These activities are intended to acquaint elementary students with the voting process. Students in grades K-4 are introduced to vocabulary concerning voting through games and classroom discussions. A voting area is simulated in the classroom. Students are given the opportunity to vote for their favorite dog, bird, and wild animal. So that they can…

This unit, through a series of learning activities, is designed to give students a sense of what it means to seek U.S. citizenship. The first activity is created to help students understand the Naturalization Examination process by role-playing the examination and through creating their own examination for citizenship. The Oath of United States…

Lessons and learning activities to teach children in the primary grades about citizenship responsibility and social decision making are provided. Active learning is emphasized. Section I contains five lessons, for use in kindergarten and grade 1, that deal with the themes of freedom and responsibility. The activities focus on home life and the…

This document is one of a series of role plays that focus on science-related social issues of concern in contemporary public policy formation. The role plays are designed to help students develop information-processing and decision making skills needed to deal effectively with such issues. The role plays guide students in analyzing science related…

This unit, one in a series of packets of teacher and student materials for cooperative occupational education (COE) designed for special needs students, is intended to develop students' awareness of community resources as well as their civic responsibilities to the community. The instructor material includes the following items: unit objectives,…

The teaching guide and the videotape it complements are designed to help students define and discuss civic responsibilities. The thirty-two minute videotape takes a case-study approach toward understanding civic responsibility. The video identifies some of the attitudes and feelings people have towards problems in American society and then gives…

A class project that involved three sixth-grade classes in holding a mock presidential election is described. Students manned registration booths, held rallies, made speeches to explain the issues, and actually voted. (RM)

Siamese baseball is used to introduce secondary government students to a study of authority, justice, responsibility, and privacy. The thematic/conceptual approach to the course is outlined. (RM)

This document consists of a packet of materials published in December 1990 and designed to assist citizens in forming study circles to discuss the crisis in the Persian Gulf. The resources are designed to be nonpartisan, fair, and balanced, and try to make the strongest possible case for four different options, reflecting a broad range of…

Intended as springboards to help secondary school teachers implement lessons and activities in citizenship and law-related education (LRE), the lessons in this booklet represent a sampling of ideas that can readily be used in social studies and other courses to supplement and reinforce the development of selected concepts and skills. Goals stated…

This kit, the first of four learning circles on civics and citizenship, addresses a series of broad issues about the way in which Australia is governed. Introductory materials include a synopsis of the six sessions; lists of 51 references, 29 Internet sites, and 13 videos and CDs; glossary; and list of 19 resource materials. Session guides are…

The Civic Achievement Award Program (CAAP) was established by the U.S. Congress in response to national concerns about the need to increase civic literacy among the nation's young people. The program was designed to provide elementary and middle school educators with interdisciplinary materials that focus on providing a base of civic competence,…

Teacher-developed law-related education lessons that can be integrated into secondary school world history and U.S. history courses are provided. The first of two major sections contains law lessons for world history. Lessons are varied and deal with topics such as sources of the law, laws in early civilizations (Rome, Greece, and Egypt), the Code…

Presents 10 ideas for service learning projects designed for elementary schools. Includes having students do local history projects complete with interviews and artifacts, learn about community volunteering, interact with the elderly, care for the environment, recycle materials, and hold canned food drives. (MJP)

Contends that citizenship and democracy are two of the most overused words in social studies classrooms. Maintains that schools must walk a tightrope between those fostering patriotic attitudes and those fostering critical-mindedness and protest. Includes four suggestions for critical thinking in social studies. (CFR)