Government and Civics Classes
For teachers of government and civics, the site can be used in a number of ways. It can serve as a precursor to a lesson plan, ensuring all students are on the same page at the beginning of the lesson plan. For instance, a civics lesson plan focused on due process might begin with students reading through the modules What Is Due Process?, Criminal Cases, and Equal Protection. The What is Due Process? module explains due process, providing contextual examples through story for each principle; the Criminal Cases module applies due process principles to criminal trials; and the Equal Protection module discusses how due process requirements must be the same for all people regardless of race, gender, or religion. Using the content links for The Big Ideas menu in the section “Understanding the navigation of the site” will help teachers identify the appropriate modules and/or storylines for their lesson plans.
The site can also be used to reinforce the objectives of the teacher’s lesson plan. For example, a teacher might assign the modules What Is Due Process?, Equal Protection, and Curfew as homework. Upper-grade students might additionally be asked to prepare a paper on how Title IX relates to the case Brown v. the Board of Education covered in the Equal Protection module and the curfew storyline highlighted in the What Is Due Process? module or the Curfew module. If the teacher provides a hint—no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness without due process of law—the students will be oriented to due process concepts and the exercise will help students understand the scope of due process and its importance in our democratic system.
The site can also serve as the core of a lesson plan. A lesson on separation of powers and checks and balances could use modules listed under About Judges sub-menu in The Third Branch menu bar for the judicial branch powers portion of the lesson plan. Activities such as “think writes” (tell me what you think in a page or less) or bringing a judge into the classroom to discuss the contents of the various modules could greatly enhance the learning experience.
> Bringing civics to other curricula |
