Resources

The Youth Leadership Initiative (YLI) offers free education resources for teachers along with other materials to encourage students to participate in the political process. Teachers can download K-12 and adult leveled lessons on topics such as the political process, foundations of American government, the presidency, and political beliefs and behaviors. Teachers can sign-up for YLI’s E-Congress program that allows students to learn about Congress by writing original legislation. YLI’s online mock election activity uses electronic ballots tailored to each student’s home legislative district.

The goal of Citizens, Not Spectators is to demystify the voting process for students at all levels. It provides free downloadable elementary, middle, and high school level lesson plans and supporting materials that cover a wide range of topics, such as the history of voting rights in the United States, becoming an informed voter, and participating in an in-class simulated election. Especially useful for students is a printable leveled timeline regarding the election and voting process in the U.S.

Based on the "Inquiry Design Model" that emphasizes student inquiry in social studies instruction - including U.S. history. These free lessons, or “inquiries,” are K-12 leveled and also cover all other sub-disciplines of social studies (Ancient/European/World history, Civics/U.S. government, geography, economics), as well as state history, local history, and human rights. Each instructional inquiry is framed around a compelling question, and all related formative/summative performance tasks, subject matter-specific texts, and suggestions for extending the inquiry are included.

Based on the "Inquiry Design Model" that emphasizes student inquiry in social studies instruction - including world history. These free lessons, or “inquiries,” are K-12 leveled and also cover all other sub-disciplines of social studies (Ancient/European/U.S. history, Civics/U.S. government, geography, economics), as well as state history, local history, and human rights. Each instructional inquiry is framed around a compelling question, and all related formative/summative performance tasks, subject matter-specific texts, and suggestions for extending the inquiry are included.

Based on the "Inquiry Design Model" that emphasizes student inquiry in social studies instruction - including economics. These free lessons, or “inquiries,” are K-12 leveled and also cover all other sub-disciplines of social studies (Ancient/European/World/U.S. history, Civics/U.S. government, geography), as well as state history, local history, and human rights. Each instructional inquiry is framed around a compelling question, and all related formative/summative performance tasks, subject matter-specific texts, and suggestions for extending the inquiry are included.

Based on the "Inquiry Design Model" that emphasizes student inquiry in social studies instruction - including geography. These free lessons, or “inquiries,” are K-12 leveled and also cover all other sub-disciplines of social studies (Ancient/European/World/U.S. history, Civics/U.S. government, economics), as well as state history, local history, and human rights. Each instructional inquiry is framed around a compelling question, and all related formative/summative performance tasks, subject matter-specific texts, and suggestions for extending the inquiry are included.

Based on the "Inquiry Design Model" that emphasizes student inquiry in social studies instruction - including Civics/U.S. government. These free lessons, or “inquiries,” are K-12 leveled and also cover all other sub-disciplines of social studies (Ancient/European/World/U.S. history, geography, economics), as well as state history, local history, and human rights. Each instructional inquiry is framed around a compelling question, and all related formative/summative performance tasks, subject matter-specific texts, and suggestions for extending the inquiry are included.

Designed and piloted by a partnership between the University of Iowa and an Iowa school district, the Bringing History Home curriculum is comprised of ten sequential units that build student skills and knowledge in history across the K-5 grade level. All units can be adapted to the ABE classroom and each one is organized by lesson/activity plans, unit resources, suggested teacher adaptations, and a unit bibliography.

EconEdLink offers free economic and personal finance lesson materials for all levels of students. The lessons include a teacher and student version and are designed to be delivered in a variety of formats and classroom settings. Lessons can be searched by resource type, economic concept/subject, and by standards. In addition to lessons, EconEdLink offers computer-based interactive lessons and a number of videos and a comprehensive glossary to reinforce content.

Offers free access to lesson plans, essays, and multimedia resources, including videos and oral histories, from the National WWII Museum education collection. The classroom materials are leveled for middle and high school students and can be searched by subject and type of resource. Topics include the war in Europe and the Pacific, the impact on the homefront, and the legacy of World War II. The collection also offers lessons that explore the impact of the war on scientific innovations.

Includes free downloadable K-12-level lesson plans developed by master teachers, including graduates of the George Washington Teacher Institute, as well as by Mount Vernon educators and historians. The lessons can be searched by grade level, type, and theme, and are dedicated to teaching about the life and legacy of George Washington. The educational materials explore Washington’s world and topics range from Washington’s inauguration to his views on slavery.

The mission of Vote Smart is to provide free, factual and unbiased information on candidates and elected officials at the federal, state and local levels. Vote Smart provides candidates' biographical information, voting records/positions on various issues, endorsements, speeches, and contribution history. There are links related to ballot measures, election contacts, and voter registration by locality. For teachers and students, Vote Smart offers a free K-12-level government curriculum and an online “Government 101” tutorial with informative overviews on all aspects of American politics.

With a strong emphasis on the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the National Constitution Center offers a wide range of educational materials for classrooms at all levels. Resources include lesson plans, engaging and interactive video games, hands-on arts and crafts activities related to the Constitutional period, and opportunities to explore historical documents and primary sources. In addition, there are web interactive exercises that explore the concept of rights in the U.S. and the world and an online interactive Constitution.