This series of classroom activities were written to support educators who use the 2022 video series "Elections 101" from the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC).

"The Right ID for Me" helps students answer the question "What forms of ID are acceptable for voting in Wisconsin, and how can they be obtained?". Teachers will use two of the videos from the WEC ("Elections Overview" and "Election Security") to research the requirements for the forms that can be used as acceptable ID to vote in Wisconsin.

Students define the rule of law and then role play to discover what life would be without it. Analysis between the rule of law and founding documents will illustrate the factors and how they affect daily life.

This lesson introduces students to different viewpoints and debates surrounding the 2nd Amendment by using the National Constitution Center’s Interactive Constitution. Students will build understanding of the resources and methods used by justices on the Supreme Court and Constitutional scholars when analyzing and forming opinions about articles, sections, and clauses of the Constitution. Using graphic organizers, students will identify key points from the essays of constitutional scholars Nelson Lund and Adam Winkler. Students will be able to trace the historic development of the 2nd Amendment with help from the Common Interpretation and matters of debate essays, and use evidence from the readings to explore modern interpretation of the 2nd Amendment. For students studying the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, this lesson helps clarify the role of the Supreme Court and constitutional scholars in interpreting and applying the Constitution today

This lesson introduces students to different viewpoints and debates surrounding the 2nd Amendment by using the National Constitution Center’s Interactive Constitution. Students will build understanding of the resources and methods used by justices on the Supreme Court and Constitutional scholars when analyzing and forming opinions about articles, sections, and clauses of the Constitution. Using graphic organizers, students will identify key points from the essays of constitutional scholars Nelson Lund and Adam Winkler. Students will be able to trace the historic development of the 2nd Amendment with help from the Common Interpretation and matters of debate essays, and use evidence from the readings to explore modern interpretation of the 2nd Amendment. For students studying the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, this lesson helps clarify the role of the Supreme Court and constitutional scholars in interpreting and applying the Constitution today.

This series of classroom activities were written to support educators who use the 2022 video series "Elections 101" from the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC).

"Should We Lower the Voting Age?" helps students answer the question "Should the U.S. lower the voting age?". Teachers will use the videos "Elections Overview" and "Nuts and Bolts" from the WEC as a starting point to build a Socratic Seminar from their own research on the topic.

Students will learn about what a symbol is and how the flag represents our country through primary source analysis. Students will participate in three activities which will lead them through a primary source analysis of the symbols of our nation.

Website Description:
Students discover that states have their own governments and powers separate from the federal government. They learn what those powers are, how they’re different from the federal government’s powers, and that state governments also give power to smaller, local governments. Students critique a set of fictional state laws, create a story involving state powers, and look at some differences between state and local power.
We recommend teaching our lesson The "Federal" in Federalism right before this lesson.
(Please note: This lesson replaces our old "On the Level" lesson plan. The Venn diagram activity from On the Level can be found in The "Federal" in Federalism.)

Student Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to…
*Explain the source and nature of state and local governmental power.
*Distinguish reserved powers from federal powers.
*Identify types of powers that are held at the state or local level.
*Examine the differences between statewide laws and local ordinances/laws.
*Explain the duties of various local officials.

Students examine the definition of public policy, investigate the answer to the question, "Should our democracy allow schools to punish students for off campus cyberbullying?", and hold a whole class deliberation on the policy.

This lesson will encourage students to investigate Supreme Court cases in conjunction with the Annenberg Classroom video “First Amendment: Student Freedom of Speech” to evaluate the decisions handed down by the Court in the effort to find the balance between a school’s need for order and a student’s right to expression. Students will explore five Supreme Court cases with the purpose of determining if the Court’s decisions helped or hindered defining “protected speech” for students in public school environments.
Download the lesson plan

This unit provides an introduction to Student Voices, focusing on the question of why so few
young people vote and why there is a need for young people to learn more about the political
process, issues, and candidates.

Spanish Version
https://cdn.annenbergclassroom.org/wp-content/uploads/Campaign-Curriculum_Spanish.pdf

Using C-SPAN’s Landmark Cases website and programs, students will simulate the Supreme Court hearing of Dred
Scott v. Sandford (1857), otherwise known as the Dred Scott Case. Students will read the case scenario and take
on roles of either an attorney or Supreme Court Justice as if they lived in the 19th century. After studying the case,
both teams of attorneys will present their cases in written and oral form and receive questions from the justices.
Afterwards, the justices will facilitate oral argument and offer written opinions. Finally, the class will debrief the
experience and read and discuss the actual decision.

This site focuses on the complex system of election rules by examining the vote tally of the 1824 Presidential election, in which the winning candidate, John Quincy Adams, received fewer popular votes than the runner-up, Andrew Jackson.

Overview: This simulation game has students follow a bill through the three branches of government. It begins with the Executive Branch creating an agenda and then proposing a bill based on that agenda. The bill then goes to the Legislative Branch where hearings are held, deliberation about the bill occurs, and then a vote occurs. If passed, the Bill goes back to the Executive Branch for review. Finally, the Judicial Branch will determine if the law is constitutional.

Instructor Notes: Teachers can assign this content to their students through their iCivics account and then Clicking the Assign button on this activity. Teachers will then have the option to add a Class into iCivics OR Sync a roster from Google Classroom. This will allow teachers to see student's responses. There are also Downloadable Resources available to support this learning activity.

In this game, students will play a voting simulation where they learn the importance of getting to know the candidates, their qualifications, experience, and what they stand for. The students will also be able to identify the issues that are most important to them and then evaluate the candidates on their stance on these issues. Multiple information sources are used to inform students about elections and candidates to make this a realistic simulation.

Instructor Notes: Teachers can assign this content to their students in iCivics account and then Clicking the Assign button on this activity. Teachers will then have the option to add a Class into iCivics OR Sync a roster from Google Classroom. This will allow teachers to see student's responses.

This simulation game also comes with teaching materials and an extension pack which allows additional teaching and learning opportunities beyond the game.

This simulation game has students determine if individuals are eligible for legal U.S residence. In the game, travelers will enter Immigration Bay in boats and the student will have to process them and determine if they meet eligibility requirements or not.

Instructor Notes: Teachers can assign this content to their students in iCivics account and then Clicking the Assign button on this activity. Teachers will then have the option to add a Class into iCivics OR Sync a roster from Google Classroom. This will allow teachers to see student's responses. There are also Downloadable Resources available to support this learning activity.

Website Description:
Are your students experts on U.S. citizenship? Put their knowledge to the test with Sortify: U.S. Citizenship, an original BrainPOP game made by BrainPOP with iCivics.
Share Sortify: U.S. Citizenship with your students using the “Share” button above. You must be logged in to access. This new feature allows teachers to assign Sortify outside of iCivics using learning management systems like Google Classroom, Edmodo, and more.

Student Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to...
*Recognize and recall rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens
*Identify active ways in which citizens can participate in government and contribute to the common good
*Relate like terms and concepts by deducing shared relationships

This section contains reproducible copies of primary documents from the holdings of the National Archives of the United States, teaching activities correlated to the National History Standards and National Standards for Civics and Government and cross-curricular connections.

Students explore and articulate what they value, then examine how the value-based liberties and principles enshrined in the Declaration of Independence were moved into legal protections through the Bill of Rights. Using select current events, students learn how, and how well, our rights work to defend our wealth and wellbeing and to curb government abuse of power

This WebQuest has students explore the three branches of the United States government and how they provide a system of checks and balances in decision making. Students will learn about the state of the union address, how bills become law, the President's power to veto, and the Supreme Court's role in the law process.

Instructor Notes: Teachers can assign this content to their students through their iCivics account and then Clicking the Assign button on this activity. Teachers will then have the option to add a Class into iCivics OR Sync a roster from Google Classroom. This will allow teachers to see student's responses. There are also Downloadable Resources available to support this learning activity.

Transgender people have long faced discrimination in employment, marriage, medical care, and other areas, and are far more likely to experience homelessness, unemployment, and mental illness than people whose gender identity matches the gender they were assigned at birth. Today, ​lawmakers across the country have introduced anti-trans legislation, seeking to bar transgender students from participating in sports and limiting access by minors to gender-affirming medical care. The movement that began nearly half a century ago still faces many obstacles.

Content Advisory:
This lesson covers historical and contemporary demands for equality by transgender people. The film and associated resources address sexuality, violence against transgender people, and other topics that may upset or offend some people.