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Learn to control all three branches of the U.S. government!
Discover how William Blackstone and his Commentaries on the Laws of England influenced America’s founders, founding documents, and legal system.
Discover the different types of congressional committees and their responsibilities. What's more, teach students about bias and balanced reporting. In the closing activity,…
First, teach students about filibusters and how and why senators use them. Next, help students develop their news literacy skills by taking a look at how news coverage of a…
Learn about the electoral advantage that favors incumbents and the benefits and drawbacks of reelecting members of Congress. Then, put students' news literacy skills to work as…
Students try their hand at a simplified districting exercise and learn about the common gerrymandering practices of packing and cracking districts. Students then explore the…
Students learn about midterm elections, their role as a referendum on the presidency, and how a shift in party control impacts the legislative and executive branches. Page two of…
How are leaders in Congress elected and organized? In this short mini-lesson, students learn about Congress' leadership positions and the primary duties of each one. Students will…
What does the legislative branch do? In this overview lesson, students explore the structure and function of the legislative branch, including Article I powers. Students examine…
Knowing who represents you and what they represent are different things. In this lesson, students take a look at ways to examine their representatives. Students explore the various…
In this lesson, students learn to use reputable sources to investigate social media posts about the legislative branch.
In today’s digital age, it’s essential to be a critical consumer of online information. So, how can you spot problematic content? Fact-checking websites are a great tool for…
Look into the ideas and writings of the Italian thinker and politician, Niccoló Machiavelli (1429-1527).
The Enlightenment was a period of time, starting around 1715, when people developed new ideas about human existence, including people's basic rights and the purpose of government.…
Introduce students to the ideas and writings of John Locke that influenced the likes of Thomas Jefferson and other Founding Fathers.
Meet the Baron de Montesquieu, one of the great thinkers of the 18th century. He spent a lot of time thinking about how governments should be created and maintained. These ideas…
Explore the ideas of Enlightenment thinker, Jean-Jacques Rousseau. His writings on natural and social freedom, the social contract, and democracy shaped the American system of…
We've heard a lot about the role the Founding Fathers played in the early United States, but what role did our Founding Mothers play? Discover the contributions of women in the…
"The First American", Benjamin Franklin, is the only Founding Father that signed all three major documents that founded the United States of America: the Declaration of…
Check out George Mason's role in the founding of the U.S. Even though he never served as a president and refused to sign the Constitution, Mason's work in Virginia and with the…
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