This lesson pairs with a video that explores the following topics: Separation of Powers- Explore the constitutional limits on the power of government and see how the system of checks and balances works. National Government - Examine the responsibilities of the national government and see how federalism divides power between the national government and the states. State Government- See how most of the laws we live by come from state government. A Presidency Remembered: Ronald Reagan- Take a look at the legacy of President Ronald Reagan.
This web resource provides fun activities for ages k-6 involving culture. The hello exercise would be a fun activity to try in a classroom to encourage and explore different cultural languages.
In this lesson, students explore how different social factors affect civic participation and equality across the country and in their own school community.
invite
perspective to be brought to bear in order to develop
deep understanding
Attempts
to answer essential questions allow people to explore
the connection between their personal, individual,
unique experience of the world and its exterior, objective,
held-in-common dimensions
allow us to explore what knowledge is, how
it came to be, and how it has changed through human
history
poised at the boundary
of the known and the unknown
This site offers great lesson plans, games, projects and many other neat tools for teachers to use in the classroom and for students to explore on their own.
This site has units and lesson plans on: Lewis and Clark preparing for the trip, politics, mapping, women, animals, language, trade and property, plants. There is a section on exploring and using primary and secondary sources.
Even the Walls is a short documentary about the multi-generational residents living within Yesler Terrrace, a public-housing neighborhood in downtown Seattle grappling with the forces of gentrification.
Standard 3G- Students will explore with their classmates what it means to be an American. Students are encouraged to use discuss and write what they think. Students will talk about what it means to them about being an American. Students will use their family history on this piece of discussion
Standard 4E- Students will be using their individual experiences, family, and culture to explain why they are an American. Students are given the chance to express why they are American. This reveals their background and their origin.
might wish to watch the film, And Then They Came for Us,
Standard 7I- Using other forms of media. Students will watch the film to have a complete understanding about the content of the lesson on why we are Americans
Standard 7I- Students will be divided into groups of four and discuss the definition of an American. They will come up with ideas to express their identity as an American
Do you have to be a citizen to be considered an American?
Students can express their nationalities and their country of origin. They may be born in America but their parents and ancestors might be from a different country.
Explain to students that they are going to write a profile of a character who stands up against gender stereotypes. Provide students with the appropriate graphic organizers and have them work independently to begin developing their characters.
This demonstrates 7I - "support and expand learner expression in speaking, writing, and other media" because students are writing a profile of a character who stands up against gender stereotypes, it expands their learning through critical thinking in developing a character with this in mind.
As you read, stop to elicit student responses to the question: What personality traits and behaviors show us that this character rejects gender stereotypes? Chart student responses. When you are finished reading, help students look back over the list they have come up with. Ask how it feels to read about a character who stands up to so many gender stereotypes.
This demonstrates 4E - "understand how a student's learning is influenced by individual experiences, talents, and prior learning, as well as language, culture, family, and community values" because students would have prior knowledge in how they think of gender roles through their family/cultural experiences. This could be through toys they have been bought (dolls/toy cars), family roles within the household (who cooks/who does yard work), the clothes they wear, etc.
Come together to allow students to share observations. Ask students how they think children’s book authors might contribute to the construction of gender, and challenge students to question whether this is fair.
This demonstrates 3G - "use a student's thinking and experiences as a resource in planning instructional activities by encouraging discussion, listening and responding to group interaction, and eliciting oral, written, and other samples of student thinking" because students work with a partner to observe what they see in picture books about gender stereotypes and then they come together as a group to share ideas with each other about what they discovered. Students are then asked to think about if the construction of gender is fair. The group interaction helps them learn from each other.
There are so many treasures within this site, but one I use frequently is the "Educators" section. Here, you will find all the information needed to make history come alive for your students. It is quite remarkable and well worth a visit!