The American Citizen - Webquests and Lesson Plans

Lesson Plans and Web quests located at the links below may need to be adapted to fit the academic needs of juniors and seniors in American Citizen classes. Many of the lessons and Web Quests below include links to state and/or national social studies standards. Some of these sites have links to documents that must be read with the Web browser plug-in Adobe Acrobat Reader. It is available as a free download. Click on the graphic at right to get Acrobat Reader.

If you see a URL below that ends with .PDF, you will need to have the Acrobat Reader installed on your computer browser.

About Web Quests	Foundations of Government	Civil Rights & Liberties	Politics	Legislative Branch	Executive Branch
Judicial Branch	State Government	Local Government	Comparative Government	Economics	Geography

The Web Quest Page at San Diego State University
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquest.html
For information on creating Web Quests, the most authoritative source is Bernie Dodge’s site at San Diego State University.

Foundations of Government

Four Great Thinkers of the Past: - a webquest concerning political philosophy
http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/hschool/webq/webq83/
Students will learn some political philosophy and debate over a modern issue in the role of an assigned philosopher (Niccolo Machiavelli, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, John Stuart Mill)

Constitutional Scavenger Hunt
http://ofcn.org/cyber.serv/academy/ace/soc/cecsst/cecsst213.html
This "game" could be implemented through the use of textbook and other written resources, or by the use of computers and hyperlinks created by the instructor.

Analyzing Editorial Cartoons
http://cagle.slate.msn.com/teacher/
Teachers Guides for analyzing editorial cartoons, from Darryl Cagel's Professional Cartoonists Index Home Page, includes lessons, games, scavenger hunts, etc., for students in elementary through high school grades. Permission is granted for classroom usage, as well.

Citizenship and the Constitution
http://www.askeric.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Social_Studies/US_Government/GOV0002.html
From the site: "Students need to be informed citizens on a local, state and national level. The purpose of this lesson is to identify government officials and resources on a local, state and national level. To demonstrate an understanding of the government on a local, state and national level."

Amendment Project
http://ofcn.org/cyber.serv/academy/ace/soc/cecsst/cecsst187.html
Students create visual aids to share with class, to assist them in remembering the amendments and how they apply to students' daily lives. This lesson plan could easily be adapted to include NKCSD technology through the creation of Web pages and/or Powerpoint slide shows, etc.

Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

For the Sake of Security: Analyzing Civil Liberties in the Wake of the September 11 Terrorist Attacks
In this lesson plan from the New York Times and Bank Street College, students evaluate the effectiveness and fairness of proposed military tribunals designed to fight terrorism. They will then compare American civil liberties, as stated in the U.S. Bill of Rights, with changes in these rights that may take place for some individuals living in the U.S., as a result of the U.S.A. Patriot Act.

Little Rock Nine
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/BHM/little_rock/
From the site: "A collaborative WebQuest on racial desegregation in schools, the Little Rock 9 focuses on the year, 1957, when 9 African American students enrolled in Central High School. The quest encourages students to think about the world they live in now."

Banned Books Quest
http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/hschool/webq/webq52/banned.htm

Equal Protection Under the Law: An Internet WebQuest on Equal Protection
http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/as/education/projects/webquests/supremecourt/

How Should They Be Remembered? - Evaluating the Lives and Legacies of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois
http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/as/education/projects/webquests/washdubois/btwwebd.html
From the site: "A wall in your school has been set aside for a mural depicting famous African-American educators from the turn of the twentieth century. After careful consideration, a committee of parents, teachers, staff, and students has decided that the mural should focus on the work of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois. Your group is one of several groups who have been asked to conduct research on Washington and DuBois, prepare a mock up of the mural, and prepare an oral and written presentation to the mural committee explaining your design. Keep in mind that the the mural committee is looking for more than portaits of the two men. They are looking for a design that illustrates the ideas these men came to represent."

Is the Death Penalty Unconstitutional?
http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/as/education/projects/webquests/deathpenalty/
From the site: "Prepare a recommendation for the Supreme Court for an imaginary case in which a death row inmate accuses Texas of cruel and unusual punishment."

The Place of God and Religion in Public Schools
http://www.richmond.edu/academics/as/education/projects/webquests/prayer/mdsprayer.html
A mock court case about prayer at graduation

Tuskegee Tragedy
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/BHM/tuskegee_quest.html
A Web quest involving student research, writing and role playing. Includes resources and learning activities.

WebQuest: National Security v. An Individual's Civil Right
http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/products/National_Security.htm
During World Wars I and II, the federal government passed laws that allowed the government to punish individuals who were determined to be helping the enemies of the United States. According to these two laws, the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Smith Act of 1940, if you were a member of certain organizations or if you expressed an opinion that was viewed as a criticism of the government, you could be arrested and punished. The issue that arose during both decades involved the constitutionality of these laws to abridge an individual’s civil rights under the First Amendment in peacetime."

Legislative Process: The Case of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/civrights.html
"How Congress does its work of making laws is much more complicated than the flow chart in the civics textbook. By using the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as a case study, students will explore that legislative process at work. As students study this case, they will become familiar with the both the fundamentals of the legislative process and the history of the Civil Rights Act of 1964."

Freedom of Hate Speech?
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/19990318thursday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
This lesson plan from the New York Times/Bank Street College encourages students to defend or refute whether hate groups should enjoy the same right of free speech as guaranteed by the First Amendment as individuals and groups that promote less controversial beliefs, as well as whether or not the Internet should censor Web sites that promote such groups.

An Approach to Teaching Religious Tolerance
http://ofcn.org/cyber.serv/academy/ace/soc/cecsst/cecsst040.html
"The First Amendment of the Constitution states that 'Congress shall pass no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.' The purpose of this lesson is to encourage critical thinking skills and open-minded thinking as to what our Founding Fathers struggled with to ensure religious freedom and why it is so important to continue this struggle. Hopefully, students will develop some insight as to why tension exists in this area and become aware of their Constitutional rights as United States citizens."

Civics Jeopardy
http://ofcn.org/cyber.serv/academy/ace/soc/cecsst/cecsst197.html
Students often believe that learning has to be dull. This activity has been successful and has made review and learning "fun". Students become very competitive. They do not always realize that while they are having fun they can be learning. Includes a list of questions and answers, grouped by categories.

Politics In America & Political Activism

In Praise of Political Parties
http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/parties/
From the site: "Election Day is coming up in June and you and your classmates in the senior government class have a chance to register to vote for the very first time. Everyone must decide which political party they will join or if they will register as an independent. You are part of a group who will be analyzing one current political party and making a presentation to the class about this partys solutions for the problems that confront the U.S. today. Since your role as party analyst is so important to your classmates, you will strive to ensure that all information presented is current and accurate."

Winning The Vote: How Americans Elect Their President
http://educate.si.edu/resources/lessons/art-to-zoo/elections/cover.html
From the Smithsonian Institution's Smithsonian In Your Classroom series, "The office of the presidency and the informal process of electing the president are the themes ... and are among the many topics visitors can explore in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The activities that follow include objects from that museum and encourage your students to consider the powers of the presidency as well as the informal methods that have evolved to select candidates for America's highest elected office."

Who Should be President?
http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/MEDpresident.html
From the Website: "Students will analyze the United States Constitution to discern the qualifications and roles the President must fulfill in order to synthesize their personal "qualifications" for President and evaluate the current candidates based on both the Constitutional and personal standards."

Sociology Bytes Politics
http://coe.west.asu.edu/students/rkamper/intro.htm
It's 2060. Write a press release for a political party based on one of three sociological philosophies.

Glass Slippers Just Won’t Do
http://www.sitesbysheridan.com/webquest/index.html
Compare the past and present societal attitudes and roles of women in our country.

Find A Need and Fill It
http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/Lincoln_HS/Burleson/Lessons/need/index.htm
Create a product or service that fills a need in your community and present it to a funding agency for support in bringing it about.

An Election Town Meeting: A WebQuest for High School Students Studying American Government
http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/as/education/projects/webquests/election/

Change the world... how? An Internet WebQuest on Activist Strategies
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/webactivistla.html

Gridlock
http://imet.csus.edu/imet2/stanfillj/projects/grid/intro.htm
Explore the causes of gridlock in your community. Identify a specific problem; develop a remedy; submit recommendations to an authoritative body.

Hail To The Chief: Electing A President
http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Technology/index3.html
Design the platform for a new party and get your candidate elected.

How Do You Know What You Are?
http://www.williston.k12.sc.us/wehs/SocialStudies/Howdoyouknow3.html
Analyze the platforms of both major American parties.

The Tinman Project
http://www.umeedu.maine.edu/coehd/tinmanst/tinmanintro.htm
Organize a community service project.

Presidential Campaigning Past & Present
http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/hschool/webq/webq67/
Take two candidates from previous elections and design a platform for them that would work in the present day.

Immigration Today
http://students.itec.sfsu.edu/EDT628/shovanes/index.htm
Examine modern immigration to the United States and decided whether or not immigration reform is needed.

News Bias: Myth or Reality?
http://kathyschrock.net/webquest/TOBOJKA/index.htm
The health of a free society depends upon a free press informing the public in an objective manner. Although most journalists will proclaim the objectivity of their work, a perusal of news sources may lead the reader to a different conclusion. We may assume that most journalists are sincere in their attempts to report objectively but cultural and other biases do find their way into the nations news sources. It takes a vigilant and educated populace to monitor the press. Upon completon of this WebQuest, students will be more educated and vigilant monitors of the media and their political messages.

Galluping Away: Understanding How the Gallup Poll Reflects Shifting Concerns in the United States
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/19990802monday.html
From the Website: "In this lesson, students use selected Gallop Poll results to better understand causes and effects of the concerns of Americans in different periods within the latter half of the 20th century. Students then administer and analyze a similar poll and compare and assess what Americans in their community view as the most pressing problems in the United States today."

The Presidential Campaign Game
http://ofcn.org/cyber.serv/academy/ace/soc/cecsst/cecsst042.html
The purpose of this political game is to give the students experience in working within the political process. The game will also give the students an understanding of the many dimensions of the political process and what is needed to manage a political campaign.

The Legislative Branch

What Every Student Should Know About Congress
http://www.congresslink.org/actfour.html
Ten separate lesson plans designed to engage students' interest and to encourage active learning on their part.

How Representative is Congress?
http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/howrep.html
From the Website: "Students become aware of certain characteristics of the membership (i.e., ethnicity, age, gender, and political party affiliation) of Congress and determine if Congress is representative of the public as a whole. Students will gain an understanding of the sociopolitical and sociological nature of Congress, an important aspect of 'representation'..."

Congressional Powers
http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/congpowers.html
From the Website: "The general purpose of this unit is to introduce high school students to the powers of the United States Congress through the use of CongressLink and other related Internet resources. In this unit students will develop a fundamental knowledge concerning the powers of the United States Congress, compare the powers of the U.S. legislature with that of another nation, and assess the current role of the Congress with reference to the ideology of the framers of the Constitution. This unit will help students learn to classify legislative powers, compare and contrast legislative powers, and evaluate the status of Congress today."

How Influential is Your Member of Congress?
http://www.congresslink.org/WebQuests/CongressionalPowerIndex.htm
From the site: "This WebQuest was developed by The Dirksen Congressional Center to introduce students to the concept of "influence" or "power" in Congress. What experiences or responsibilities distinguish more influential Congress members from less? The lesson asks students, as teams, to take on the role of investigative reporters to identify and research their U.S. Representative and two U.S. Senators. The lesson also suggests a set of factors (the Congressional Power Index) that helps determine what makes someone influential in Congress and invites students to measure their Congress members against those factors and to develop more factors."

The Job of Leading Congress
http://www.congresslink.org/WebQuests/Leadership.htm
From the site: "This WebQuest was developed by The Dirksen Congressional Center to introduce students to the duties of a leader in the House of Representatives. What jobs do these people, elected by their colleagues, fulfill? What are their qualifications? The lesson asks students, as individuals, to take on the role of a newly-elected U.S. Representative from the district in which they reside (students could, of course, represent other districts as well, using the Internet to gain information about those remote districts) who must decide what kind of person she or he would support as leader."

Communicating with Your Members of Congress
http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/communicating.html
From the Website: "The purpose of this lesson is to acquaint students with their senators and representatives by utilizing a variety of web sites. Students will explore their own positions on issues and then compare them with positions and policy decisions of the senators and representative. Finally, students will take part in the political process by communicating their views with a member of Congress and develop a greater understanding of the workings of a representative democracy."

Checks and Balances: The Line Item Veto
http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/lineitem.html
From the Website: "The Line-Item Veto giving the President the power to veto portions of a bill while approving the remainder became federal law on April 9, 1996. President William Jefferson Clinton used the Line-Item Veto eighty-two (82) times. The city of New York, New York, appealed the Line Item Veto to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court declared the Line-Item Veto unconstitutional on June 25, 1998. Currently, Congress is contemplating a Line-Item Veto amendment to the Constitution. In this lesson, students perform a series of activities culminating in a persuasive letter to their Congress Member. Citing evidence from primary sources, students construct a position on the Line-Item Veto Amendment. Students will demonstrate their knowledge, understanding, and mastery of the concepts of checks and balances in their letter."

What in the World Should Congress Do?
http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/MEDforeignpolicy.html
From the Website: "Students will use primary sources to decide when they think it is appropriate for Congress to intervene in foreign affairs."

The Creation of a Bill: Mr. Smith and You
http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/HCSmith.htm
From the Website: "In this lesson, students view an excerpt of the classic film "Mr. Smith goes to Washington" to learn how a bill is created and presented in Congress. Students then work in groups to develop and present their own bills to the class."

Look Who's Footing the Bill
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/democracy/debtquest.html
Students take a close look at the national debt.

The State of the Union Address
http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/SOTU.html
From the Web site: "In this unit, students will about the nature and purpose of the President's State of the Union message. Using George Washington's first message and Bill Clinton's most recent, the unit shows how the State of the Union message involves Congress." (Note: this lesson could easily be updated using the State of the Union Address of the current president.)

Immigration Today
http://students.itec.sfsu.edu/EDT628/shovanes/index.htm
Examine modern immigration to the United States and decide whether or not immigration reform is needed.

A Congressional Scavenger Hunt
http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/HCScavenger.htm
From the Website: "In this lesson, students work in groups to find names of Senators and Representatives, requirements to become a Congressperson, maps of states with many and few representatives, political cartoons and more for a Scavenger Hunt on Congress. Students create a poster or collage to display their findings." (Note: this lesson could easily be adapted to utilize the technology available to students in our schools.)

Winning the Seat: A Congressional Election Simulation
http://www.congresslink.org/simulation/index.htm
From the site: "Welcome to 'Winning the Seat,' a simulation of the congressional election process. By using this simulation, your students will gain a solid understanding of how congressional elections are conducted and of what determines who wins and loses these contests. By "playing along" with the election, they will learn to choose among different strategic options for the campaigns. And, because this is an active learning technique, students will learn the material better than if they were passively receiving this information in a lecture. They will become engaged in the game, fostering learning and retention. The simulation is designed for high school and college and university students."

U.S. Immigration Policy
http://www.closeup.org/immigrat.htm
"Examine current immigration policies in the United States, at both the state and federal levels. Consider a variety of viewpoints on several controversial issues related to immigration, and discuss these issues in light of past, current, and proposed legislation."

The U.S. Census: Enumeration and Representation
http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/census.html
From the Website: "Students will learn what the census is, the constitutional basis for it, how the census relates to congressional apportionment, and proposals for conducting the 2000 census from the two major political parties."

How a Bill Becomes Law: The Case of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/civrights.html
From the site: "How a Bill Becomes a Law: The Case of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a student guide through the legislative process. The general purpose of this unit is to demonstrate to students the step-by-step procedure of a bill becoming a law using the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as a case study. Students will understand how Congress makes laws and the role of congressional committees in this process. This will help them understand key concepts associated with the legislative process such as filibuster, cloture, bipartisan, petition, and lobbying. Additionally, they will also see how controversial social issues, such as civil rights, greatly affect the process."

The Executive Branch

Who Should Be President?
http://www.congresslink.org/lessonplans/MEDpresident.html
From the Website: "Students will analyze the United States Constitution to discern the qualifications and roles the President must fulfill in order to synthesize their personal "qualifications" for President and evaluate the current candidates based on both the Constitutional and personal standards."

The Decision to Drop the Bomb
http://www.richmond.edu/academics/a&s/education/projects/webquests/wwii/bomb.html
Teacher page: http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/as/education/projects/webquests/wwii/teach2.html
Take on one of 4 roles to defend or decry the decision.

Advising the President: A Simulated Cabinet Meeting
http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/cabinet/index.html
"Washington, D.C. is an extremely competitive, political town and you must work hard to keep your agency an important part of government. It's the beginning of the legislative calendar and you must compete with other agencies and departments for a part of the budget and a high profile emphasis from the president. It is through his "bully pulpit" that you will garner support for the needs and programs of your department with Congress during the next year. It's up to you, as agency chief, to identify a pressing curent issue before your department/post and prepare an option paper or presentation for the president."

Dear Presidential Diary
http://www.pbs.org/democracy/kids/educators/presdiary.html
"Use a series of Web sites and other sources to experience a day in the life of a president. Discuss and become familiar with the President's surroundings and tasks during a typical day. Participate in presidential tasks such as writing letters, meeting with foreign leaders, working on a budget and giving a speech. At the end share the information you learned about a president's life. This activity can be done by different ages and at different levels of sophistication."

Constitutional Issues: Watergate and the Constitution
http://www.archives.gov/education/teaching/watergate/watergat.html
"When Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 in the wake of the Watergate scandal, it was only the second time in our history that impeachment of a President had been considered. Nearly every action taken with regard to the case had some constitutional significance. The document shown here deals with a specific question: Should the Watergate Special Prosecutor seek an indictment of the former President?"

Presidential Power on Trial
http://www.americanpresident.org/lp_power_on_trial.htm
In this lesson that involves role-playing and jurisprudence, students try four presidents (Andrew Jackson, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, and Richard Nixon) for the abuse of executive power. The exercise also asks students to judge the constitutionality of the in-class courtroom decisions. Additionally, the class analyzes the arguments and renders a verdict.

The View: Exploring Op-Ed Pieces as Vehicles Through Which Leaders Share Their Opinions on Controversial Issues
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20010813monday.html
In this lesson, students explore the structure and purpose of Op-Ed pieces in the newspaper. They then write Op-Eds from the perspectives of United States presidents on important issues of their day.

Foreign Policy Simulation
http://ofcn.org/cyber.serv/academy/ace/soc/cecsst/cecsst086.html
This activity is intended to help students understand how various elements of the US foreign policy system operate and to give them practice in conflict resolution.

Foreign Policy Simulation
http://www.closeup.org/immigrat.htm
"Examine current immigration policies in the United States, at both the state and federal levels. Consider a variety of viewpoints on several controversial issues related to immigration, and discuss these issues in light of past, current, and proposed legislation."

U.S. Constitution Power Grab Game
http://rims.k12.ca.us/power_grab_game/index.html
"The highest law of the land in the United States is the Constitution. This is why you spend so much time learning about it in school. This activity will increase your knowledge of the Constitution and it's fundamental ideas: checks and balances, separation of powers, Bill of Rights and amendments."

Constitutional Issues: Separation of Powers
http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/lessons/separation_of_powers/teaching_activities.html
This lesson from the National Archives Web site asks students to "Evaluate, take, and defend positions on issues regarding the purposes, organization, and functions of the institutions of the national government." The focus of this lesson in politics and the fundamental necessity of separating the powers of government is the attempt by the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration to "pack" the U.S. Supreme Court during the 1930s.

The Tug of War
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20020109wednesday.html
In this New York Times/Bank Street College lesson plan, students learn about some of the potential future targets in the war against terrorism. Groups investigate the history of terrorism in Somalia, Yemen, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Iraq, and then synthesize their understanding in letters written from the perspectives of various people in their assigned countries or otherwise involved in the war against terrorism.

The Judicial Branch

How the Supreme Court Affects the Lives of Teens (a PBS Online News Hour Extra)
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/october01/supremecourt/#
"The Supreme Court, the highest court in the U.S., examines federal and state statutes and executive actions to determine whether they conform to the US Constitution. Since its beginnings, the Supreme Court has ruled on cases that support, and sometimes challenge or broadly interpret, parts of the Constitution. In this lesson, students explore the impact of historic and recent Supreme Court decisions and issues on their lives."

Decisions, Decisions...
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/19990628monday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
In this lesson from The New York Times/Bank Street College, students explore some of the top Supreme Court cases of the 1998-1999 term, assessing the issues behind these cases and the potential impact of the decisions made by the Court.

Constitutional Issues: Separation of Powers
http://www.archives.gov/education/teaching/conissues/separat.html
This lesson from the National Archives Web site asks students to "Evaluate, take, and defend positions on issues regarding the purposes, organization, and functions of the institutions of the national government." The focus of this lesson in politics and the fundamental necessity of separating the powers of government is the attempt by the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration to "pack" the U.S. Supreme Court during the 1930s.

Judges on Trial: Examining the Selection of Supreme Court Justices
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20020408monday.html
In this lesson from the New York Times/Bank Street College, students investigate how different branches of government affect or aid the appointment of a Supreme Court justice nominee and the responsibilities of a judge.

Establishing Justice: Moot Court Activity
http://rims.k12.ca.us/establishin_justice/index.html
"The decisions of the Supreme Court during the 1960's had a profound effect in the areas of civil and due process rights of the accused. The Court took the initiative in expanding the rights of criminal defendants, particularly at the state level; as a result, the Court itself became the focus of public controversy. This moot court activity will examine some major cases during the 1960's. Students need to be aware of the impact that the Warren Court decisions had on society to understand the significance of recent constitutional history in their own lives."

Bill of Rights and the Supreme Court
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/profilesoffreedom/index.html
"Learn how state laws can be found to be constitutional or to be overturned by the Supreme Court because they violate the U.S. Bill of Rights. Use the Internet and other research sources to find information about the kinds of cases heard by the Supreme Court."

Evaluating Crimes and Criminal Behavior
http://ofcn.org/cyber.serv/academy/ace/soc/cecsst/cecsst033.html
The purpose of this activity is to make students aware there is no concrete consensus as to what is a crime, the seriousness of crimes, or variances of actions that change "noncriminal" behavior to "criminal" behavior.

An Independent Judiciary
http://www.crf-usa.org/bria/bria14_2.html
(From the Constitutional Rights Foundation's Bill of Rights in Action) "One hundred years ago, a spirit of reform swept America. Led by the progressives, people who believed in clean government and that government had to help solve society's problems, the movement elected representatives to Congress and to statehouses around America. Progressives passed legislation aimed at improving working conditions, breaking up business monopolies, creating welfare programs for the poor, and assuring pure food and drug standards. Businesses hurt by this new legislation often opposed the new laws and challenged them in court. Defenders of the courts worried that political attacks on judges and basic changes to our judicial system could undermine the independence of the judiciary and seriously affect the delicate balance of powers contained in our constitutional system. But how did an independent judiciary come about and what does it mean to have one?"

Justice
http://www.askeric.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Social_Studies/US_Government/GOV0022.html
This lesson will allow students to experience brainstorming and open-ended questioning strategies and research to develop a better understanding of the justice system. Its purpose is to provide an opportunity for students to discuss both strengths and weaknesses of the court system in providing equal justice for all and to identify factors that cause these weaknesses and recommend solutions.

Lee Yick: Fighting Racism
http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-5071.html
Students learn about a case that made it to the U.S. Supreme Court concerning racism towards Chinese immigrants in San Francisco.

Justice: A Man’s Title and His "Guiding Light"
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/19990305friday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
"In this New York Times/Bank Street College lesson plan, students reflect on the life of retired Justice Henry A. Blackmun, investigating major court decisions he influenced and understanding the impact of his voice in the Supreme Court on our society today."

State Government

Is the Death Penalty Unconstitutional?
http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/as/education/projects/webquests/deathpenalty/
Prepare a recommendation for the Supreme Court for an imaginary case in which a death row inmate accuses Texas of cruel and unusual punishment.

Urban Sprawl or Progress?
http://www.bv229.k12.ks.us/bvideas/resources/urbansprawl/index.htm
Study the consequences of urban sprawl & develop relevant policies.

Compassion on Death Row?
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/19990510monday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
This lesson plan from The New York Times/Bank Street College encourages students to analyze and debate, through writing and discussion, the politics and ethics behind the ability of governors to grant clemency to inmates sentenced to the death penalty.

Taking Age into Account: Exploring Juvenile Accountability for Violent Crimes
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20010518friday.html
From the Website: "In this lesson, students explore the issue of the accountability of children and young adults for their crimes. Through discussion of both specific cases and general topics, as well as through personal writings, students debate and draw conclusions about this complex issue."

The Scoop on Local Business
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/19991223thursday.html
In this New York Times/Bank Street College lesson plan, students explore how local businesses support their state or regional economy.

Local Government

Citizenship and the Constitution
http://www.askeric.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Social_Studies/US_Government/GOV0002.html
From the AskERIC Website: "Purpose: To identify government officials and resources on a local, state and national level. To demonstrate an understanding of the government on a local, state and national level."

Public Libraries and the Internet : To Filter or Not to Filter
http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/hschool/webq/webq72/
"The issue of Internet filtering is becoming a major concern for public libraries. The Internet is the gateway to an enormous amount of information. In many cases, the Internet has proven to be an invaluable resource for public libraries across the nation. There are, however, instances where the Internet is used in public libraries for purposes that could be viewed as questionable or inappropriate. In this web quest, students will interactively explore the issues surrounding this controversial topic facing public libraries today."

Urban Sprawl or Progress?
http://www.bv229.k12.ks.us/bvideas/resources/urbansprawl/index.htm
Study the consequences of urban sprawl & develop relevant policies.

Crime Prevention
The purpose of this WebQuest is to prepare students for a town meeting about crime prevention.

Gridlock
http://imet.csus.edu/imet2/stanfillj/projects/grid/intro.htm
(Explore the causes of gridlock in your community. Identify a specific problem; develop a remedy; submit recommendations to an authoritative body.)

The Tinman Project
Organize a community service project.

Should the Clean Air Act of 1990 Be Repealed?
http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/hschool/webq/webq86/index.htm
Student teams of opposing interest groups converge in a "town meeting" designed to educate their member of the U.S. House of Representatives and to influence his/her vote for or against repeal of the 1990 Clean Air Act.

El Nino Election: A Problem-Based Lesson
http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/El_Nino/
(This lesson plan could be adapted to fit the needs of teachers and students in the Midwest/Kansas City area, possibly by focusing on the threat of tornadoes, drought, etc.) "The election for mayor is coming up and your boss, the incumbant, needs a boost in the polls. You have the idea to use the dire predictions about possible El Nino storm damage to rally the people. You arrange for a task force of prominent city leaders to develop a plan to save lives and property in your community."

Home and Community: Building Web Pages for Community Organizations
http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/letsnet/NoFrames/Subjects/ss/b7u1.html#objectives
"Students will work in task forces to explore the contributions of community organizations and will develop Web pages for a number of local agencies."

Know Your Local Government
http://www.askeric.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Social_Studies/US_Government/GOV0024.html
The purpose of this activity is to introduce students to the local government structure and the people in the various power positions. They will see day to day activities that directly affect their lives, and ways people can influence the actions of the people in power. They can see day to day progress or activities on behalf of this level of government that affect their lives.

Comparative Government & International Organizations

Global Warming
http://students.itec.sfsu.edu/ITEC815/antaramian/
A UN conference on climate control. Different special interest groups research and then argue their side. The end product is a consensus on what to do.

World Power: A Web Quest of Nation Building
http://www.richmond.edu/academics/a&s/education/projects/webquests/worldpower/
Groups of students band together to build a nation at the end of a successful revolution. Each and every nation requires a government, maps, economic plans, defense, flags, a constitution, and anything else that will make the nation invincible.

Kosovo War Crimes
http://nths.nttc.org/academics/faculty/gressel/kosovocrimes.htm
Design a panel discussion which deals with bringing justice to the leaders of Serbia and others.

World Trade-Offs
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/19991206monday.html
In this New York Times/Bank Street College lesson plan, students assess how global trade impacts the businesses and industries of their city. Students first explore, in small groups, the labor, agribusiness, environment and human rights issues protested throughout the first week of December 1999 during the WTO meeting in Seattle. Students then develop questions about their assigned issues and the impact of world trade in general, interview people at related local businesses and industries, and write newspaper articles which incorporate all of the learning experiences from this lesson.

Whose Rights are Right?
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/19980729wednesday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
In this New York Times/Bank Street College lesson plan, students consider the concept of 'human rights' in relation to the current conditions and history of East Timor.

Bringing Up Baby
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20000531wednesday.html
In this New York Times/Bank Street College lesson plan, students explore why a government might want to influence its citizens with regards to decreasing or increasing the birthrate. Students draft laws related to how governments might influence the birthrate and write analytical essays assessing the laws they created.

Trading Off
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20020227wednesday.html
In this lesson from The New York Times/Bank Street College, students explore how the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has impacted the people and economies of North America and Mexico.

Buying Time
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20010321wednesday.html
In this lesson from The New York Times/Bank Street College, students explore the financial and political relationship between the Palestinian Authority and Middle Eastern countries.

Trade Concessions Stand
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/19991118thursday.html
In this lesson from The New York Times/Bank Street College, students explore the foundational principles of the World Trade Organization and examine how the inclusion of China in the W.T.O. is expected to affect these aspects of global economics.

Nation Building: A Web Quest
http://www.americancivics.org/afghanistan/index.htm
As part the United Nation (UN) envoy team to Afghanistan led by Francesc Vendrell, your team will be asked to propose a plan for implementing a central government for Afghanistan. Students will work through the tasks to learn more about Afghanistan's history, political groups and factions, which will allow them to determine if their proposed configuration for a post-Taliban government accurately reflects the diverse political composition of Afghanistan and its success as a nation. (Scheduled for completion by summer 2002)

The Tug of War
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20020109wednesday.html
In this lesson from The New York Times/Bank Street College, students learn about some of the potential future targets in the war against terrorism. Groups investigate the history of terrorism in Somalia, Yemen, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Iraq, and then synthesize their understanding in letters written from the perspectives of various people in their assigned countries or otherwise involved in the war against terrorism.

Activism or Terrorism?
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20011112monday.html
In this lesson from The New York Times/Bank Street College, students research animal rights issues and controversies and determine whether they believe extreme tactics are justified. Students will then practice debate and rhetoric skills by successfully arguing both sides of the issue.

Economics & Personal Finance

"Test Your Economic IQ" page at Ball State University
http://portal.bsu.edu/inqsit/signin.cgi/web/classes/econ581/Econ581?Economic+IQ+Test
Sign in with your first name (or, make one up!), take the Economic IQ Test online and measure your knowledge about economics in the real world.

Fed 101
http://www.kc.frb.org/fed101/
"Why does a change in the interest rates by the Federal Reserve always make headlines? Students can learn the history of the Fed, follow the path of a check written at a neighborhood store, and become a virtual bank examiner." This website could make the basis for an interesting and informative Web-based "treasure/scavenger hunt."

A Taste of Slavery: Chocolate's Bitter Ingredient
http://www.americancivics.org/chocolate/index.htm
In this investigation, students will learn more about how chocolate production intertwines with slavery and how they may be contributing to this problem.

Unions: Then and Now
http://www.davison.k12.mi.us/newdeal/index.htm
Dramatic changes took place in the American labor movement in the 1930s. Most of the significant legislation affecting labor unions now was passed during the New Deal. What conditions led to the formation of industrial unions? What shape are they in at the end of the century? Join in the exploration of American labor on the web.

Prohibition Then, MADD Today
http://ecedweb.unomaha.edu/lessons/feusA.htm
From the Website: "Students read short histories of Prohibition and MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) and work in small groups to evaluate the consequences of these policies on consumers' behavior."

TheMint.Org: Lesson Plans
http://www.themint.org/documents/parents_teachers_lesson_plans.htm
From the Website: "For some of the economic categories covered in The Mint, there are lesson plans. Please feel free to print these out and implement them in your classroom." This large site includes teaching/learning resources designed for grades 6-12, with something for just about anyone interested in economics and personal finance.

The Mint.Org: Quizzes and Games
http://themint.org/documents/quizzes.htm
Subjects of games and quizzes: Entrepreneur, Business Success, Stock Market, Check Bankruptcy, Check Bankruptcy Risk, Financial Calculator, Where to Invest $1,000, Magic of Compounding, How to Be A Millionaire, The Rule of 72, Money Quiz, Escape from Knab, Renting vs. Buying Calculator, Credit Card Fact Sheet, Real World Credit Card Game, Create A Budget, Cost of Credit Cards

Consumer Credit: Buy Now, Pay Later, and More
http://ecedweb.unomaha.edu/lessons/buy9-12.pdf
Students determine the costs and benefits of using credit cards, discuss and analyze the decision-making process when using credit cards, and identify ways and criteria to establish and obtain credit.

Your First Paycheck Has Arrived! Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
http://www.macomb.k12.mi.us/wq/cg2ucs.htm
From the Website: "The Task: You finally got that first paycheck---congratulations! Now you have some serious decisions: Do you jog over to the Foot Locker and buy a pair of new Olympic-style shoes, or buy some shares of stock and earn money on your money by having it grow for you!"

Look Who's Footing the Bill
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/democracy/debtquest.html
A close look at the national debt.

Urban Sprawl or Progress?
http://www.bv229.k12.ks.us/bvideas/resources/urbansprawl/index.htm
Study the consequences of urban sprawl & develop relevant policies.

Diamonds Are Forever Fueling Civil Wars
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20000802wednesday.html
In this lesson from the New York Times/Bank Street College, students first explore the failures of the United Nations embargo on "conflict diamonds" from Sierra Leone. Students then participate in a trading game in which they explore the international trading system and the ways in which it rewards and punishes countries.

Credit - What is Electronic Banking?
http://www.nice.emich.edu/Electronmo.html
From the Website: "Learners will define electronic banking, describe several electronic fund transfer services, compare several types of electronic currency, and list consumer protections under the Electronic Funds Transfer Act.

Credit - Students and Credit Cards
http://www.nice.emich.edu/teens.html
Objectives of this lesson --learners will explain the advantages and disadvantages of credit cards, evaluate credit card choices, and learn to use credit cards responsibly

Working It Out
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20000616friday.html
In this lesson from The New York Times/Bank Street College, students participate in a simulation in which they are arbitrarily assigned different work roles (cleaners, line workers and supervisors) and compare their experiences to those discussed in a New York Times article about the racial divisions that exist among work tasks in a pork production plant.

Play a Virtual Market
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/stockmarket/virtual.html
From Public Broadcasting Service's NOVA Website: "While cleaning the cushions of your couch, you find an old gold pocket watch that you don't recognize. Antiques Roadshow is in town, so you take the watch for appraisal. You are shocked to learn that the watch's original owner was none other than George Washington (apparently a former resident of your house). The expert tells you it's worth $100,000. After an embarrassing victory dance on national television, you trade in the watch for cash. Now what? It's time to play the stock market."

SMG Worldwide: Stock Market Game
http://www.smg2000.org/
From the Website: "This is The Stock Market Game™ (SMG), the original stock market educational program that stimulates learning about economics, finance, and the American economic system. K-12 students use this in class under the auspices of their teacher for guided learning about economics."

Stock Market Game
http://www.harcourtcollege.com/finance/students/bkstock.htm
From the Website: "Have you ever invested in the stock market? Maybe you've heard of someone who made a lot of money buying and selling stocks – or lost money the same way! During this class, you'll have some firsthand experience with a stock market game where everyone in class starts with the same amount of money. But where everyone finishes – well, that's a story that hasn't been written yet."

The National SMS Web
http://www.nationalsms.com/
From the Website: "The National Stock Market Simulation (SMS) is a tool that teachers can use to help instruct their students in the world of economics,finance, current events, math,social studies, and technology. K-12 students use this in class under the auspices of their teacher for guided learning."

Perils of Life
http://www.ins-ed-fdn.org/2002/materials/lessons/lp_perils.htm
From the Insurance Education Foundation, the objective of this teacher-created game is to "expose students to risk management decisions associated with life insurance life situations/perils."

African-American Population Shifts
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/tpl-anyplacebuthere/index.html
From the Website: "Students will understand the following: The United States conducts a census every 10 years.The percentage of African Americans in different parts of the United States changed in the course of the last century.There are economic, educational, and lifestyle reasons that African Americans moved from one part of the country to another." Includes the use of census/population statistics to understand migration of African-Americans during the 20th century and coming to conclusions about the economic forces that drove that movement.

ItAllAddsUp - Personal Finance for Teens who want to get a head start on their financial future
http://www.italladdsup.org/
From the Website: "Play online games and simulations to learn about credit management, buying a car, paying for college, budgeting, saving and investing." Includes Teachers Guide, Links and Resources.

InvestSmart
http://stocksquest.thinkquest.org/10326/index.html
Interactive lessons in investing through games and simulations. Warning: activities on this site could lead to addictive learning behavior!

The Great Depression
http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/hschool/webq/webq1/webquest.htm
From the Website: "Your teacher has assigned you a profession. Assume the role of a person in that profession living in the Great Depression. Use the resources to explore your economic choices for your family."

Hack Attack
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20000210thursday.html
In this lesson from The New York Times/Bank Street College, students explore the recent hacker attacks on e-commerce sites by comparing and contrasting security issues in traditional commerce and e-commerce companies, determining solutions for security issues that face both types of companies, and assessing which type of company is more secure.

Is the Tassle Worth the Hassle? A Lesson On the Economic Value of Education
http://ecedweb.unomaha.edu/lessons/lesson15.htm
From the Website: "Analysis of the costs and benefits of educational choices. Learn about economic choice, opportunity cost, and incentives."

Schools for Sale: A Lesson On Privatizing Schools
http://ecedweb.unomaha.edu/lessons/lesson19.htm
From the Website: "Across the country, some school districts are turning to private, for-profit corporations to run their schools. This role playing activity allows students to apply economic reasoning as they explore the costs and benefits of "for profit" schools. In their roles as school board members, community leaders, and others, students will decide whether to turn over the management of a high school to a private, for-profit company."

How Can Big Business Make Money From Tariffs?
http://ecedweb.unomaha.edu/lessons/feus1.htm
From the Website: "Students investigate the impact of tarifs on businesses and consumers during the 1880s by looking at a political cartoon, solving a short math problem, and comparing protectionism between time periods. They then generalize about the impact incentives have on encouraging special interest legislation in a democratic government."

Sweating the Big Stuff
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20010425wednesday.html
In this lesson from The New York Times/Bank Street College, students will explore the responsibility of corporations in increasing global labor standards.

What Do You Want to Sell?
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20011011thursday.html
In this lesson from The New York Times/Bank Street College, students explore how companies describe their products and services. They then write business plans for companies based on their interests or needs.

Mint Condition
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20020103thursday.html
In this lesson from The New York Times/Bank Street College, students investigate the old currencies used by the twelve countries adopting the euro in 2002. They then explore the national identity of those countries through the symbols preserved on the 'national face' of the new euro currency.

Consumer Borrowing and Saving
http://ericir.syr.edu/Virtual/Lessons/Social_Studies/Economics/ECO0002.html
From the Ask ERIC Website: "To give students the needed background in the positive and negative aspects of credit, its impact upon individuals and the nation, and practical knowledge and understanding of the wise use of credit."

A Web of Resources
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/16/g912/web.html
From the National Geographic Website: "What is a resource? What are the geographic qualities of resources? This activity deals with the complex nature of resources and how geography is part of the nature of resources. Students will be asked to conduct research on selected resources and explore the geographic nature of resources in general."

A Fallen Giant
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20020117thursday.html
In this lesson plan from The New York Times/Bank Street College, students investigate the economic concepts related to the fall of Enron in order to begin unraveling this complex scandal.

Fed Up!
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20001207thursday.html
In this lesson plan from The New York Times/Bank Street College, students explore the significance of the Federal Reserve in the United States economy by defining key economic terms through drama and creative writing.

Stock Options
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20010104thursday.html
In this lesson plan from The New York Times/Bank Street College, students will simulate the stock market as a class in order to learn more about how different events, including regulation from the Federal Reserve, can impact the stock market.

What Is A Stock? Or, Who Owns McDonalds?
http://ecedweb.unomaha.edu/lessons/mark1.htm
From the Website: "Students will explore the fundamentals of stock ownership. They discuss how stock owners share the risks and rewards of purchasing stocks."

Stop the Flow!
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20001101wednesday.html
In this lesson plan from The New York Times/Bank Street College, students brainstorm creative and imaginative solutions to economic and other problems in Mexico and the United States to help stem the flow of perilous border crossings. Students then use their ideas to formulate a coherent plan to present to lawmakers.

What Are the Economic Functions of Government?
http://ecedweb.unomaha.edu/lessons/fecga.htm
From the Website: "Class discussion and small group task identifying six economics functions of government and examples of these functions using current events."

Analyze the Impact of the Barbie Doll
http://fyi.cnn.com/2002/fyi/lesson.plans/04/30/barbie.obit/
From the Website: "Overview: Ruth Handler, creator of Barbie, died Saturday at the age of 85. Analyze the impact of the Barbie doll. Have students examine dolls from the "Barbie family" and create their own Barbie version. Have students determine why some toys are fads while others endure through the years."

How Has the Constitution Shaped the Economic System in the U.S.?
http://ecedweb.unomaha.edu/lessons/fecg1.htm
"Students find examples from the newspaper of the six characteristics of a market economy as they exist in the U.S. today. Then find how the U.S. Constitution supports those characteristics. Finally, compare the economic provisions of the U.S. Constitution with that of China to understand the difference between a command and a market system."

Geography

Urban Sprawl or Progress?
http://www.bv229.k12.ks.us/bvideas/resources/urbansprawl/index.htm
Students analyze the consequences of urban sprawl & develop relevant policies.

Mapping on the Net
http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/hschool/webq/webq30/mapping.htm
"You will be learning about reading, locating and making maps. You will be locating different map resources on the Internet.You use that information of create your own custom map of your neighborhood."

The Great Energy Debate
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/16/g912/energydebate.html
From the National Geographic Website: "This lesson explores the controversial issues surrounding the energy debate in the United States. Students will research recent initiatives being taken in this area and analyze their implications. They will then assume the roles of pivotal stakeholders in this debate and testify to a mock congressional committee responsible for making decisions about public lands and energy resources."

National Geographic "GeoBee" Challenge
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geobee/
Students may take a geography quiz each day with five new questions.

Fighting Cholera With Maps
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/education/ideas912/912cholera.html
From the National Geographic Website: "Five hundred people, all from the same section of London, England, died of cholera within a ten-day period in September 1854. Dr. John Snow, a local physician, had been studying the spread of cholera for some time. An early example of medical geography is Dr. Snow’s use of maps to prove his long-held theory that cholera was a waterborne infection. Using mapping techniques similar to Snow’s, students will analyze maps to see if they can determine the sources of cholera in London. This activity can help students learn how mapping techniques can be used to understand social issues and to solve problems."

There's No Place Like Home
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20011105monday.html
In this New York Times/Bank Street College lesson plan, students explore how the tourism industry was affected by the events of September 11, 2001, examine the impact that tourism has on their state's economy, and design aggressive promotional campaigns for local tourism to be presented to their state board of tourism.