Containing more than 50 articles from the award-winning Tar Heel Junior Historian magazine and over 40 lesson plans, this multidisciplinary Educator Notebook will enrich your exploration of North Carolina and American history with diverse perspectives. This resource's link takes you to a very short form that gives you free downloadable access to the complete PDF book.

Students will learn about North Carolina's little known eugenics program, as well as explore the constitutionality of state mandated sterilization by reviewing the NC Supreme Court case, In re Moore. Stidents will culminate this lesson by making recommendations on how the state should make amends for the program's past controversial actions, as well as examine actual consolation recoomendations recently made by the North Carolina's General Assembly.

In this lesson, students explore the controversial issue of religion (prayer, bible study, etc.) in public schools through an analysis of serveral court cases. Discussion questions are provided. In an associated activity, students will review and discuss the Supreme Court's theory that the government should remain neutral on this issue.

In this lesson, students read about the Berkeley Free Speech Movement, one of the first of the 1960s university student protests that challenged authority and criticized the way things were. A set of discussion questions is provided. In an associated activity, the class will simulate a public university student senate debating whether student activity fees should be voluntary or mandatory for campus organizations.

Students will explore the Supreme Court case Board of Education v. Earls, in which high school sophomore Lindsay Earls challenged her school's drug testing policy. Students will watch a documentary on the case, apply the Fourth Amendment to the case, and further their understanding by participation in activities such as creating an anti-drug campaign and a moot court or mock trial.

This lesson introduces students to the importance of building a constituency to support or oppose public policies using the case study of the Montgomery Bus Boycott as an example. Students read primary documents from the boycott and discuss how the documents show how leaders tried to build support.

Students will explore the budgeting process in North Carolina, gaining an understanding of the different categories of our state's budget, how they are funded, and the state's procedure for making a budget. Students will participate in an experiential activity in which they create a balanced state budget, determining what areas to prioritize and then defending their decisions to fellow legislators.

In this lesson, students will confirm, negate, and build information about the nation’s changing demographic using an organizational chart; write a letter to respond to a viewpoint offered in the central text; and talk about their own multiple identities in relation to those around them.

Using facsimiles of historical records from the files of the U.S. House of Representative Judiciary Committee, students will evaluate evidence and consider the constitutional issues that the committee encountered as it deliberated the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Students will examine the concept of federalism and weigh the proper balance of powers between Federal and state governments when protecting the right to vote.

Students participate in activities in which they learn about redistricting, types of legislative committees, types of legislation, and the process by which a bill becomes a law in Congress. Students will apply their knowledge by participating in a legislative simulation in which the House Judiciary Committee determines whether to report a proposed bill regarding punishment for drunk driving as favorable on the floor.

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.

Students will examine the organization of local governments, charters, and elections by creating their own city.

In this lesson, students investigate artificially elevated regions or cities around the world to compare histories, cultures, and strategies related to potential flooding disaster.

In this Teaching with the News lesson, students will explore, debate, and evaluate multiple perspectives on U.S. foreign policy regarding drones.

In this Teaching with the News lesson, students will analyze the issues that frame the current debate on U.S. policy towards Syria. They will consider the role of the U.S. public, the president, and Congress in the decision of whether to use military force. Students will work cooperatively within groups to integrate the arguments and beliefs of the options into a persuasive, coherent presentation. Finally, they will explore, debate, and evaluate multiple perspectives on U.S. policy towards Syria through a role-play activity.

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 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.

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 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.