Debating the U.S. Response to Syria

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.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Author: The Choices Program

1834 Poor Law

This lesson examines public commentary on a law that sought to reduce the cost of looking after poor people by putting them in workhouses in exchange for food and clothing.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Advocacy 101

Students will explore the various ways they can ensure their voices are heard regarding issues they care about. To help students appreciate their own value, intelligence, and potential as political actors (Anyon, 2005, p. 179) students will role play different ways of taking political action and reflect on ways to more effectively lobby for change.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Author: Carolina K12

8.13: Standard 7.54 Lesson

In this online lesson, students learn about the causes and effects of the Reformation in Europe through various media.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Karen Lawson

100 Years Later: The Armenian Genocide and Denial

This lesson plan covers the Armenian Genocide and its effects on the world, and includes a procedural outline as well as discussion questions and activities.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

1833 Factory Act

This lesson examines the issue of child labor during the Industrial Revolution in terms of working conditions, safety, and health.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

African American Voting Rights and the North Carolina Constitution

Students will examine changes in African American voting rights throughout North Carolina's history. This lesson begins by reviewing key vocabulary. Students then independently research the history of African American voting rights in North Carolina using a primary source web quest or jigsaw activity.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Author: Carolina K12

The Age of Enlightenment

Students will explore the Age of Enlightenment through a Power Point presentation and class discussion. Students will then further explore this period of history and its prominent figures by designing a dinner party for 12 Enlightenment thinkers. This project will encourage students to learn more about the period and the philosophers associated with it, as well as synthesize what they have learned while utilizing higher order thinking, group work skills, and creativity.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Author: Carolina K12

1860: The Election that Led to War

In this lesson, students will use information to draw conclusions from maps, charts, and graphs. After analyzing the information, they will determine the 1860 election results and the impact of the results on the Civil War.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Abigail Adams, the Writer: " My Pen is Always Freer Than My Tongue."

In this curriculum unit, students will explore the question: What was life, particularly the writing life, like for an American woman before, during, and after the founding of our nation? Using Abigail Adams's correspondence and diaries, students will explore primary source documents to learn about the historical, cultural, and ethical role of women in early America. Students will analyze the works of Mrs. Adams and other women, create a diary as if they lived during the time period, write essays comparing their lives to that of an 18th century New Englander, and produce a historical film containing scenes from the life of Mrs. Adams. The unit includes transcribed primary sources, numerous worksheets, and detailed homework assignments.

Material Type: Unit of Study

Abraham Lincoln Delivered the Gettysburg Address in 1863

In this activity, students will complete a close reading of the Gettysburg address by using the strategy called SOAPSTONE.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

10 Creative Strategies for Teaching Chronological Narratives

This resource provides instructional strategies for teaching chronological narratives.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

North Carolina State Constitution

This resource is an updated, interactive version of the current NC Constitution from the North Carolina General Assembly website.

Material Type: Primary Source

NC Constitutional Amendments

Coming from the office of the NC Secretary of State, this website provides "Official Explanation of Amendments" to the most recent NC Constitution of 1971.

Material Type: Reference Material

Author: North Carolina Secretary Of State

North Carolina Constitution of 1835

This article explains that the constitutional revisions of 1835 resulted in great part from North Carolina’s acceptance of Jacksonian democracy, a political movement that emphasized participation of the common man in the political process. The democratic movement gained momentum after Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) was elected to the presidency in 1828. There had been years of protest against the Constitution of 1776 with its disproportionate representation of eastern counties, extensive property requirements for voting and office holding, and for its omission of an amendment and an impeachment process.

Material Type: Reading

Author: Ronnie W. Faulkner

SEMINAR: Local Government

Local government is the government of people’s daily lives. It is your local government that you will interact with most throughout your daily life. In this seminar, you will learn about the role of local government in a community. By the end of this seminar, you will be able to discuss how local government and community members work together. You will be able to compare the structure of local government as a whole to the structure of the government in your community.

Material Type: Lesson

Authors: Bonnie Waltz, Deanna Mayers, Tracy Rains

North Carolina Secretary of State Kids Page Symbols

From the well-known state symbols to ones you may have never heard of, this page has them all, including when they were recognized by the NC Legislature.

Material Type: Reference Material

Author: North Carolina Secretary Of State

NC Secretary of State - How an Idea Becomes a Law

This is a simplified chart of the steps an idea must go through before it becomes law in North Carolina. Of course, the actual progress of a bill through the General Assembly is much more complicated than what is indicated here, and it is important to keep in mind that at any point along this route a bill can "die" and never become law.

Material Type: Reference Material

Author: North Carolina Secretary Of State

NC General Assembly - Find Your Legislators

This interactive map allows you to find legislators in the NC House, the NC Senate, and the US House is determined by district. Each resident of the state has one representative in each of those legislative bodies, determined by the district in which their residence falls.

Material Type: Reference Material

North Carolina Government- A Fun Book on Government, State Symbols, and the Legislative Process

This resource provides facts on North Carolina Government, state symbols, and the legislative process.

Material Type: Student Guide