Area: History and Social Studies

Forms of Government

Introduce four (or five) primary forms of government The form of government our society uses is a very important decision that will determine who gets power, how laws are made, and who gets a say.  Democracy (Direct)  the people directly on everything; majority rules  Republic  the people vote to choose leaders who make decisions for Forms of Government

History, Consequences, & Death

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, by Eleanor Coerr Plot Summary: This chapter book is based on a true story re-imagined by the author, Eleanor Coerr, and tells the tale of a young Japanese girl who ends up dying from leukemia. Her death is a result of the fallout from the atomic bombs dropped by History, Consequences, & Death

Plato’s Ring of Gyges

This lesson plan is available as a PDF attachment in the link above. It is best suited for high school classrooms, but can be used in some middle school settings. This lesson plan can be split up in multiple ways, including picking which of the offered discussion prompts or exercises you would like to do. Plato’s Ring of Gyges

Unmasking Political Persuasion

Unmasking Political Persuasion: Logical Fallacies in Government Campaigns Materials Needed Video clips of political campaign commercials, Logical Fallacies Definitions Handout, Graphic organizer for commercial analysis. Steps Involved Fallacy Breakdown (15 minutes): Pick segments from these videos to explore different fallacies: Fallacies: Discuss real-world examples of each fallacy. Application to Political Commercials (30–45 minutes): Show political Unmasking Political Persuasion

Virtue and the Social Contract

Previous Knowledge Students Should Have about the Declaration of Independence Materials Needed Document with quotes from Locke, Jefferson and Franklin about virtue in relation to citizenship, governance and the importance of education (also attached at the end of the lesson). Day One Opening (10 minutes) Provide the students with a visual of the two similar Virtue and the Social Contract

“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

Understanding Beliefs and Cultural Blindness Understanding Beliefs and Cultural Blindness Materials Needed Steps Involved 1. Introduction (10 minutes) Journal: Do you (or we, collectively as a society) have any rituals, customs, or celebrations where we may not understand where it originated or what the purpose serves?  2. Reading the Text (20 minutes) Facilitator: Distribute copies “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

The Day the Crayons Quit

The Day the Crayons Quit (Daywalt and Jeffers) offers a humorous foray into re-imagining the habitual roles we play in group activities. In this lesson, the class room teacher will mirror Duncan’s shift as the “artiste” to the “note-taker” and give the students the opportunity to shape how class activities could be run. By using The Day the Crayons Quit

Causation: To Accompany Frog and Toad “The Garden”

This lesson plan can be used on its own or as an accompaniment to the Arnold Lobel Frog and Toad story, “The Garden.” Divide students into groups of 3-4. Ask each group to come up with 2-3 examples of the following three cases: See Discussion Questions tab for discussion prompts.