Presents a teaching unit which will enable secondary students to differentiate between unitary, federal, and confederate forms of government; list factors leading to the formation of the U.S. federal system of government; and understand how different structures of government result in different degrees of freedom, responsibilities, and…

THIS COURSE WAS DEVELOPED AS PART OF AN INTEGRATED AND SEQUENTIAL, HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM FOR ABLE STUDENTS (UPPER 25 PERCENT). THE COURSE CONSISTS OF 9 UNITS OF STUDY, EACH UNIT CONTAINING A BRIEF STATEMENT OF A POLITICAL ISSUE AND SEVERAL READINGS ON THAT ISSUE. SOME ISSUES COVERED ARE (1) POLITICAL SYSTEMS OF PRIMITIVE SOCIETIES,…

This project is designed to help secondary school students prepare for participation in the electoral process as informed citizens. The project has students focus on current events pertaining to the U.S. election process. They study basic government concepts found in the Constitution, such as Separation of Powers, as well as practices that have…

An introduction to the study of American government is the focus on the first unit of the 12th grade level of the FICSS series (Focus on Inner City Social Studies -- see SO 008 271). The five content areas offer an overview of the three major branches of American government, independent regulatory agencies, and politics and elections. The unit…

The document presents the first of five units on Canada developed for classroom use in American secondary schools. This unit, an overview of Canada, offers a sequence of information sheets for students and class activity suggestions for teachers which use a comparative approach stressing an understanding of Canada from the viewpoints of both…

This subunit on totalitarianism in the USSR is part of an eleventh grade course on area studies. Following an introduction with suggested teaching strategies, the objectives for the subunit are listed as to generalizations, skills, and attitudes. A double-page format relates objectives with pertinent content, teaching procedures, and instructional…

In this Learning Activity Packet (LAP) students, mostly in small groups, analyze and compare a few major features of the Canadian and American governments. The LAP is divided into six learning objectives: 1) Both the United States and Canada are sovereign nations. What is sovereignty? What are nations?; 2) People throughout the world are governed…

The primary focus of this legal education module, second of five to be integrated into an 11th grade American history course, is on the five legal tools needed to provided for the needs of our society. The functional analysis of government provided by this module allows students to investigate the various branches of government and administrative…

Designed to be used with above-average junior high students or to serve as a take-off point for high school students, this unit raises the question of what the role of the Supreme Court is in American government. The unit begins with evidence of the Court's deciding different ways at different times in similar cases, and proceeds to an…

The Executive Branch of the United States government is examined in this grades 10-12 Quinmester Program curriculum guide. Trends and issues surrounding the American presidency, its roles and functions, and their evolution through time are discussed. The approach emphasizes how the president is viewed by his many constituencies, thereby giving the…

The unit of study is intended to bring information and rational thought to the controversial Native American treaty issue. It begins with an explanation of the concepts behind the unit's minimal student learning expectations. Fifteen lesson plans are organized into three one-week sub-units consisting of an introductory game illustrating the…

This fifth grade unit is one of a sequential learning series of the Focus on Inner City Social Studies (FICSS) project developed in accordance with the needs and problems of an urban society. A description of the project is provided in SO 008 271. As part of the fifth grade curriculum focusing on power, this six week unit examines the power base…

Social change and the ideas, feelings, and hopes of man which lead to the development of his institutions are the major focus of the eleventh grade FICSS series (Focus on Inner City Social Studies -- see SO 008 271). The units examine how the forces of stability and change culminated in the creation of the major historical documents which are the…

This teaching guide for a grade 8 social studies course presents six units on American society. The following main ideas represent the units: (1) Institutions tend to undergo continuous change (Colonial period). (2) Changes result from dissatisfaction with the status quo, and attempt to dispell the dissatisfaction (Revolutionary War period). (3)…

The course theme of this grade 3 social studies curriculum guide is Man and His Institutions. With a background of family and community study in grades 1 and 2, the purpose at this level is to analyze more institutions created by man to meet the growing complexities of society. Specific institutions selected for study are: 1) Government as an…