state apply to each. *List the four roles of government. *Apply the features and roles of a state by creating a profile of a new, fictional sovereign state and deciding on its priorities.
When it comes to voting, the rules one state follows can be …
When it comes to voting, the rules one state follows can be quite different from another. That's because voting laws vary by state. But don't worry; we've got the election law spectrum covered! With this interactive infographic, students can explore the diversity of laws throughout the country and pinpoint where their state's laws fit. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Identify key voting laws in a state *Determine who writes election laws *Understand the variety of election laws across the country *Compare election laws across states
What does the right to free speech actually mean? Students examine the …
What does the right to free speech actually mean? Students examine the types of speech the Supreme Court has interpreted as protected by the First Amendment, and those that have not. This mini-lesson also explores issues raised by the defamatory speech of students online, and the power of public schools to discipline for it. How to use this lesson: Use this lesson by itself or pair it with more iCivics resources, like First Amendment cases from our Landmark Library or our lesson Stipulating Speech. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Identify the free speech protections of the First Amendment *Understand that the government can place limits on free speech *Explain to whom the First Amendment applies *Evaluate when it's appropriate for schools to punish student speech
In this lesson, students discover the roles and responsibilities of a governor. …
In this lesson, students discover the roles and responsibilities of a governor. Through a reading and board game, the class will identify the source of a governor's power, as well as how that power is best used in a variety of situations. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Describe the structure, powers, and authority of the state executive branch. *Identify the source of a governor's power. *Decide which of a governor's powers is best used in specific situations. *Describe how a governor can use executive power to maintain order and safety in the state. *Evaluate the role of state government in issues related to public safety and maintaining order.
Students discover that states have their own governments and powers separate from …
Students discover that states have their own governments and powers separate from the federal government. They learn what those powers are, how they're different from the federal government's powers, and that state governments also give power to smaller, local governments. Students critique a set of fictional state laws, create a story involving state powers, and look at some differences between state and local power. We recommend teaching our lesson The "Federal" in Federalism right before this lesson. (Please note: This lesson replaces our old "On the Level" lesson plan. The Venn diagram activity from On the Level can be found in The "Federal" in Federalism.) LESSON OBJECTIVES: Explain the source and nature of state and local governmental power. *Distinguish reserved powers from federal powers. *Identify types of powers that are held at the state or local level. *Examine the differences between statewide laws and local ordinances/laws. *Explain the duties of various local officials.
Use this library of mini-lessons to teach students about the concept of …
Use this library of mini-lessons to teach students about the concept of federalism, from the powers held by the federal government to the powers reserved for the states. They will also learn about state government structures and functions, the state-level lawmaking process, and discover county, municipal, and tribal governments.
This is a full unit of study from iCivics, featuring multiple lesson …
This is a full unit of study from iCivics, featuring multiple lesson plans with presentations, downloadable documents, and more. Students will explore the concept of federalism, from the powers held by the federal government to the powers reserved for the states. They will also learn about state government structures and functions, the state-level lawmaking process, and discover local governments, including county, municipal, and tribal governments.
This step is the culmination of the County Solutions unit. Students learn …
This step is the culmination of the County Solutions unit. Students learn how to design and deliver an effective slide presentation to gather support for their issue, and then they follow planning guides to create a 5-minute presentation targeted to a specific stakeholder audience. Finally, they deliver their presentations to the class. This resource was created with support from the National Association of Counties. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Make a multimedia presentation to gather support for their issue *Tailor a presentation to a targeted audience *Create and deliver an effective slide presentation
Do your students breeze through internet search results, easily weeding out irrelevant …
Do your students breeze through internet search results, easily weeding out irrelevant results and finding exactly what they need? No? This step offers a detailed look at how to search for and find reliable, relevant information on the internet. Students practice going through a set of sample search results, then use a guided process to compile a list of possible information sources about their issue. This resource was created with support from the National Association of Counties. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Make sense of internet search results and find relevant results *Determine whether a source is reliable *Broaden or narrow their search strings in order to get more relevant results *Appropriately use social media to find information *Take quick, preliminary notes on possibly relevant sources
In this step, students read and annotate the sources they identified in …
In this step, students read and annotate the sources they identified in Step 2. The lesson discusses investigative reading and offers strategies for staying organized when faced with a large amount of information from different sources. Students choose an organization and note-taking method that will work for them and compile as much information as they can about their issue, organized by sub-topic. This resource was created with support from the National Association of Counties. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Find relevant information in source material *Annotate sources and note helpful information *Organize information in a way that will be useful later
No issue exists in a vacuum, so in this step, students examine …
No issue exists in a vacuum, so in this step, students examine the factors that contribute to the circumstances surrounding their issue. By looking at laws, regulations, policies, attitudes, and root causes--in addition to the effect of money, politics, and factors unique to the individual issue--students get a deeper understanding of their issue and its interplay with the world. This resource was created with support from the National Association of Counties. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Identify factors that affect their issue *Find relationships among those factors and see how they affect each other *Analyze the factors to understand the context in which their issue exists *Determine which factors are more or less susceptible to change
In this step, students figure out who's got a stake in their …
In this step, students figure out who's got a stake in their issue. They learn what stakeholders are and how to identify them, as well as why the power of numbers is important and how to leverage support from other groups. A series of guided activities helps students identify possible stakeholders for their issue. This resource was created with support from the National Association of Counties. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Identify people and groups who may have an interest in their issue *Analyze the kinds of interests that may be affected by their issue *Recognize stakeholders that may have interests opposed to the student's goal for the issue
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