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Students learn about the different forms of government that exist, including democracy, autocracy, oligarchy, and others. They compare and contrast these types of government, and…
Explore the five basic limits on government through the true story of Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori, and other fictional cases of government power gone wild.
Great question! We ask Thomas Hobbes and John Locke to help us find an answer. The thing is, they don't agree. Dig into the philosophers' ideas and see how they've influenced those…
In this lesson, students get an introduction to the concept of Manifest Destiny. Even before the phrase “Manifest Destiny” was first used in 1845, many Americans believed the U.S.…
What is the media? What does it do? Students examine the types and roles of the media by taking on the role of newsmaker and agenda setter. iCivics en español! Student and class…
The role of interest groups in politics and government is a hot topic in the media today. This lesson uses the battle over school lunch ingredients to illustrate how interest…
Dive into the structure and functions of the state executive branch! Students learn about the most common executive offices, their officials, and how the state executive branches…
Discover the debate that surrounded the Constitution before it became the law of the land. Excerpts from Federalist 84 and Anti-Federalist 46 offer insight into both sides of the…
View the Constitution from the perspective of its foundational principles. Consider the Founders' intentions and the Constitution itself as you discover how the constitutional…
Learn how the Constitution has changed over time and what methods created those changes. Analyze specific examples of change including amendments, Supreme Court decisions, and…
Jump into the big debate over the Bill of Rights, and see how the Federalists and Anti-Federalists battled over the fate of the U.S. Constitution. Where did the idea come from? How…
From Commander-in-Chief to Chief Executive—keep track of the many roles of the president with this printable infographic for your classroom!
This lesson plan teaches the fundamentals of Supreme Court Justice nominations and helps students understand the politics behind the nominations. It challenges students to cut…
This mini-lesson highlights some of the most critical additions to our Constitution and how those additions guarantee students' rights.
Meet your PALS—Power, Authority, Legitimacy, and Sovereignty! In this lesson, students are introduced to these characteristics of government and consider how…
Trace how philosophers throughout history have envisioned the ideal government. Explore ideas from Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau and more in this new high school lesson.
Did Americans find fault in every ounce of the British government? Maybe not. Learn how America's Founders improved upon familiar structures of British government to contain…
Where did democracy get its start? In this lesson, students learn about direct democracy in Athen's and Rome's republic, how each took shape, and the ideas our Founders borrowed…
You bet we do! What economic, political, and social factors led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence and American Revolution? Find out what caused the colonies to…
What was the new nation's first stab at a written constitution? Why the Articles of Confederation, of course! Find out about America's first written rules and how they eventually…
Lesson Plan
