Education reform has been at the forefront of educational research for decades, depicted by government initiatives and policy, research, and pedagogical changes and recommendations. When considering elements of educational change, policy, best practices, and individual merit and retention have also been heavily in the spotlight, such as "A…

This activity for students in grade 12 aims to increase their knowledge of the U.S. Constitution and its fundamental ideas: checks and balances, separation of powers, Bill of Rights, and the amendments. Students judge the constitutional powers of each brand of government by participating in the power game. The activity explains how the game is…

When George Washington was sworn in as the first President of the United States on April 30, 1789, the U.S. Constitution had already been ratified, yet the future of the new country was at risk. Some people wanted a bill of rights added to the U.S. Constitution to guarantee individual liberties. Two groups opposed each other--the Federalists…

In this lesson plan, students are assigned a member of the California Assembly to research and a political faction to represent. Students examine representative bills voted on by the California Assembly to determine if their member's voting record coincides with the views of their political faction. Ultimately, students must decide whether, and…

Presents a complete outline of the critical thinking skills taught in grades 3, 6, 8, 10, and 12. Categories are clarifying issues and terms, judging and utilizing information, and drawing conclusions. (JDH)

This lesson asks 12th grade students to imagine that they are special assistants to the Undersecretary of Commerce for a foreign country who must answer a letter from a U.S. company planning to move its manufacturing operations overseas. The lesson also asks them to design a business brochure that will convince the company to come to their…

As a means of investigating the current status of citizenship education in the schools, this exploratory study was designed to study graduating high school seniors' perceptions of their citizenship experiences. A questionnaire was distributed to four schools in Texas, Minnesota, California, and Arkansas and data were analyzed using Boos's…

In this California state curriculum model for grade 12, "Principles of American Democracy," students study the life of Cesar E. Chavez. The students observe the direct relationship between his work and political philosophy and the U.S. political and legal system. Students examine how Chavez's ideas and actions are a blueprint for active…

This lesson requires student teamwork to gather data and create a plan that describes the physical look of money in the future and how it will be distributed in the United States in the next millennium. To do this, the lesson states, students review present-day monetary policy, read about future suggestions for money, visit Web sites on these…

In response to campus crime schools across the United States have instituted rigorous dress codes, and, in some cases, have required students to wear uniforms to school. The president of the local school board has received petitions from several groups wishing to speak at the next school board meeting. The president's political survival rests upon…