Community and Government

This sampling of instructional resources will help students from elementary through high school learn about their communities, the federal, state, and local governments, and how to be responsible and effective citizens.

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• Educating leaders for tomorrow: The intent of this lesson is to demonstrate the need for (student) citizens to assume learning and leading roles and behaviors that will better ensure a successful future.
• Send me to Congress: Students learn about the qualifications for and job descriptions of members of the U.S.Senate or the U.S.House of Representatives by designing and creating a campaign brochure. Students apply their knowledge of these requirements by "selling" their candidate to the general public.
• The five parts of the Fifth: This lesson will focus on the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution and its intent to provide due process to citizens. Students will engage in writing, discussion, cooperative learning, art, and theatrical activities in gaining an understanding of the Amendment and its concepts.

Related topics

• Learn more about citizenship, civics, community, government, and social studies.

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Lesson Plans

The president’s roles and responsibilities: Understanding the president’s job

This is the first of two EDSITEment lesson plans encouraging students to consider the roles and responsibilities of the U.S. president and their own roles as citizens of a democracy. In this lesson, they review the structure of the U.S. government, discuss the different tasks undertaken by the president, and participate in an interactive online activity simulating a typical “day on the job” for the president.(Grades K-2, Social Studies)

The President’s Roles and Responsibilities: Communicating with the President

Students learn about the different means the president uses to communicate with the public and then express their views on a particular issue in a letter to the president.(Grades K-2, Social Studies)

Creating a community

Students will design a community and take into consideration the structures and human resources necessary for a balanced community. They will evaluate their community as they evaluate differences between wants and needs. (Grade 2, Social Studies)

Balancing Three Branches at Once: Our System of Checks and Balances

Students use primary source documents to investigate how the three branches of the American government can check each other.(Grade 5, English Language Arts and Social Studies)

Does my vote count? Teaching the electoral college

Students will learn about the electoral process and its history through reading, research, and discussion. They will then convene a constitutional convention to debate altering this process.

The Declaration of Independence

In this interdisciplinary lesson, students will examine the role of the Declaration of Independence in the development of the American Revolution and as part of the American identity. They will also analyze the argumentative structure and write their own declaration. (Grade 10 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

Websites

Ben’s Guide to Your Neighborhood

Younger students will learn about the people in their towns who are there to help them.

Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids

Learn how our government works from your neighborhood to the nation. See the letters and papers written by the people who made history. Learn about branches of government, how laws are made, and symbols of the U.S. government.

PBS Democracy Project for Kids

What is it like to be President for the day? How does government affect me? Why is voting so important? These and other questions are answered on this website.

Kids and Community

At Kids and Community students reflect on their own community, read about how other communities are developed, and learn about city planning. Reading and engaging in activities, students can consider what makes a community work (or not!) and compare community characteristics.

Thomas

This site provides information on Legislation, the Congressional Record, and Congressional Committee Reports. The site provides information on what has happened on the House of Representative floor today, this week, and the text of the bills introduced.

CongressLink

CongressLink is a resource for teachers providing information about the U.S. Congress from The Dirksen Congressional Center. It “provides information about the U.S. Congress — how it works, its members and leaders, and the public policies it produces.

C-Span Classroom Resources

This site provides resources for education on a variety of topics, including: Civics, Government, Current Events, Economics, History, International

The National Constitution Center

On this media-rich site you may explore the Constitution and the basic governing principles, founding fathers and documents essential to the formation of the United States government. Experience the Constitution in Spanish or see the document through new eyes as you enter the Interactive Constitution section.

Commonweal

This interactive site invites students to investigate social capital and civic engagement in their communities, and then share what they have learned with other civic-minded students around the world. This website is free and available to any student or teacher to use as a basis for a unit on social capital.