This lesson plan allows students to work as different parts of Congress to balance part of the budget. They work through the process of balancing the budget from resolutions to appropriations. Ultimately, they must compare their version of the budget to the President's proposal and decide whether he would sign or veto their bills! 

In this simulation-style lesson plan, students learn how to develop a personal budget. Students select careers, homes, cars, family size, and other lifestyle choices and then develop a workable budget considering those criteria. They develop an understanding of a realistic budget and the difference between wants and needs. 

This lesson shows students how the government gets its budget. It leads students through each step of the legislative process that results in a federal budget. Through a PowerPoint presentation or paper reading option, students learn about the compromises and choices that go into creating a budget to fund our government!

Students learn about how the federal government manages money. They develop an understanding of the fundamentals of federal budgeting, including revenue streams, budgetary choices, and their consequences. This lesson includes both a PowerPoint and paper option.

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.

Use primary documents and images to discover the ways state and local governments restricted the newly gained freedoms of African Americans after the Civil War. Compare, contrast, and analyze post-war legislation, court decisions (including Plessy v. Ferguson), and a political cartoon by Thomas Nast to understand life in Jim Crow states. 

Examine the history of slavery in the United States. Trace the development and expansion of slavery in the 19th century and learn about the conflicts and compromises that occured prior to the Civil War and the abolition of slavery.

Discover the people, groups, and events behind the Civil Rights Movement. Learn about means of non-violent protest, opposition to the movement, and identify how it took all three branches of the federal government to effect change. Protest posters, fictional diary entries, and a map of the movement's major events develop a greater understanding of the struggle for civil rights.

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.

Students grasp the nuances of diplomacy through this interactive lesson. They are called to decide which diplomacy tools work best in different situations. Students will develop an understanding of negotiation, sanctions, and other elements used in diplomatic relationships.

Economic, cultural, and military influence are all critical in developing spheres of influence. Students explore international authority by following a Cold War case study, which will encourage better understanding of international persuasion.

Students compare the basic structure of several different international organizations before categorizing their work. Students also examine the local and global impact of international organizations.

In this lesson, students evaluate hypothetical candidates by establishing and applying their own criteria for selecting public officials. Through a variety of activities, students assess candidates based on their qualifications, experience, campaign speeches and campaign materials. Students track campaign promises, explore voting records and evaluate the legitimacy of information resources. The role of the media, fundraising and opinion polls in the electoral process is also discussed.

In this three-day simulation lesson, students explain the steps taken from party formation to national election. Harnessing skilss gained from the Electoral Process lesson, students will act out the campaigning and voting process by simulating a real election in their own classroom.

In One Big Party?, students learn about the many roles of political parties. After taking a broad picture look at the different hats parties wear, students take a quick look at the impact of political party systems. On day two, guide students through the impact of the two major political parties in the United States. From examining the political spectrum to analyzing their own stances on several current issues, students will walk away understanding the complexity of the two-party system. 

Take a peek into the electoral process- from party primaries to the general election. Students will learn the distinctions between the popular vote and the Electoral College, and excercise their critical reasoning skills to analyze the differences between the presidential and congressional elections. Students will also contrast the various nomination processes and learn aboutthe role of party conventions in American politics.

Explore the evolution of voting rights in the Unites States through an interactive PowerPoint presentation highlighting landmark changes. Following the presentation and class discussion, students apply the new knowledge of voting legislation to individual scenarios through a class activity. 

This lesson gives an article-by-article overview of the structure and function of the U.S. Constitution. Students learn about the duties and powers of the three branches, the amendment process and role of the Constitution as the supreme law of the land.

Students learn about the rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights and other important constitutional amendments. First they consider what rights they believe are important, then they read and analyze the real text of each amendment. This lesson also helps students analyze the impact that the Bill of Rights has on their daily lives. Completing this lesson prepares students to play the game Do I Have a Right?

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. 

This lesson introduces the Constitution of the United States. Students will interpret the intentions of the Preamble, explain the organization of the U.S. government, and identify the rights protected in the Bill of Rights.

Students learn how the American colonists grew used to governing themselves and became increasingly unhappy with British policies toward the colonies. Students follow the development of those policies to see why the colonists ultimately declared independence from Britain in order to establish their own government. Finally, students analyze the Declaration of Independence to see how it addressed the colonists' concerns. As an extension, students look at primary sources to see how the colonists' reaction to the Stamp Act was being reported in London.

Students learn that the rights in the Bill of Rights have no exact definition and are open to interpretation (by the Supreme Court, of course).  Students look at real-life cases involving the 8th and 5th amendments and see whether they come to the same conclusion about each case as the Supreme Court did.

Note: this lesson includes two optional PowerPoint presentations (see Lesson Prep below).

Students learn how the U.S. Constitution came to exist by looking at the tensions and differences of opinion that existed among early American states and citizens. Students learn about the Articles of Confederation, why the first “constitution” didn’t work, and how compromise led to the Constitution.

Note: this lesson includes an optional PowerPoint presentation (see Lesson Prep below).

Students learn what happens in appellate-level courts and how those courts operate differently from the trial courts most people are familiar with from watching television. By following the case of a real middle school girl who was strip searched at school, students find out what happens when someone takes a case all the way to the Supreme Court. Through this case, students learn about the structure of the federal court system and the way appellate courts decide cases.

Students learn that the rights in the Bill of Rights have no exact definition and are open to interpretation (by the Supreme Court, of course).  Students look at real-life cases involving the 8th and 5th amendments and see whether they come to the same conclusion about each case as the Supreme Court did.

Note: this lesson includes two optional PowerPoint presentations (see Lesson Prep below).

Students participate in a scripted fictional trial based on a real case in which the producers of James Bond films sued Honda for creating an ad that looked way too much like a James Bond movie. After the "trial," students examine evidence and play the role of jurors.  Students apply real copyright law to simulate the process courts use in applying law to fact and arrive at a "verdict." This is a two-day lesson.

Need to teach the judicial branch in a hurry? In this lesson, students learn the basics of our judicial system, including the functions of the trial court, the Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court. Students learn how a case moves up through these levels and discover that these courts exist on both the state and federal levels.

Students explore the distinctions between the federal and state judicial systems. Hypothetical litigants Freddy Federal and State Court Sam (two fish friends hailing from Hawaii) help students understand that our country has two separate legal systems and what the differences are between them. Students learn the basic structure of each system and how each one operates.

Where do laws come from? This lesson teaches students about the sources, types and unique systems of law that exist in the American judicial system. Students are given the opportunity to compare and contrast civil and criminal law, follow the origin of laws from the Constitution down through to local ordinances, and peek into the judicial legal system.

After playing Supreme Decisionwith your class, use this lesson to reinforce the concepts students learned by playing the game.  In this lesson, students compare Ben Brewer’s fictional case in “Supreme Decision” with a real-life case involving a student.  They also look at a variety of historic landmark cases to understand why precedents and judicial review are important in peoples’ everyday lives.

Here, iCivics presents a judicial variation of the classic card game "Go Fish!" Students use a write-on courtroom game board and play with cards that show the people involved in a trial--such as judges, court staff, attorneys, and litigants--and each of those peoples' roles. By trying to match people and roles to make pairs, students learn what trial participants do both in court and out of court.

Students learn about the three branches of government and find out how the three branches interact with each another. Through the process of creating a healthy school lunch menu, students role-play each branch’s responsibility in the law-making process.

Students learn how citizens can influence the government. They find out that citizens can play a role in each of the three branches and learn how to target the right governmental official with their concerns.