In this lesson, students learn about the role and functions of the Federal Reserve System. They participate in an activity to learn how the purchase or sale of U.S. Treasury securities affects the supply of money and credit in the economy. Finally, they discuss what the Fed learned about implementing monetary policy as a result of the Great Depression.

In this lesson, students will learn about the basis of county and city government and, through role plays, will explore some of the major difference between counties and municipalities.

In this lesson, students will gain an understanding of the role of the county board of commissioners, the responsibilities of commissioners, and the relevance of a board's decisions to individual citizens. Assuming the roles of county commissioners or special interest groups, students will participate in a board of commissioners' simulation in which commissioners must decide whether to pass a county budget.

This presentation is intended for use with the lesson plan "County Commissioners and Independent Boards." In this lesson, students will participate in a budgeting simulation in which they learn about the responsibilities and interactions of county boards of commissioners and state mandated county independent boards.

In this lesson, students examine statistical data related to the Great Depression, identify problems and offer solutions. Students reflect on the course of action taken by then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) and focus on New Deal programs. Students classify New Deal programs as relief, reform or recovery and analyze the effects of these programs on the unemployment rate, government spending, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the role of government in the economy.

In this lesson, students read about how Thomas Jefferson, drawing on the current thinking of his time, used natural rights to justify declaring independence from England. A set of discussion questions is provided. In an associated activity, students further discuss some of the ideals in the Declaration of Independence.

In this lesson, students will look at the distinction between citizens and noncitizens (aliens) and the process by which aliens may become citizens. This lesson will help define a citizen of the United States and a non-citizen alien of the United States.

In this lesson, students define economics and discuss how the economy relates to our lives. They will also differentiate between democracy as a political system and capitalism as an economic system.

In this lesson, students will work in groups to compare and contrast the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with the Constitutions of the United States, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Republic of Colombia, and Republic of Ireland in order to emphasize how constitutions support democratic principles and human rights.

In this lesson, students review the Supreme Court case of Yaser Esam Hamdi v. Donald Rumsfeld (2004) and analyze the Justice's opinions. A set of discussion questions is provided. In an associated activity, students will role play the Court and see whether they can get a majority decision on the two issues in the case.

The goal of this inquiry is for students to gain an informed, critical perspective on the United States Constitution as it stood at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. By investigating the justness of the Constitution, students examine how the Constitution structures the government, the Constitution’s relationship to slavery, and the extent to which the amendment process makes the government more democratic. Through taking a critical look at the Constitution, students should understand the government the Constitution created and develop an evidence-based perspective that serves as a launching pad for informed action.

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of political issues and political parties. By investigating the compelling question about how well political parties represent individuals, students consider their own political ideology as a lens for learning about the extent to which political parties address international and domestic issues.

In this lesson, students will learn about domestic and foreign policy in the United States throughout the 1970s until today, with a focus on environmentalism. They will be addressing the challenges and opportunities that exist for the United States as we enter the 21st century as well. Students will create an interactive timeline and complete a shortened essay in order to tie the information together.

This resource informs students about the Supreme Court case,Dred Scott v Sanford. The slave Dred Scott sued for his freedom in court because his former master had taken him to live where slavery had been prohibited by Congress through the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and the Missouri Compromise of 1820.

In this lesson, students will review major economic topics by applying the principles to a popular movie or television show of their choice.

In this lesson, students will role play state senators from their home state. Imagine Congress has just passed a joint resolution to amend the U.S. Constitution to allow naturalized citizens to run for president. The terms of the resolution are close to Senator Orrin Hatch’s proposal in 2004. The students have the task of deliberating the resolution, coming up with arguments for and against it, and deciding whether to support it. Students have the option of suggesting changes to the resolution.

In this lesson, students review the basics about Edward Snowden's actions in leaking secret NSA documents to the press. They revealed mass surveillance of terrorist suspects and of innocent Americans as well. A set of discussion questions is provided. In an associated activity, students consider consequences Snowden might face if he returns to the U.S. They will choose one consequence and write a brief essay, defending it by using information in the reading.

In this lesson, students read about the elections of 1800 and 1824, which both resulted in deadlock. A set of discussion questions is provided. In an associated activity, students participate in a simulation based on a hypothetical presidential election in which none of the three candidates wins a majority of electoral votes and the House of Representatives would need to choose the president.

In this lesson, students examine the role money plays in elections. A controversial Supreme Court First Amendment ruling in 2010 has allowed more money into flood political campaigns today than ever before. What, if anything, should we do about this? A set of discussion questions is provided. In an associated activity, students review varying options on campaign finance reform. They will choose one option and write a brief essay, defending it using information provided in the reading.

In this lesson, students will answer the question "should the United States keep the Electoral College?" Students will learn about the function and process of the Electoral College. By the end of this lesson, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the political process at the local, state, and national levels of government by describing the role fo the electoral college in the election of the President and Vice President. Students will defend a position and evaluate the arguments for the debate over the current utility of the Electoral College.