712 government-civics-us results | sort by:

The Papers of George Washington - University of Virginia
Grades
8 to 12In the Classroom
In a discussion of the Revolutionary War or the Founding Fathers, use the pictures and images to supplement your lecture. Very rarely do students get to see time-period appropriate maps, and those provided on the site can be used to show and diagram major battles. The site also provides some excellent primary sources that complement such a unit. An excellent one to look at is his famed "Farewell Address," which can be used for both a revolutionary unit and any on American Diplomacy. Have students read the address as a class, following it with a discussion on how this speech impacted American foreign relations for the next 200 years. A great site for any resources on Washington!You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
The Impact of Culture on U.S. Law - Yale University
Grades
8 to 12In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans and classroom activities on this site during a unit on immigration and the legal system. US history and Government teachers will appreciate this one - be sure to save this one as a favorite on your classroom computer to allow for easy retrieval later on!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Vote: The Machinery of Democracy - Smithsonian
Grades
7 to 12In the Classroom
Use the interactive exhibition portion of this site as a learning center or station during a unit on the US election process. (extra bonus if your class is specifically studying the 2000 election!)Have cooperative learning groups create podcasts demonstrating their understanding of one of the concepts. Use a site such as podOmatic, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
How the Understanding of US History Changes - National Public Radio
Grades
9 to 12Students are fascinated with the concept that their history text books might be wrong, or biased. Although the interview doesn't mention it, this discussion was also well illustrated in James Loewen's "Lies My Teacher Told Me." The seven minute interview might be quite useful in helping advanced students understand that history isn't static, and that any account of a historical "fact" should be considered in light of its context and the political perspective of the times.
In the Classroom
This site would be helpful to students preparing to do research for your class or for National History Day projects which must be developed using primary documents: to illustrate that even primary documents are subject to interpretation and cannot always be accepted at face value!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
The White House Tour - Google Maps
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Take your students on a virtual field trip! This is a great way for kids to "visit" the White House. Include it during inauguration week or any time you are studying U.S. government. Show the website using a projector, and have students write a tour script or a tale of something that might happen in the White House. Younger students might want to write a story from the President's dog's (or other pet's) point of view! Before using the site, you should familiarize yourself with how to use the Google Maps street view tools to navigate through the house. Better yet, have a student operate the tour on the whiteboard or projector.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Political Science - MIT Open Courseware - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Grades
9 to 12In the Classroom
AP history or government students may find MIT's online political science course materials useful. MIT has committed to putting its entire curriculum on the web, and these early offerings include syllabi, reading materials, and a variety of subject-specific class notes. Before using these pages, students and parents should all be aware of what Open Courseware is and is not.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
This Day in the Civil War
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
At the beginning of a unit on the Civil War, introduce this site to your students on your interactive whiteboard or with a projector. Depending on the age of your students you could divide the menu topics up for small groups to report on, or you could take one topic and divide the information up for small groups of younger students to report on. After individuals and small groups have finished researching their topic, enhance student learning by having them use one of the multimedia tools listed here. Click the tool name to access the review: Genially, Microsoft PowerPoint Online, Animatron, Renderforest, and Canva Inforgraphic Maker.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Core Documents of U.S. Democracy - Government Printing Office
Grades
7 to 12In the Classroom
Use this as a resource for research projects or papers, particularly those debating a specific court decision or amendment. Useful resource for a US government class!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Our Stories: The Long, Long Battle for ANWR - Natural Resources Defense Council
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Try having students compare information on this site with other web sites about the ANWR. How do these sites differ in their presentation?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Civil War Classroom Activities - PBS
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans and classroom activities offered in this site! The majority are somehow tied into the video, but there are some that also are broad enough that showing the video is not necessary.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
America's Founding Documents - National Archives
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
This is a great site to introduce the American Founding Fathers, or for reference around Presidents Day weekend. Introduce the site on the interactive whiteboard or projector, during a lesson on the individual fathers. Have students look at the site and select one image that they think represents a particular Founding Father. Have students create a multimedia presentation using PowerPoint. This site allows users to narrate a picture. Challenge students to find a photo (legally permitted to be reproduced), and then narrate the photo as if it is a news report. To find Creative Commons images for student projects (with credit, of course), try Pikwizard, Have students report a story on the founding fathers as if the issue of the constitution is a current one, and they are informing the public of its happenings.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Declaration of Independence - National Archives
Grades
7 to 12In the Classroom
Use the "Meet the founding fathers" section as the basis of character roles for a in-class town hall meeting, recreating the events of the constitutional convention. Assign students different roles, i.e. founding fathers, and have them use the biographies of this site to allow them to research who their role was and what their beliefs were for a debate as to whether or not to sign the Declaration of Independence. If students stick to their assigned perspectives, the town-hall meeting can be a great way to review the important reasons for independence and the various perspectives that existed.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Presidency in Action - American Presidents - University of Virginia
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
This site has a variety of uses within a US government or history classroom. To begin with, teachers can use this site as a resource for research projects; a source for speeches and writings, as well as a learning center during a unit on a particular president or time period. A very useful and flexible source that can easily be worked into your curriculum!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Pledge of Allegiance Resources - Pew Forum
Grades
9 to 12In the Classroom
Regardless of the topic picked, this site is an excellent springboard for a class debate. Share the site on an interactive whiteboard or projector, and allow students to examine all the arguments put forth by the court and lobbyists. Once completed, ask students what they think is constitutional. What arguments would they have used? Do they agree with any? An excellent source for any civics, philosophy or social studies class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Watergate Revisited - Washington Post
Grades
7 to 12In the Classroom
Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Have students explore the site with the intentions of creating a summary of the most important events. Have cooperative learning groups create online books using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here. Students can write the book from the perspective of Nixon or Deep throat...a great way to introduce the topic in a non-lecture format.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Global Voices Online - Global Voices
Grades
9 to 12Be aware that many school districts' web filters exclude blogs, but the entries that are posted directly to the site itself may be more accessible. You should monitor student use regularly, however, as blogs represent the opinions and feelings of their writers and may not always be suitable for classroom use.
In the Classroom
Many social studies classes feature long term projects or units on diverse countries, and this site is a goldmine of information about places that can be difficult to research. Share the blog entries on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Why not have students create a video highlighting what they have learned about their country (or other topic? Try using CapCut, reviewed here, then share the videos on a tool such as SchoolTube, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Children's Internet Protection and the Courts - A Context - American Library Association
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
This would be a great case study for a discussion on freedom of speech.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Argument Wars - iCivics Inc.
Grades
5 to 10In the Classroom
This site is a great way to review the amendments to the US Constitution. Using an interactive whiteboard or projector, complete one case as a whole group so students can see how the interactive should work. Use the provided handouts so students can take notes as they are working through the case. When it is time for students to work independently, make a shortcut to this site on classroom computers and use it as a center. Divide students into cooperative learning groups to explore the site. Afterward, have a discussion or have students journal using the provided discussion questions. This site does not have a save feature, so students must complete the entire activity to see if they've won. For students who need more of a challenge, assign them to Gideon v. Wainwright. Students have to examine two arguments which makes it more challenging.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Southern Poverty Law Center - The Southern Poverty Law Center
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Take advantage of the information on the site to include when teaching lessons about equality, racism, and social injustice. Learn more about the classroom resources offered through Learning for Justice, reviewed here. Include selections from the Features and Stories portion of the site as part of any integrated unit. Consider using a learning management system like Actively Learn, reviewed here, to include videos and additional text sources as part of your unit. Actively Learn also includes resources that provide feedback on student learning. Extend learning by asking students to gather data and share information through various digital tools including infographics and digital storytelling resources. For example, as students learn about civil rights issues, ask them to share information by creating infographics with Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, create a multimedia presentation with Sway, reviewed here, or use Powtoon, reviewed here, to create an animated video explanation.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Stories from a Small Planet - PBS Frontline
Grades
9 to 12In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans and readings to help connect students to the content being taught in your social studies class. Be sure to save this site as a favorite to allow easy retrieval later on.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
Close comment form