SS.912.CG.2.4

The biggest fire in American history charted the course of the Forestry Service's firefighting strategy for decades.  Learn this history and help your students better understand how government departments develop.

Type: Lesson Plan

National Parks!

Teddy Roosevelt played a huge role in their creation.  Teach your students not only the history of America's amazing national parks but also stir debate about the appropriate use of executive power.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will read a case study about illegal dumping. Students will reflect on how humans affect ecosystems and how the government handles those who hurt the ecosystem.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is lesson 1 in a 3-part unit. Students will conduct research and describe how using public/government resources for communication can affect change while identifying the civic responsibility of being informed. Students will analyze the impact of civic engagement as a means of preserving or reforming institutions in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will investigate how the legislature creates policies and passes laws in response to citizens’ needs through direct instruction. Students will then analyze three environmental policies, answer questions, engage in discussion and then transfer this knowledge to create a policy that works to solve their original researched environmental issue. This is lesson 2 of 3 in a mini-unit integrating civics and biology.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will transfer the knowledge they gained from their researched environmental issue in part 1 and the policy making process in part 2 to now draft a policy that works to solve the issue they originally researched. Students will then engage in an activity in order to argue and defend their policy and to ensure that it is the most effective solution for their environmental issue. This is lesson 3 of 3 in a mini-unit integrating civics and biology.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will review and identify externalities and their impact, either positive or negative on society, while looking at public goods and determining/discussing the same.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will use case studies to evaluate issues that cause the government to balance protecting individual rights with protecting the common good.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will review how the United States prepared the country to enter World War I and the effect of the entry into the war on American citizens' rights and liberties.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will be placed into four groups. Each group will be tasked with becoming “experts” on one of the following topics: the Espionage Act of 1917, the Sedition Act of 1918, the Schenck v. United States (1919) Supreme Court ruling, and the Debs v. United States (1919) Supreme Court ruling.  Using the jigsaw strategy, students will share their analyses and discuss and debate responses to the inquiry question: When, if ever, is the government justified in limiting individual rights?

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will develop a deeper understanding of how the U.S. government balances the rights of individuals with the public good.  Students will learn about the Espionage Act and the Sedition Act and will research the Schenck v. U.S. case of 1919 to explain and evaluate the Court’s ruling in relation to these controversial laws.

Type: Lesson Plan

This 5-part student-centered activity places students in the role of a local emergency management team that is tasked by the County Board of Commissioners to develop a County Hurricane Emergency Management Plan (CHEMP). In part 2, student teams will utilize the research they conducted in part 1 to develop part of a County Hurricane Emergency Management Plan (CHEMP). Teams will complete a plan worksheet and upload it along with any relevant attachments to an online collaborative platform for feedback. The teacher’s role will be to facilitate plan development and assist with the document upload process.

Type: Lesson Plan

This 5-part student-centered activity places students in the role of a local emergency management team that is tasked by the County Board of Commissioners to develop a County Hurricane Emergency Management Plan (CHEMP). In part 2, student teams utilized the research they conducted in part 1 to develop one portion of a County Hurricane Emergency Management Plan (CHEMP). Teams completed a plan worksheet and uploaded it along with any relevant attachments to an online collaborative platform for feedback. In part 3, student teams will review the draft submitted by a team working on a different portion of the CHEMP and provide feedback through the online collaborative platform. Teams will provide feedback to the other team using a checklist (attached). Once feedback has been given, teams will then utilize feedback to adjust their plan before developing a presentation to communicate their plan to the County Board of Commissioners.

Type: Lesson Plan

This 5-part student-centered activity places students in the role of a local emergency management team that is tasked by the County Board of Commissioners to develop a County Hurricane Emergency Management Plan (CHEMP). In part 4, students will work within their teams to create the three components of their presentations. Students will plan their oral presentation to the County Board of Commissioners as well as create a visual presentation and a written document. The teacher’s role will be to present the task, monitor student engagement, and provide feedback as the teams complete the three components of their portion of the plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

This 5-part student-centered activity places students in the role of a local emergency management team that is tasked by the County Board of Commissioners to develop a County Hurricane Emergency Management Plan (CHEMP). In parts 1-3, students conducted research and collaborated to create portions of the CHEMP. In part 4, teams prepared a presentation for the County Board of Commissioners. In part 5, each team will present their plan to the board. Each student will be scored using the rubric provided.

Type: Lesson Plan

This 5-part student-centered activity places students in the role of a local emergency management team that is tasked by the County Board of Commissioners to develop a County Hurricane Emergency Management Plan (CHEMP). In part 1, the class will divide into teams responsible for different aspects of the CHEMP. Students will conduct research on the state’s expectations for local emergency management plans, the likely impacts of hurricanes in the local area, and the resources available to address preparation, response, and recovery in the event of a major hurricane. The teacher’s role will be to present the task and facilitate student research as they investigate their portion of the plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will take on the role of an auditor to assist an auditing firm in determining which bank branches need a full audit performed. Students will fill in missing transactions, review bank statements, and use their knowledge of the Bank Secrecy Act to determine the order in which the auditing firm should complete full audits in this model eliciting activity.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will examine the influence of hurricanes and other severe weather/natural disasters on public policy.  They will explore the role of the state government in preparing for and responding to emergencies including severe weather and natural disasters in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will examine the influence of hurricanes and other severe weather/natural disasters on public policy.  They will explore the role of the state government in preparing for and responding to emergencies including severe weather and natural disasters in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will examine the influence of hurricanes and other severe weather/natural disasters on public policy.  They will explore the role of the state government in preparing for and responding to emergencies including severe weather and natural disasters in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will participate in a silent debate over individual interests versus the public good using facts from historical U.S. Supreme Court cases.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will explore the political, social, and environmental consequences of government monitoring and policy decisions regarding sustainable use of land and water.  They will interpret the Florida statutes and consider their impact on the citizens and environment of Florida in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will explore the political, social, and environmental consequences of government monitoring and policy decisions regarding sustainable use of land and water.  They will interpret the Florida statutes and consider their impact on the citizens and environment of Florida in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will explore the political, social, and environmental consequences of government monitoring and policy decisions regarding sustainable use of land and water.  They will interpret the Florida statutes and consider their impact on the citizens and environment of Florida in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will explore the political, social, and environmental consequences of government monitoring and policy decisions regarding sustainable use of land and water.  They will interpret the Florida statutes and consider their impact on the citizens and environment of Florida in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will explore the political, social, and environmental consequences of government monitoring and policy decisions regarding sustainable use of land and water.  They will interpret the Florida statutes and consider their impact on the citizens and environment of Florida in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will explore the political, social, and environmental consequences of government monitoring and policy decisions regarding sustainable use of land and water.  They will interpret the Florida statutes and consider their impact on the citizens and environment of Florida in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will explore the political, social, and environmental consequences of government monitoring and policy decisions regarding sustainable use of land and water.  They will interpret the Florida statutes and consider their impact on the citizens and environment of Florida in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will explore the importance of biodiversity and interdependence within ecosystems by analyzing Florida Statutes related to nonnative species.  They will interpret the statutes and consider their impact on the citizens and environment of Florida in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will explore the importance of biodiversity and interdependence within ecosystems by analyzing Florida Statutes related to nonnative species.  They will interpret the statutes and consider their impact on the citizens and environment of Florida in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will explore the importance of biodiversity and interdependence within ecosystems by analyzing Florida Statutes related to nonnative species.  They will interpret the statutes and consider their impact on the citizens and environment of Florida in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will explore the importance of biodiversity and interdependence within ecosystems by analyzing Florida Statutes related to nonnative species.  They will interpret the statutes and consider their impact on the citizens and environment of Florida in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will explore the importance of biodiversity and interdependence within ecosystems by analyzing Florida Statutes related to nonnative species.  They will interpret the statutes and consider their impact on the citizens and environment of Florida in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will assume the roles of various community members involved in a pollution problem in Florida. They will brainstorm solutions and create a policy to reduce the pollution at their source.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will work collaboratively to make arguments for and against a proposed piece of legislation: A Bill to Eliminate Bot Social Media Accounts to Stifle Misinformation.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan intended for a debate class, students will create Congressional arguments based on proposed legislation randomly assigned to them at different stations.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan intended for the debate classroom, students will work in small groups to develop a brief speech employing both offensive and defensive arguments on the topic of the government balancing the interests of individuals with the public good.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will review a Supreme Court case, identify the rights restricted and, try to determine a ruling for the case before reviewing the historical outcomes. The cases relate to historical events that have resulted in the government limiting or attempting to limit the rights/freedoms of the people of the United States. Students will then compare their decisions with the findings of the Supreme Court. As they review the cases, they will build an understanding of government-imposed restrictions on citizen’s rights and why they may happen.

Type: Lesson Plan

Have you ever considered what sort of discussion is done before deciding to build a water park or hospital in your town or county? What about the roads? The schools? This resource is a valuable tool in teaching students about the importance of developing a thought process and about the value in public works. The students will be conducting an MEA that revolves around the premise of deciding on what is the most important public works project for Parker County, FL.

Type: Lesson Plan

This Grades 9-12 Civics Family Guide provides some ideas and activities to support civics education when at home, out and about, and in the community. The activities provided align to the civics learning benchmarks within Standard 2 at these grade levels.

Type: Teaching Idea

This is an activity that can be used as often as needed to review/reinforce how to use cross examination in debate. For the purposes of this lesson, we will stick with LD debate, but many of the tactics can be used in other formats like public forum. Also, this lesson focuses on the topic as if it is being introduced for the first time, so it should be modified for later uses.

Type: Teaching Idea

Using this activity intended for the debate classroom, students will engage in one or more short “SPAR” debates on a variety of topics related to the government’s role in balancing individual and public interests.

Type: Teaching Idea

This slideshow and accompanying notes introduce what Lincoln-Douglas debate is (a values/morals debate) and how it is conducted. Students will learn everything from timeframes to how “flow” works.

Type: Teaching Idea

This teaching resource will provide teachers the tools to discuss the potential impacts of government environmental regulations on individuals, industry, and society.

Type: Teaching Idea