712 government-civics-us results | sort by:

The life of Abraham Lincoln - History Place
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
Have students recreate their own "Lincoln timeline" highlighting one are of Lincoln's life and legacy. Have students work in cooperative learning groups to create interactive timelines using a tool such as Preceden, reviewed here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Election Resources - Teachersfirst
Grades
K to 12If you wish to choose from a more extensive list election-related resources or to narrow your list for a specific topic and grade level, try entering your topic and elections as search terms in the TeachersFirst keyword search (under Search menu), setting the grade level you seek, as well.
In the Classroom
Use this handy "spcial topics" collection to find just the right student activity or reference information when you are studying elections. You can also share it on your teacher web page as an "approved" list of election resources for home and school study.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Opensecrets.org - Open Secrets
Grades
9 to 12In the Classroom
Put this site on your TeachersFirst favorites list or teacher web page so students can use it for research on political candidates and issues. Civics teachers will find it useful in demonstrating the importance of lobbying and campaign finance in the political arena. Economics teachers can use these data to illustrate the connection between wealth and political power. Teachers doing lessons focused on the upcoming elections can track current Presidential candidates and their major contributors.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Constitution Day Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Use the resources in this collection to supplement a unit on the American Constitution. The resources on this site could be used for webquests, learning centers, lesson plans & the like. American History teachers will love this one!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Iraq - BBC
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
If you do current events study or have students with family members in Iraq, be sure to include this site as a link from your teacher web page. As the 2008 U.S. elections approach, you may want to begin a "current events" collection of resources for students to use to develop better understanding of election issues.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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NOVA--World in the Balance - PBS
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Several excellent interactives might make a strong visual impact if used on an interactive whiteboard. There is an interactive quiz that might be a good discussion starter, and matching "game" that shows demographic trends in four contrasting countries: the US, Japan, Kenya and India. These interactives give impact to discussions of the global economy, world wide environmental changes and the balance of power between "developing" and "developed" countries. Put the population counter up on a projector as student enter the room to activate prior knowledge or provide an anticipatory set.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Constitution Day - Myvocabulary.com
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
Have students work in cooperative learning groups, divide up the vocabulary words, and have each group find the definitions for their assigned vocabulary words. Have the groups share their words and definitions in an online book, using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here. Have the groups share the online books on your interactive whiteboard or projector. If you don't have the time to complete online books, have students share the definitions using a class wiki. Not comfortable with wikis? Check out the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through. Be sure to also check out the interactive word puzzles!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Black History Month Resources - PBS
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Explore this site for many different lessons and resources to use during Black History Month and with lessons on racism and bias throughout the year. Use lessons found here to differentiate for students of different levels. Be sure to check out the Discrimination - fair or unfair? lesson plan that is designed specifically for students who have difficulty with verbal and written expression.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History - The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
Find many lesson plans, resources, and primary documents to enrich your history lessons. Make a splash with visual learners by starting class with artifacts from an era displayed on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Explore primary sources and historic texts as part of a Common Core literacy program cooperating among English, reading, and history teachers. Have your students sign up to enjoy access to all the resources. Enhance learning by challenging cooperative learning groups to choose a specific historical time period and become "experts." Have the groups create presentations to share with the class about what they learn. Use a tool like Zoho Show, reviewed here, or allow students to choose the format of their presentation by using Genially, reviewed here, where they can interactive images, infographics, charts, and presentations of all types, and insert maps, surveys, video, audio and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Emancipation Proclamation - National Archives
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Share the original document on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students take turns reading each section aloud to the class. After reading the entire document, have students write a journal entry from the viewpoint of the slaves - what were they thinking, feeling, did they even know this had happened?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Taking It Global - takingitglobal
Grades
8 to 12In the Classroom
In the interest of safety, you may want to join as the teacher and have students use your account. Never allow students to set up individual accounts on any site in your classroom without parent permission or the support of your school administration. Assign your world cultures, government, or world language students to steep themselves in the problems and issues of another country or plan a community action project to share as a class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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AMDOCS - Univ. of Kansas
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Take advantage of the hundreds of available primary sources on this site. History teachers can use these documents for a variety of activities, from supplementing the text to using them to teach students how to analyze the validity of sources. The documents are organized by date, and can benefit both World History classes in addition to American History.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Daryl Cagle's Professional Cartoonists Index - MSNBC
Grades
6 to 12Teachers should be aware of several cautions however: Preview the cartoons collections for age-appropriateness; understand that the site does contain advertisements; and recognize that the images are copyright protected. Teachers are advised to post links to specific cartoons rather than trying to "cut and paste" the cartoons into websites or other documents.
In the Classroom
Use the political cartoons on this site to introduce a class discussion on current events, civics, or government. Try using a cartoon as a writing prompt either for individual students or for collaborative work. Post a link to a particular cartoon or cartoon series on your classroom blog for discussion. Have students try to create a cartoon (either drawing or using computer generated images) depicting current events in the news.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Dangerously Irrelevant: Internet Democracy - Scott McLeod
Grades
9 to 12In the Classroom
Teachers can use these videos to demonstrate political tactics and help students navigate election promises and propaganda. Because these videos come from YouTube, which does little to monitor its content, content should be carefully previewed before using. Share the site or specific videos on a projector or interactive whiteboard as part of class discussion. If your network permits it, provide a local copy of specific videos for students to critique and compare. They could embed the videos in a wiki and write the critique as a collaborative project with small groups. Or have them present a video to the class as if they were on a campaign staff analyzing the opponent's tactics for a campaign staff meeting.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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U.S. Electoral College
Grades
8 to 12In the Classroom
While we're aware this is a public domain site with the reputation of being a bit unreliable, the images on this site would be an excellent resource for government teachers teaching about the Electoral College and its history. Use these images in a lecture or PowerPoint slide to help clarify how the electoral college has functioned in the past.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Census Quick Facts - US Government
Grades
3 to 12In the Classroom
Use this site as the starting point for individual or group projects. Have pairs of students create multimedia presentations about specific states or counties. Have students use a mapping tool such as as Zeemaps, reviewed here, to create a map of the locations they have researched (with audio stories and pictures included)!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Putting George on Trial: Taking Of Mice and Men Into the Courtroom - Sharon B. Jenkins and Jennifer H. Slinger
Grades
9 to 11Students love to debate, and this gives them opportunity to do it within a specific format similar to the US justice system. Learning what a bailiff and a court reporter do, as well as a judge, public defender, etc. will be an eye-opening experience for many students. They likely will remember the project much better for having been active participants.
In the Classroom
As you plan to teach the novel, set aside the time to do this webquest, or intersperse the steps during the time spent reading. Students will have more of a purpose in their reading. If you do not teach "Of Mice and Men," consider using some of the links from this webquest to make a similar activity for a "trial" of a character from another book. Most of the work has been done here. Simply create a word processing document with your own directions and the links for students to use or put your new webquest in the form of a PowerPoint show with links from there so students can navigate the task.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Project Vote Smart
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Use this site on a projector or interactive whiteboard to discuss and informally assess prior knowledge as you start your study of representative democracy. Select a few choice politicians from your state through the "Issue Positions" section. This activity would work even better if politicians selected were representative of your local area or hometown. Seperate students into groups and have them research the politicians based on certain issues. We recommend using issues such as crime, guns, and immigration. Have students compare and contrast the politicians stance to voting records in their area, or teachers can have students vote on the issues just in their classroom to determine their own "public opinions." Have the groups compare the public opinion to the voting record of the politician via venn diagram. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here. Have students use their results in a class discussion of the pros and cons of a representative government. Where are potential problems? What are the benefits? This would be extremely useful in a AP Government or Civics course.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
Grades
3 to 12In the Classroom
Use this site as a starting point for projects about our 16th president. Although most relate to exhibits found at the museum, similar research can be found online. Have students choose one of the several topics to research further.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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lino - Infoteria Corporation
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Use this tool easily in your Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) classroom since all students will be able to access it for free, no matter what device they have. Students can use this when researching alone or in groups, sharing files, videos, and pictures quickly from one computer to another. Have students write tasks for each member of the group on a sticky so that everyone has a responsibility. Show them how to copy/paste URLs for sources onto notes, too. Use lino as your virtual word wall for vocabulary development. Use a lino for students to submit and share questions or comments about assignments and tasks they are working on. Use it as a virtual graffiti wall for students to make connections between their world and curriculum content, such as "I wonder what the hall monitor would say finding Lady Macbeth washing her hands in the school restroom... and what Lady M would say back." (Of course, you will want to have a PG-13 policy for student comments!) Encourage students to maintain an idea collection lino for ideas and creative inspirations they may not have used yet but do not want to "lose." They can color code and organize ideas later or send the stickies to a new project board later. In writing or art classes, use lino as a virtual writer's journal or design a notebook to collect ideas, images, and even video clips. In science classes, encourage students to keep a lino board with (classroom appropriate) questions and "aside" thoughts about science concepts being studied and to use these ideas in later projects so their creative ideas are not 'lost" before project time. A lino board can also serve as a final online "display" for students to "show what they know" as the culmination of a research project. Add videos, images, and notes in a carefully arranged display not unlike an electronic bulletin board. This is also a great tool to help you stay "personally" organized. Use this site as a resource to share information with other teachers, parents, or students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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