Learning About Our Government  This lesson is designed to inform students about the organization of our nation's government.  Students will be introduced to the three branches of American government and the responsibilities of each.  They will discuss the requirements for becoming President and take a "virtual tour" of the White House.  All of this is done through the use of a digital slideshow, which includes a direct link to the Internet for further study.

The First Amendment: What's Fair in a Free Country?
Students will summarize the contents of the First Amendment and give some examples of speech that is protected by the Constitution and speech that is not protected by the Constitution.

The Preamble to the Constitution: How Do You Make a More Perfect Union? 
Students will explain the purposes of the U.S. Constitution as identified in the Preamble to the Constitution, and identify fundamental values and principles as they are expressed in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution.

Balancing Three Branches at Once: Our System of Check and Balances
Students will identify the three branches of our government and give examples of how each branch can check the others.

The President's Roles and Responsibilities: Communicating with the President
Students will identify and describe the various roles of the president of the United States, understand how the president communicates with the public, recognize ways that young citizens can actively participate in a democracy, and express their views in a letter to the president.

The President's Roles and Responsibilities: Understanding the President's Job
Students will identify and describe the various roles of the president of the United States, understand how the president communicates with the public, recognize ways that young citizens can actively participate in a democracy, and express their views in a letter to the president.

How a Bill Becomes a Law  This lesson will focus on how bills become laws.  this interdisciplinary lesson combines social studies, language arts and reading skills and concepts.  Students will research the topic through the Internet and other digital resources and then present information gathered orally and visually.

Articles of Confederation  This lesson looks at the development of the constitutional government in the United States.  Students use technology to explore history concepts.

Defending Personal Freedoms  This lesson is an introduction to the Civil rights Movement in American history.  The social and political impact of the current events and key people who played an integral role during this era provide a wealth of insight into the driving forces that inspired human rights for all citizens of the United States.

The Almost Painless Guide to the U.S. Constitution:  Students will learn about the ideals of American Constitutional government, the theory of the "We the People," and the concepts laid out by the Preamble. We'll also discuss how the Constitution empowers the government to fulfill its responsibilities, while at the same time limiting those powers.  United Streaming.

Our Constitution: The Document That Gave Birth to a Nation:  Utilizing the spectacular backdrop of the events which surrounded the "We the People 200" celebration in Philadelphia 1987, this program simply, clearly and with dramatic flair, examines and explains the historical significance of the Constitution, its structure and function, and its present day meaning and importance.  United Streaming.

A Nation in Crisis:  Second Continental Congress, Articles of Confederation, Shays' Rebellion, Constitutional Convention.

This Is Our Government:  Explore local, state, and federal governments to see how their branches work together. Students will see that one branch makes the laws, another makes sure the laws are fair, and a third makes sure the laws are obeyed.  United Streaming.

The Almost Painless Guide to the Judicial Branch:  This program looks at judicial checks and balances, the functions of the Supreme Court, and the appointment of Justices.  United Streaming.

The Almost Painless Guide to the Legislative Branch:  This program explores the functions of the Legislative branch of the U.S. Government: legislative checks and balances, the power to impeach, and the lawmaking process. It also explains the origins of the two-house system and the structure of the Senate and House of Representatives.  United Streaming.
Suggestions for English Language Learners: 
(E/B=Entering/Beginning, D=Developing, E=Expanding)

(E/B) Students label illustrations of the steps involved in the development of the Constitution of the United States.
(E/B) Students identify the steps involved in the development of the Constitution of the United States depicted in illustrations and phrases.
(D) Students compare/contrast the steps involved in the development of the Constitution of the United States using graphic organizers with a word box (i.e. Venn diagram) and written descriptions.
(E) Students interpret the effects of the steps involved in the development of the Constitution of the United States on people's lives from social studies texts, trade books and the Internet.
(E/B, D, E)  Students make a poster to describe concepts of the United States Constitution.

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