Explains a teaching activity designed to help students develop an appreciation of the role of animal control officers in the community and the importance of licensing their pets. Includes playing instructions, reproducible game cards and a game board, and a supportive statement from the director of a state humane society. (TW)

Presents a lesson on capital punishment for juveniles based on three hypothetical cases. The goal of the lesson is to have students understand the complexities of decisions regarding the death penalty for juveniles. (JDH)

This curriculum unit focuses attention on the evolving relationship the United States has with the emerging East Asian giant, China. Developed by the Choices for the 21st Century Education Project, Choices material places special emphasis on the importance of educating students in their participatory role as citizens. The unit considers the global…

This lesson focuses on the post-Reconstruction South and the social practices based on race and skin color that hindered the South's growth as a region and relegated many people to the status of second-class citizens, in spite of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. The lesson provides historical background and outlines a task for students to…

Six cases from Rhode Island court history are presented in this document. The cases, dating from the time of Roger Williams to the 1970s, examine religious freedom, personal freedom, treason, robbery, murder, and drug possession. Each case is summarized and questions are supplied to help students understand crime and punishment in Rhode Island. A…

The 36 lessons collected in this publication are designed to introduce students to the rights of the accused and provide a scholarly study of these rights, exploring historical development as well as current application. Lessons are provided for all grade levels. The topics covered include the Bill of Rights, criminal rights amendments, juvenile…

Lobbying is defined as the function of citizens to express their views and to gain the support of legislators for proposed laws. This guide, for Massachusetts students, is designed to take students step by step through the lobbying process and to suggest strategies and resources to use in their own lobbying efforts. The guide contains the…

This book is designed to help students better understand the forces that shape the foreign policies of all nations and their stake in the future of the global community. The book is organized into four chapters. Chapter 1 examines the behavior of nations and how national interest dictates perceptions, and, therefore actions, of world leaders.…

This book presents oral histories of young citizen activists in order to demonstrate how U.S. citizens of all ages can participate in a democracy and make it work for them. The document is divided into four parts. The first is titled "Launch Your Own Campaign: Mapping Out Your Game Plan." This section is comprised of three stages: (1) warm ups…

This book explores the lives of people who have shaped the laws and legal system of the United States and describes their impact on the U.S. Constitution. The new government's beginnings are examined in unit 1, through the pitfalls and triumphs of the First Continental Congress. The role of John Marshall, the First Chief Justice of the Supreme…

A series of questions for high school students to use in interviewing or researching county and state governments are presented. Questions concerning county government are grouped into five categories: governing, administrative agencies, fiscal affairs, planning and zoning, and issues. Students investigate salaries, powers, and duties of…

Offers a lesson plan for teaching upper elementary and middle school students about the First Amendment. The lesson begins by inviting students to censor government criticism in the local newspaper and may be expanded to include an introduction to the Bill of Rights. (JDH)

Offers a lesson in which students examine the issue of mandatory drug and alcohol testing in public schools. Students develop a policy for their own school after considering a hypothetical policy statement and attendant legal issues. (JDH)

This 3- to 5-day currriculum unit for secondary students centers around four possible directions for U.S. foreign policy during the 1990s. Designed as a culminating exercise at the end of the year or as an introductory activity to open the semester, this unit, and the possible futures it presents, should be thought of as a vehicle for guiding…

Intended to help secondary and college students and adults develop a clearer understanding of how our democracy works, this booklet examines how Congress makes legislative decisions and how it collects the information necessary to legislate. With 100 Senators, 435 Representatives, and 20,000 staff people receiving and processing information,…