Curriculum

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NH Civics is pleased to share with you a library of civics curricula created by NH teachers between 2015 and 2019 and inspired by a NH Civics teacher professional development opportunity. See below the various topics around which we have organized the curricula; you can search by topic, keyword, or grade level. These curricular resources were edited by NH Civics Trustees, graduate students and a professor from Plymouth State College, and a high school civics teacher. We hope these teacher-created resources are helpful, relevant, and that they make increased quality and quantity of civics instruction in NH possible. We aim to add to this library over time.

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Classes for Eighth Grade

A Fourth Branch of Government

Critically evaluate the purpose of the structure of government.
A Fourth Branch of Government - Virtual

Critically evaluate the purpose of the structure of government
Becoming President - Virtual

In this lesson, students learn the complexities of the election process, with a focus on the electoral college and its effect on the campaign process. Students play "Win the White House" from iCivics after an introduction to the electoral college. Explain the electoral process (primary and general elections, Electoral College). Identify the influence of the media in forming public opinion Analyze how parts of a whole interact to produce outcomes in complex systems,
Civics

This Civics course is designed to provide students with a fundamental and practical understanding of local, state and national government.
Do You Know Your Rights? - Virtual

Know the different rights guaranteed to the citizens of the United States and the reason the rights were created.
Empowering Connected Citizenship

Engage in active political dialogue by investigating the process by which bills become law and writing a letter to a representative about a bill.
Empowering Connected Citizenship - Virtual

Engage in active political dialogue by investigating the process by which bills become law and writing a letter to a representative about a bill.
Journey to the White House

Students will explain the different between the general election and the electoral college. Students will describe the election process.
Qualifications for Becoming President - Virtual

Students will be able to list the three main Constitutional qualifications for becoming president of the United States as evidenced by accurately completing the comic strip assignment.
Rights of a Citizen - Virtual

Students will be able to identify the political rights of citizens of the United States.
Slavery, the Draft Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution - Virtual

Students will be able to understand the difficulty of mediating different perspectives on slavery in revolutionary period America.
The Importance of Precedents

Understand the importance of precedents and Supreme Court rulings.
Win the White House

In this lesson, students learn the complexities of the election process, with a focus on the electoral college and its effect on the campaign process. Students play "Win the White House" from iCivics after an introduction to the electoral college.
Current Events and the Constitution

Create informed citizens and encourage civic engagement through the use of digital media by discussing current events in the context of the Constitution.
Debating Hypothetical Constitutional Issues

Students will understand how the constitution is a document that is constantly being debated, and that the there are multiple interpretations of the constitution.
Do You Know Your Rights?

Know the different rights guaranteed to the citizens of the United States and the reason the rights were created.
Freedom of Speech in Public Schools

Students will understand how the complexity of freedom of speech in schools in the 21^st century.
Qualifications to Run for President

Students will be able to list the three main Constitutional qualifications for becoming president of the United States as evidenced by accurately completing the comic strip assignment.
Rights of a Citizen

Students will be able to identify the political rights of citizens of the United States.
Slavery, the Draft Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution

Students will be able to understand the difficulty of mediating different perspectives on slavery in revolutionary period America.

Civil Debate and Deliberation
Our constitutional democracy requires our citizens have the ability to speak, listen, civilly debate, deliberate, and come to a conclusion as a community by vote or consensus. NH's tradition of Town Meeting is the epitome of this democratic process. How can we teach the essential process of having a civil conversation about current and controversial topics?
Community
Participation and investment in one's community is the beginning of civic awareness. How can we teach what community means in our classrooms?
Democracy
Democracy is the form of government we live with in the U.S. We the People are the governed but also the government. We vote on budgets and community issues; we elect representatives and officials at the local, state, and federal levels. How to teach for our constitutional democracy in our schools?
Federal Government
The federal government of the United States is the national and largest-scale level of government our country has. It is composed of three branches: the legislative, the judicial, and the executive. Powers of each branch are described in the Constitution of the United States. The powers of each branch is further defined by acts of Congress. How can we teach about our federal government, its branches, and how they interact with each other, providing checks and balances?
International Government
An international governmental organization (IGO) is an organization composed of nations (referred to as member states), or of other intergovernmental organizations. The United Nations, North American Trade Organization, the World Bank, and the World Health Organization are examples of international governmental organizations. How do we teach about how our country interacts with other countries and with IGO's?
Law and Legislation
The law is a language that lawyers and judges use when they try to prevent or resolve problems—human conflicts—using official rules made by the state as their starting point. These rules come in the form of written constitutions (federal and state), statutes and regulations (laws written by legislatures and administrative agencies), and judicial decisions that interpret these written constitutions, statutes, and regulations. They also come in the form of judicial decisions which fill in gaps in the written law. We call this latter form of gap-filling judicial decision “common law.”
Local Government
Local governments are the governments that oversee towns, cities, and counties. They have different structures depending on the locality. Some localities elect mayors, others elect select persons. Some hold town meetings, other do all decision-making via vote. It is the lowest tier of administration within a state. How to teach our complicated legal system and legislative process? How can we teach about our local government and how to interact with it?
Military
The military is the armed forces of a country. In the United States, the branches of the military are Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The military is a part of the executive branch of the federal government and their commander-in-chief is the U.S. president. How can we teach the powers and the history of the US military?
State Government
State governments in the United States are another levels of government, smaller than the federal government, but larger than the local governments. State Governments also have three branches within them-- legislative, judicial, and executive-- and these three branches check each other and interact with each other. Each state has its own state constitution. States have different powers from the federal government, such as responsibility for overseeing education. How can we teach about state government and how to interact with it?
U.S. Constitution
The U.S. Constitution was ratified by “We the People of the United States of America” in 1788 to serve as the supreme law of the land. It has since been amended 27 times, most recently in 1992. Ultimate power under the Constitution resides in the hands of the People. The Constitution serves three primary functions: (1) to create the three branches of the federal government (Congress, the executive branch, and the federal judiciary) and distribute power among them; (2) to allocate power between these federal governmental institutions and the States; and (3) to specify the extent to which governmental power (federal or state) may encroach on an individual’s liberties.

This workshop was fabulous. I really needed ways to incorporate social studies into what I already do (Language Arts). I feel I accomplished this here. The presenters were awesome.

- Teacher, 2018

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Curriculum

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Classes for Eighth Grade

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