Students take a look at two political thinkers that spent a lot of time trying to answer the question, "Why Government?" - Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. This lesson combines our Influence Library entries on Hobbes and Locke and adds activities that ask students to compare and contrast Hobbes and Locke and to think about how these philosophers influenced those that followed in their footsteps. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Identify the basic ideas on government from Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. *Define the terms: state of nature, natural rights, sovereign. *Trace the development of the idea of the social contract from Hobbes and Locke.

In this mini-lesson, students learn how William Blackstone and his Commentaries on the Laws of England influenced America's founders, founding documents, and legal system. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Identify William Blackstone and his influence on America's government and legal system *Analyze the ideas behind America's founding documents *Recognize how various individuals contributed to the development of the U.S. government

Just in time for election season, teachers can now assign pre/post-game quizzes to get insight into what students are learning by playing Win the White House. This refreshed version of Win the White House challenges your students to simulate their own presidential campaign by: Building arguments to support timely issues that are relevant to them; Strategically raise funds to support their campaign; Keeping campaign momentum through targeted media campaigns and personal appearances; Polling local voters to see what issues resonate; Students will also meet a new campaign manager, named Ana, who will guide them through the process. For English and Multilingual Learners: Use the support tool, Spanish translation, voiceover and glossary. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Explain the electoral process (primary and general elections, Electoral College) Identify the influence of the media in forming public opinion Analyze how parts of a whole interact to produce outcomes in complex systems

Make your students' game play more meaningful by using our activity and assessment set designed specifically for Win the White House. This easy-to-use Extension Pack helps you give context and purpose to the game, as well as reinforce and assess the game concepts. That means deeper learning for students, and best practices around game-centered learning for you!
Extension Packs slides can be accessed with Google Slides and are designed for use with projectors or interactive whiteboards.
This Extension Pack now includes English language learner (ELL) supports. We've included tips and practice that help make differentiated instruction a breeze. Best of all, new instructional scaffolds now mean this lesson is adaptable for a wide range of learners!
But wait, there's more! Looking for a quick and fun way to check student understanding? Use our Kahoot! in English or in Spanish after students complete this lesson.
Win the White House and its Extension Pack are correlated according to WIDA's methodology using the WIDA PRIME V2 Inventory. To see how these materials best meet your ELL students' needs, click here. (Note: PRIME stands for Protocol for Review of Instructional Materials for ELLs.) LESSON OBJECTIVES: Explain the electoral process (primary and general elections, Electoral College) *Identify the influence of the media in forming public opinion *Describe the various sources and uses of campaign funding *Describe the types and purposes of polling data *Analyze how parts of a whole interact to produce outcomes in complex systems

What does a Supreme Court justice do? What better way to find out than by trying it yourself! In this judicial conference simulation, students learn the path of a Supreme Court case from writ of certiorari to majority opinion and what justices do along the way. Finally, students work together navigating precedent and the facts of a case to arrive at a final court opinion.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: Identify and describe the steps the Supreme Court takes in deciding a case *Explain how constitutional provisions, laws, precedents, and attorneys' briefs inform a Supreme Court decision *Apply the Supreme Court decision-making process to a set of facts in a simulated Supreme Court conference

Students learn about the rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights and other important constitutional amendments. First they consider what rights they believe are important, then they read and analyze the real text of each amendment. This lesson also helps students analyze the impact that the Bill of Rights has on their daily lives. Completing this lesson prepares students to play the game Do I Have a Right? LESSON OBJECTIVES: Describe the circumstances and debate that led to the Bill of Rights. *Compare and contrast the positions of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists as to the Bill of Rights. *Identify the rights granted by the Bill of Rights and key later amendments. *Categorize rights in the Bill of Rights as individual freedoms, protection from government power, or rights of the accused. *Predict what might happen if key rights were missing from the Constitution.