In the modern American politics classroom, ideological and partisan conflict have the capacity to interfere with a healthy classroom environment. This problem is increasingly apparent when students engage questions at the heart of U.S. Constitutional design. By asking students to inhabit fictional roles with preferences and attitudes that may…

Early in the year, the students of history and government at Mountain View High School in Stafford, Virginia, began to devise hand motions to help memorize the 27 amendments to the Constitution for government class. Three students in the school who are interested in hip hop music then suggested composing a rap song about the topic. Working with…

The most fundamental ideas ingrained in U.S. culture are the notions of freedom and democracy. The United States Constitution guarantees certain inalienable rights and protections. However, a person only needs to read "The Chronicle of Higher Education" since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center (New York) and the…

Cooperative learning is a teaching strategy involving students in small group learning activities that promote positive interaction. Research studies have consistently found that cooperative learning promotes increased academic achievement and involves relative use of implementation and reasonable costs. Improved behavior, increased positive…

Teachers have a professional/ethical obligation to teach their subject in as balanced a way as possible so that students will not come away with a biased slant that, in their eyes, has been validated by the school system. The teaching of social studies, especially history, would be impoverished if matters of religious beliefs and influences were…

The year 2003 marks the bicentennial of the 1803 Treaty of France, by which the United States of America acquired the Louisiana Territory, an area of more than 828,000 square miles. Upon this acquisition, known as the Louisiana Purchase, the territory of the United States doubled. Historians consider the Louisiana Purchase to be a landmark event…

This booklet defines law-related education as an educational program for teaching non-lawyers about law, the legal system, and the fundamental principles and values on which constitutional democracy is based. The program's approach is characterized by relevant curriculum materials, interactive teaching strategies, and extensive use of the…

Discusses the benefits of using simulations in the classroom, stating that critical-thinking simulations, as opposed to factual simulations, provide for more student involvement, a greater increase in students' research ability, and improved critical questioning skills. Describes each type of simulation and presents a critical-thinking example…

This lesson focuses on the post-Reconstruction South and the social practices based on race and skin color that hindered the South's growth as a region and relegated many people to the status of second-class citizens, in spite of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. The lesson provides historical background and outlines a task for students to…

When teaching moral education, the ethical dilemma often faced by educators revolves around the question of whose morals should be taught. Judicious Discipline, a constitutional model for classroom management, proposes to answer this question by offering educators the opportunity to teach the moral standards of the U.S. democratic system of…

Violence-Prevention Outcomes in Civic Education (VOICE) is a curriculum program for elementary social studies that incorporates conflict resolution, law-related education, and service learning. These three elements are among those considered to have promise in addressing youth violence. The VOICE curriculum is designed to complement the…

This catalog is a collection of profiles describing 74 exemplary programs developed by public school teachers in New York, New York, under IMPACT II, a program to reward and recognize creative teachers. The profiles are organized by subject area, then divided by grade levels. Subject areas covered are the following: (1) The Arts; (2) Communication…

Maintains that constitutional law is the cornerstone of an undergraduate public law curriculum. Asserts that there is a welcome trend toward teaching the subject over a two-semester sequence, instead of only one. Describes course content and teaching strategies used in a college constitutional law course. (CFR)

Maintains that the expansion of voting rights to African Americans and women is an appropriate topic for Social Studies courses. Discusses suffrage in New York state between 1848 and 1920. Includes a table depicting the women's suffrage campaign in New York state and a list of other resources on the topic. (CFR)

Designed to meet the need for suitable materials for teaching the Constitution and the Bill of Rights to young children, this publication offers model lessons and teaching methods and includes specific classroom activities. In the book's first section, model lessons demonstrating the use of the newspaper to study the Constitution in grades one…