Civics Lesson Plans

1. All Aboard The Campaign Train!- Plan a "whistle stop" campaign train trip across the United States. Create slogans, songs, speeches. Use measurements of time and distance.
2. An Approach to Teaching Religious Tolereance- Students will be able to identify the First Amendment which guarantees Freedom of Religion. Students should be able to define the language of this amendment.
3. Arrest- The purpose of the activity "Arrest" is to give students first hand knowledge about an arrest of a classmate and his/her subsequent trial. Students become active participants in the legal process as they become witnesses, jurors and defendants in a trial simulation.
4. Budget Making- Introduce students to budgetss; learn about government services and basic expenses; and create pie charts representing government spending priorities.
5. Center for Civic Education- Selected curricular materials change monthly.

1. Character and Citizenship Education- Students will be able to recognize characteristics of a socially healthy citizen. Students will be able to transition from knowledge and understanding of socially healthy traits to applying these in everyday life as a good citizen.
2. Citizenship City- Define "good citizen," explore ways for students to volunteer in the community, and create public service campaigns about the importance of civic responsibility.
3. Citizenship Is A Special Status- To understand why citizenship is an important concept.
4. Civics Jeopardy- The following "game" is a review activity that classes have used to prepare for semester exams.
5. City, County, Community- Define the attributes of good places to live and compare the local community to another American region.
6. Dear Presidential Diary- Develop five first-person diary entries exploring the duties and privileges of the presidency.
7. Developing Country Simulation- Students will understand the importance of agriculture, industry, infrastructure, education, and various social issues to the well-being of a nation.
8. Donkeys, Elephants, and Voters- Learn about political parties by creating new political parties and issue platforms. Plan for a mock convention.
9. Draw It Out- Using the great New York City draft riots of July, 1863, as a starting point, students explore civil disobedience and periods of unrest in American history.
10. Due Process: Search and Seizure- To allow students the chance to see how the case developed, and how it may affect them today.
11. Election Co-nection- Students create an ideal candidate that meets the requirments of a U.S. president. Students conduct an election poll in their community.
12. Engineer A Solution- Identify problems in 19th century New York City, compare them to problems in your own area, and brainstorm possible solutions.
13. Find the Oldest- Identify and research the oldest man-made landmark in your community.
14. Fight For Freedom- Research slavery around the world today and find out more about institutions working to end slavery.
15. Get The Word Out!- Explore issues in your community and write PSAs for local media distribution.
16. Graphically Speaking- Explore the relationship between congressional representation and state population by graphing current statistics.
17. I.O.U.: An Introduction To The National Debt- Introduce the causes and consequences of national debt, relating it to personal debt, and brainstorming solutions.
18. Labor Unions- My goal is to provide the students with a broad introduction to Labor Unions that can help them to understand the background information.
19. Laws, Rights, and Responsiblities: A Teaching Unit- To promote public understanding and appreciation of the law and the American legal system.
20. Making Binding Agreements- To thoroughly explore "offer" and "acceptance" in relationship to making binding agreements.
21. Melting Pot- Through surveys and interviews, identify how immigrants contribute to contemporary American culture, and how they are changed by it.
22. Millennium Challenge- Explore how the Statue of Liberty symbolizes 19th century American ideals, and design a monument to symbolize late 20th century values.
23. Neighborhood Portrait- Identify the features that make your community special, through interviews and multimedia presentations.
24. Painting Presidential Portraits- Redesign U.S. paper currency to recognize six U.S. presidents and describe their significant accomplishments.
25. Paving The Way- Evaluate transportation in your community and develop a proposal to alleviate a specific transportation problem.
26. Plan A Park- Develop a proposal to expand an existing park or create a new one within your community.
27. Presidential Places Quilt- Honor past presidents and explore their connections to Washington, D.C. landmarks through research and the creation of a class "quilt."
28. School Newspaper- Pupils will create a school newspaper containing three aspects: Latest News, Editorial, and Sports. Pupils will post the school newspaper on the school website.
29. Smart Art- Using the work of Thomas Nast as introduction, explore the tools of political cartoonists and create political cartoons of your own.
30. Stowaway- Participate in on online game about immigration in the late 19th century, and create a game of your own about modern-day immigration to the U.S.
31. Tasty Mapping- Identify important governmental and institutional structures in your town by creating an edible map.
32. The Bill of Rights is for Us Today- The purpose of this activity is to acquaint the students with the guaranteed rights of the Bill of Rights, and assist them to see the application of these rights in their daily lives.
33. The Inside Story- Learn more about 19th century urban reformers, and identify problems and solutions in your own community.
34. The Original Thirteen Colonies- Many students dislike learning rote material, but some basic information is necessary in any discipline upon which later structured lessons can be developed. Further, most students are helped in learning if memory tricks are utilized.
35. The Perfect President- Identify the legal requirements, previous experiences, and personality traits that equip someone to be a successful president. Write a job description and a newspaper article.
36. The United States Postal Service- The students will develop a better understanding in reference to: Postage, Zip Codes, Proper Address Placement, and the duties of Postal Workers.
37. To Vote Or Not To Vote?- Examine the history of voting rights in America, explore the current-day problem of low voter turnout, and create community surveys to evaluate different ways to improve voter registration and voter participation.
38. Trail of Discovery- Research the settlers and native populations in your community.
39. What's It Say Today?- Research a local landmark and describe its significance in your community's civic and cultural history.
40. Why a Mock Trial?- Through participation in mock trials and analysis of the activity, students gain an insiders perspective on court room procedures.
41. Why Vote? A Public Awareness Campaign- Learn about the importance of government services in your town, and design a public awareness campaign about voter turnout.
42. You Make The Rules- Learn about the rules governing U.S. citizenship and create your own club with a unique charter and bylaws.