This module, which may be used as the basis for a workshop or as a special topic unit in adult basic education or English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) courses, focuses on becoming a citizen. It is designed to teach immigrants the requirements for applying for naturalization, how children become citizens, and the complex legal definition of…

As long as people have lived within groups, there have been rules and laws to govern behavior. Schools are one of the first institutions that children encounter that set standards for their behavior. Learning how to cope with school rules when they are young helps students develop social skills and a sense of responsibility and become good…

Developed for California high school teachers, this guide is designed to help them clarify the role of the state government and improve students' understanding of the democratic process through their acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes. The guide provides the tools necessary to help students inform themselves about: current economic,…

This booklet contains the official materials that student teams used to prepare for the 16th Annual California State Mock Trial Competition, held in April 1997. The mock trial process is designed to clarify for students the workings of legal institutions. As student teams study a hypothetical case, conduct legal research, and receive guidance from…

In this unit of study, students demonstrate a familiarity with the school's layout and the jobs people do there. The unit has students discuss jobs in the community and match simple descriptions of the work with the names of related jobs and with the equipment required for the jobs. They also compare and contrast jobs of today with jobs of long…

Twenty-eight lesson plans developed by California teachers who attended a summer institute on Congress and the Constitution are presented in this document. Sample lesson plan titles are: (1) "Geopolitics and the Constitution," (2) "Judicial Review," (3) "Electoral College and the Constitution," (4) "First…

California State Standard 5.7 is delineated in the following manner: "Students describe the people and events associated with the development of the U.S. Constitution and analyze the Constitution's significance as the foundation of the American republic." Students answer six questions about the Constitution and present suggestions for…

California State Standard 7.1 is delineated in the following manner: "Students analyze the causes and effects of the vast expansion and ultimate disintegration of the Roman Empire." One important legacy of ancient Rome is the foundation it set for the development of modern democracies. The Roman Stoics built upon the Greek Stoic model by…

Students study U.S. national holidays, symbols, songs, and landmarks to understanding and appreciation the meaning and significance of the nation's ideals of liberty, justice, and equality. Through lessons, discussions, discovery activities, and cooperative group work, students understand how and when various U.S. traditions represent and convey…

During kindergarten students learn that being a good citizen involves acting in certain ways. In grade 1 students study about making rules by direct democracy and by representative democracy. This concept is developed further in grade 2 as students learn about electing the people who make the laws, carry out the laws, and enforce the laws. This…

Designed for middle school through high school students, this unit contains eight lesson plans that focus on California state law. The state lessons correspond to lessons in the volume, "Antidote: Civic Responsibility. Drug Avoidance Lessons for Middle School & High School Students." Developed to be presented by educators, law…

Describes a curriculum-embedded focus for character education. Outlines a series of character-related topics (justice, responsibility, civic virtue) and combines them with corresponding social studies topics and activities (reviewing the origins of self-government, interviewing community elders) for each grade K-12. Includes reading list and…