Civics education in America is in crisis, and Americans should recommit themselves to the teaching of civics in the classroom and at home. As students understand how the past connects to the present, they will come to safeguard the sanctity of the American idea and appreciate the validity and relevance of its ideals to all Americans, especially to…

The 2008 CASAS "Bibliography of Citizenship Materials" lists available instructional resources for citizenship education. It focuses on materials appropriate for preparing people for the naturalization process and the standardized citizenship examination. Resources include textbooks, audio materials, software and Videos/DVDs. The bibliography also…

The democratic aim of American education is to provide "all" students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to become informed, effective, and responsible citizens. Like civic education itself, literacy education can be embraced by all teachers across all disciplines. There are strategies that all teachers can use to help address…

The democratic aim of American education is to provide "all" students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to become informed, effective, and responsible citizens. Like civic education itself, literacy education can be embraced by all teachers across all disciplines. There are strategies that all teachers can use to help address…

The Washington social studies curriculum for small schools, for grades 4-12, developed in 1980-81, is designed to help teachers improve instruction and help smaller districts lacking curriculum personnel comply with the state's Student Learning Objectives (SLO) Law. Written by curriculum specialists and classroom teachers, seven social studies…

This instructional unit for grades eight and nine tells why and how American small towns declined as a result of the availability and acceptance of automobiles, and it tells of the growth of suburbs and their effect on the city. The learning activities also relate the story of the demand for cars and explain the drain on the cities' sense of…

Summarizes the events leading up to and the investigation that followed the Watergate break-in. Presents a lesson plan using primary documents that allows students to explore the workings of congressional investigations, the key figures in the scandal, and the arguments of the different participants. Includes copies of the documents. (DSK)

Descriptions of lessons within each of three computer-based curricula for high school students (U.S. government, U.S. history, and introductory economics) are presented in this instructor's manual. Each curriculum is divided into lesson units and covers basic concepts. The reading-level is approximately tenth grade. Each unit consists of a pretest…

A series of articles celebrating the Bicentennial of the Constitution is presented in two volumes. The first article in Volume 1 is an interview by Bernard Murchland with Barbara Jordan discussing the effectiveness of the original Constitution. The second article, "If I Were President," is an interview by Bernard Murchland with Studs…

This student reader accompanies a teacher's guide of the same name. The essays in this book provide firsthand perspectives on how the federal government works. Essays by President Bill Clinton, Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, justices of the Supreme Court, journalists, lobbyists, and others who take an active role in this nation's democracy…

Presents a basic lesson on the complex problems of judicial interpretation for a high-school government survey. Includes lesson objectives, background on lesson design, overview information for students, a list of student materials, expected time for lesson, procedural outline, bibliography, and two student handouts. (DSK)

The 200th anniversary of the United States Constitution offers an excellent opportunity for encouraging renewed study of the principles and foundations of constitutional government. This resource packet provides a listing of current materials and resources to aid teachers in planning lesson units. The listings include: (1) professional…

This packet provides primary source documents and lesson plans relating to the study of Jackie Robinson as a civil rights advocate. The legendary baseball player, Jack Roosevelt Robinson, was the first black man to "officially" play in the big leagues in the 20th century. Jackie Robinson was not only a stellar baseball player, but he…

Discusses rules used in the House of Representatives from 1836 to 1844 to suppress discussions of slavery. Presents a lesson using primary documents that allows students to assess the role of the "gag rule" in creating sectional tension and to follow the transformation of an individual in the growing dispute. Includes documents. (DSK)

A 3-section handbook provides secondary school teachers with concrete suggestions on how to use the newspaper to promote a constructive, participatory citizenry. Materials and lessons can be easily integrated into either language arts or social studies courses on history, government, law, American problems, or current events. The lessons can also…