Students assume the roles of detectives as they investigate the occurrences during the Salem Witch Trials. They also assume the roles of lawyers and explore the principles of American democracy through the documents and laws that are meant to protect citizens from such unjust treatment in modern history.

This lesson deals with events that led to the creation of a new type of government in the United States changing from the Articles of Confederation to the designing, writing, and ratification of the United States Constitution. These events created a government that had never been tried before.

Students can review the original Constitution of North Carolina which was created prior to the American Revolutionary War.

In this activity, students will analyze the letter Grace Bedell wrote to President Abraham Lincoln, then write and send their own letters to the president of the United States.

Students can read transcripts from the debate about the raitification of the United States Constitution by people in North Carolina.

This lesson precedes students’ exploration of the US Constitution and gives them a foundation for their study of it. Students begin by discussing some trivia related to the Constitution and then, through Jigsaw grouping, read and summarize three documents that share basic principles with it. Once they have shared and discussed the connections among the three documents, they consider how democratic ideals are addressed in the documents, the Constitution, and everyday life. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

In this lesson students will participate in an election. They will be asked to vote for one of four candidates wihtout knowing who they are or what they stand for. After the election, students will learn who the candidates were. This lesson is designed to help students understand that the security of freedom and individual rights in a democratic society depends upon a citizenry that remains informed.

Students will explore the Revolutionary period through the choices made by the Second Continental Congress. Students will participate in an activity in which they assume the role of a Congressional member in the year 1775 and devise a plan for America after the onset of war.

In this lesson, students will learning about monetary amounts (a quarter) and what a quarter could buy you here in the United States as well as in Haiti. Students will also be exploring fractions by comparing the same monetary amount to a fraction of a dollar and also write out a dollar amount using fractions in simpliest form. This lesson was developed by Marissa Piersanti as part of their completion of the North Carolina Global Educator Digital Badge program. This lesson plan has been vetted at the local and state level for standards alignment, Global Education focus, and content accuracy.            

This lesson deals with events that led to the creation of a new type of government in the United States changing from the Articles of Confederation to the designing, writing, and ratification of the United States Constitution. These events created a government that had never been tried before.

In this resource, students can learn more about America’s transition from colony to country through short videos, mini-activities, and practice questions in this segment of Preparing for the Oath: U.S. History and Civics for Citizenship. The eight questions included in this segment cover topics such as the Declaration of Independence, the War of Independence, and George Washington. This site was designed with the needs of recent immigrants in mind. It is written at a “low-intermediate” ESL level.

This lesson is about important events and people that were part of the beginning of the United States, such as George Washington, the writing of the Declaration of Independence, and the War of Independence. Students will learn about George Washington as a symbol of American independence and freedom.

This Teacher Guide identifies the Civics Test questions covered in the theme, Establishing Independence. It also provides the instructional steps to familiarize teachers with the elements and navigation of the Preparing for the Oath - Establishing Independence student interactive so that they can be comfortable presenting it to their class.

In this resource, students can explore the civic responsibilities of Americans through short videos, mini-activities, and practice questions in this segment of Preparing for the Oath: U.S. History and Civics for Citizenship. The four questions included in this segment cover taxes, selective service, jury duty, and the Naturalization Oath. This site was designed with the needs of recent immigrants in mind. It is written at a “low-intermediate” ESL level.

This lesson is about the responsibilities of United States citizens. Students will also analyze the Naturalization Oath.

This Teacher Guide identifies the Civics Test questions covered in the theme, Responsibilities. It also provides the instructional steps to familiarize teachers with the elements and navigation of the Preparing for the Oath - Responsibilities student interactive so that they can be comfortable presenting it to their class.

This lesson is the first in a thematic unit on elections. This lesson is on pages 1-6 of the PDF. Students will understand the three branches of government and summarize their organizational structures.

In this unit, students will collect images, articles, and other things they can use to create a graffiti wall about voting. They create a chart listing about what they know. They will explore the history of voting and voting rights and create a timeline of voting history.

Many of the ideas that influenced the Founders originated in the government of the Roman Republic. This lesson provides an opportunity for students to explore and discuss the meaning of republicanism, common welfare, and civic virtue as they were said to have been practiced in ancient Rome, and to consider how these ideas influenced the thinking and behavior of the Founders.