Saturday, May 23, 2009

Civics lesson plans from a judicial perspective.

Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

has created an interactive program designed to teach civics and inspire students to become active particpants in government, politics, and citizenship. The Web site OurCourts.org offers information, games and tools so young students can better understand and participate in civics. It also provides teachers with materials, lesson plans and support for creating an engaging civics curriculum.

Here is a link to the Supreme Court of the United States.

Friday, May 22, 2009

National Register of Historic Places: Lesson Plans.

Created by National Park Service interpreters, preservation professionals, and educators, these lessons use historic sites to explore American history. All of the lessons are available free of charge. Browse the collection in four ways, each of which includes a short description of every lesson:
Location/State;
Theme;
Time period;
Skill;
National Standards for History;
Curriculum Standards for Social Studies.

Designed for middle school students learning history, social studies, geography, and other subjects, TwHP lessons include maps, readings, and photographs accompanied by questions.

Here is the curriculum kit about exploring our National Parks. There are also resources so you can create your own lessons.

Each TwHP lesson plan links both to relevant United States History Standards for Grades 5-12 and also to relevant Performance Expectations for Middle Grades from the national Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. For more information about the National Standards for History, please visit their website. To learn more about the national Standards for Social Studies, please visit the National Council for the Social Studies website.