In a kid-friendly approach, we look at the components of the U.S. Constitution and put early government-forming events in a context. We distinguish the roles of the three branches of government, especially the structure and responsibilities of our judicial system. ...
Learners will describe important protections afforded citizens by the Bill of Rights and illustrate how those protections encourage citizens to act on behalf of the common good.
The learners will review the fundamental democratic principles and beliefs of American democracy that unite a nation and promote the common good. They will look to their own school to apply them as a basis of positive character traits and philanthropic actions.
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We define the third sector and explain why it is important to minority groups who accessed and used it as an alternative power structure....
Even the person viewed as the most powerful person in the world does not have unlimited power. Constitutionally, the president of the United States is limited by the "advise and consent" rule (and other checks and balances). The learners look at the importance...
In the story of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, students identify the barriers and challenges to addressing an unfair situation. Given a list of ways to respond to unfair situations, students match ways to respond to possible unfair situations.
Students explore the connection between rights, laws, and voting in a democracy. They learn about their local government structure and visit a public office to collect data through interviews and observations....
Students will describe how Rosa Parks refusal to give up her seat was a continuation of long-standing acts of protest against forced segregation in public spaces in the South. They will explain how her action, which ushered change in public transportation, was heroic.
Literature and primary documents help youth understand the role of the Constitution for the United States. They overview the three branches of government described in the first three articles and learn that government officials are serving with their time and talent for the common good...
The learners analyze many variations of the Golden Rule and relate it to the concept of philanthropy and the words of Martin Luther King, Jr.