In this lesson, students get the basics of U.S. citizenship. As a foundation for studying the rights and responsibilities of citizens, they'll learn what it means to be a citizen and how people become U.S. citizens. Students also look at related U.S. symbols and traditions, such as the flag, U.S. holidays, and patriotism, and they examine how the right of U.S. citizenship has changed over time.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: Define citizenship *Identify ways to become a U.S. citizen *Describe loyalty and treason *Identify the U.S. national anthem and major U.S. holidays, including Independence Day *List rights and responsibilities of both U.S. citizens and all U.S. residents *Define the Selective Service System *Trace the progress of citizenship and voting rights for different groups over time

This is a full unit of study from iCivics, featuring multiple lesson plans with presentations, downloadable documents, and more. Students will learn what it means to be a U.S. citizen and how citizenship is obtained. They will compare and contrast personal and political rights with social responsibilities and personal duties. Students will explore global citizenship, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens in other countries. They will also learn about community engagement by selecting a problem of their own and creating a plan to solve it.

Students learn the basic steps of civic action and what it takes to make change, following the "I AM" model (Inform, Act, Maintain). Along the way, they explore the change-making examples of four key movements: women's rights, disability awareness, Native American rights, and migrant farm worker rights. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Explain how civic action can affect change *Explain how citizens communicate with public officials (protest, petition, sit-ins, etc.). *Compare and contrast views on a contemporary issue. *Describe opportunities for citizens to participate in the political process and to monitor and influence government. *Describe three steps involved in civic action: inform, act and maintain the message. *Discuss the movements for the following groups: women, the disabled, Native Americans and migrant workers.

This is a full unit of study from iCivics, featuring multiple lesson plans with presentations, downloadable documents, and more. The Civil Rights unit covers the early days of the expansion of slavery in the United States through the momentous 1950s and 60s and into the modern Civil Rights Movement. Use primary documents, readings, activities and more to introduce your students to key concepts, events, and individuals of this facet of American history.

Meet the superhero legislation of civil rights. Students are introduced to eleven categories of civil rights protections with a focus on Title VII, which bans discrimination in the workplace. Students gain an understanding of how the Civil Rights Act affects people's lives and apply civil rights protections to real-life scenarios.
How to use this lesson: Use this lesson by itself or pair it with more iCivics resources, like the Supreme Court case EEOC v. Abercrombie & Fitch (2015) or lessons from our Civil Rights unit. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Identify several protections in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 *Describe a reason why the Civil Rights Act was created *Apply Civil Rights Act protections to real life scenarios *Analyze how the Civil Rights Act impacts people's lives and the country as a whole

The Civil War and Reconstruction Era brought about the end of slavery and the expansion of civil rights to African Americans through the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. Compare the Northern and Southern states, discover the concepts of due process and equal protection, and understand how the former Confederate states reacted to the Reconstruction Amendments. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Identify the division of the U.S. at the outbreak of the Civil War. *Describe the expansion of civil rights and liberties in the Civil War/Reconstruction Period. *Explain the purposes of the due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment. *Identify the different perspectives on slavery during the Civil War period. *Determine the differences between the Presidential and Congressional plans for Reconstruction.

This mini-lesson covers the basics of the Supreme Court's decision that determined the government's ability to conduct electronic surveillance of its citizens. Students learn about the First Amendment right to free speech, the Fourth Amendment protection from unreasonable searches, national security, and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Students evaluate different forms of government monitoring, and provide their perspective on whether government surveillance is a necessity for national security, or a violation of people's privacy and individual rights. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Describe the rights protected by the First and Fourth Amendments *Identify the main arguments put forth in the case *Analyze the conflict between ensuring national security and protecting individuals' rights *Describe the rationale behind the Supreme Court's decision

American colonists had some strong ideas about what they wanted in a government. These ideas surface in colonial documents, and eventually became a part of the founding documents like the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. But where did they come from? This lesson looks at the Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact, English Bill of Rights, Cato's Letters and Common Sense. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Magna Carta *English Bill of Rights *Mayflower Compact *Cato's Letters *Thomas Paine's Common Sense

From the time Columbus first set foot in the New World, Europeans were fascinated with this new land. In this American colonization lesson, students learn about the "Three Gs" that drove them here-gold, God, and glory-and find out how these settlers gave America its start, developed the land economically, and impacted Native Americans and Africans.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: Explain the three main reasons behind European exploration/colonization in North America: economics, religion, and glory. *Explain the impact of European colonization on Native Americans. *Describe the source of labor for the development of the colonial settlements. *Analyze a map of the triangle trade route.

How does the Massachusetts Constitution compare and contrast with the U.S. Constitution? In this lesson, students will find out! Guide your class through some basic similarities and differences as well as side-by-side text analysis with this lesson's integrated reading/activity format. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Describe provisions of the Massachusetts Constitution that define and distribute powers and authority of the state government *Identify additional protections provided by the Massachusetts Constitution that are not provided by the U.S. Constitution *Analyze the differences between amending the U.S. Constitution and amending the Massachusetts Constitution *Distinguish between the enumerated and implied powers of the U.S. Constitution and the Massachusetts Constitution *Compare core documents associated with the protection of individual rights, including the Bill of Rights, the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, and Article I of the Massachusetts Constitution

What's the difference between Ohio's state constitution and the U.S. Constitution? And how are these constitutions similar? This lesson helps students learn the answer by letting them get hands-on with side-by-side excerpts from both constitutions. Students will compare and contrast the government structure, individual rights, and amendment processes outlined by each document. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Determine how the Ohio Constitution complements the federal structure of government in the United States. *Compare the state government defined in the Ohio Constitution with the federal government defined in the U.S. Constitution. *Compare and contrast rights found in the Ohio and U.S. Constitutions. *Compare and contrast methods for amending the Ohio and U.S. Constitutions. *Consider Ohioans' responsibilities to state and local governments.

How does Washington's state constitution compare and contrast with the U.S. Constitution? In this lesson, students will find out! Guide your class through some basic similarities and differences as well as side-by-side text analysis with this lesson's integrated reading/activity format. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Determine how the Washington State Constitution complements the federal structure of government in the United States *Compare the state government established by the Washington Constitution with the federal government defined in the U.S. Constitution *Compare and contrast rights protected by the Washington and U.S. Constitutions *Compare and contrast methods for amending the Washington and U.S. Constitutions

Countries often work together to solve problems and fall into conflict when problems cannot be resolved. After learning about motivations and conditions that lead to action (or inaction), students analyze examples of international conflict and cooperation. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Describe conflict and cooperation using past and current events, including the Vietnam War, the War in Afghanistan, the Kyoto Protocol, and the tsunami in Japan. *Analyze the conditions, actions, and motivations of past and current international events.

Need to teach the legislative branch in a hurry? This lesson is designed to cover the basics in a single class period. Students learn what Congress is, what the Constitution says about the legislative branch, and how a bill becomes law. They analyze some actual language from the Constitution, compare the House and the Senate, and simulate the lawmaking process by reconciling two versions of the same fictional bill.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: Explain the structure and powers of the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government. *Describe the legislative process in the U.S. Congress. *Identify the legislative branch's role in the system of checks and balances/separation of powers. *Analyze a primary source (excerpts of Article I).

This is a full unit of study from iCivics, featuring multiple lesson plans with presentations, downloadable documents, and more. Students will learn how our Constitution was created and what some of its key characteristics are. They will also explore key amendments to the Constitution and their application in protecting citizens' rights.

Constitution Day is September 17, the day in 1787 when our U.S. government was born. Meet your Constitution Day education requirement with this free and engaging lesson plan. This interactive lesson gives students a quick snapshot of the Constitution, including the purpose of each article, the powers of the three branches, how a bill becomes a law, and the concepts of separation of powers and checks and balances.
Enjoyed this lesson? Find more Constitution Day resources in this collection. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Illustrate the structure, function and powers of the government in the United States as established in Articles I, II, and III of the U.S. Constitution. *Describe how the Constitution of the United States provides separation of powers and checks and balances.

After ten years under the Articles of Confederation, Americans realized they needed something different. This mini-lesson shows students the major debates that occurred at the convention, as well as the outcomes that created our system of government. LESSON OBJECTIVES: Recognize how various individuals and groups contributed to the development of the U.S. government. *Trace the impact of significant events that surrounded the founding of the United States. *Big Ideas: Articles of Confederation, alliance, federalist, three branches, checks and balances, bicameral representation, delegation of powers, U.S. Constitution

When the Founders wrote the Constitution, they didn't pull their ideas out of thin air. They created a government based on a set of fundamental principles carefully designed to guarantee liberty. This lesson lets students look at the Constitution from the perspective of its foundational principles. Students make direct connections between these principles, the Founders' intentions, and the Constitution itself, and they learn why the constitutional principles are critical to a free society.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: Analyze the basic principles of the U.S. Constitution *Identify relationships among popular sovereignty, consent of the governed, limited government, rule of law, federalism, separation of powers, and checks and balances *Describe how these principles are incorporated into the Constitution *Explain the concerns that led the Founders to value these principles

In Convene the Council, your students will take on the role of President of the United States and respond to world events with the support of their National Security Council. In Convene the Council, students will learn to: Address international crises through strategic action; Engage with members of the National Security Council; Weigh various policy options; Delegate action to appropriate government agencies and departments; Work to improve core metrics of U.S. prosperity, values, security, and world health. For English and Multilingual Learners: Use the support tool, Spanish translation, voiceover and glossary. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Explain the basics of foreign policy–making in the United States Evaluate the effectiveness of various foreign policy options in a variety of situations Distinguish among foreign policy tools such as aid, sanctions, and military force Evaluate the potential effect of economic, military, and cultural influence on other countries

In Convene the Council, students take on the role of President of the United States and respond to world events with the support of their National Security Council.