The First Amendment Academy is a hub for quick, engaging quizzes that test middle school and high school students’ knowledge with real-world scenarios, interactive activities and thought-provoking questions that make learning these five fundamental freedoms fun, fast and relevant.
Reading Like a Historian Lessons for K-5
With the support of the Educating for American Democracy (EAD) participants and in collaboration with Los Angeles Unified School District, the Digital Inquiry Group has developed 10 new Reading Like a Historian lessons for K-5 classrooms aligned to the themes and design principles of the EAD Roadmap.
Reading Like a Historian with Digital Literacy
10 new Reading Like a Historian lessons with formative assessments that incorporate digital literacy in the history classroom.
Lesson Plan: Moot Court – Students for Fair Admissions v President and Fellows of Harvard College (2023)
Moot courts provide an engaging environment for students to debate constitutional rights using contemporary issues that have been brought to the Supreme Court. This lesson provides the materials for students to deliberate over Harvard University’s admission policy and whether its selection criteria violates the Fourteenth Amendment.
Civic Engagement and How Students Can Get Involved
What rights and abilities do you have when it comes to advocating for issues you believe in? Use the lesson plan to discuss civic engagement and the role citizens play in making their voices heard.
History of Juneteenth and Why It Became a National Holiday
Students will explore and discuss the history and context around the Juneteenth holiday. Topics examined include the history of racial injustice in the U.S., the Civil War and the limitations of the Emancipation Proclamation. Additionally, students will be encouraged to explore the modern significance of Juneteenth and its long-term impact.
Learn How to Volunteer at Your Local Election Center
Who are poll workers? And what do they do? Learn how you can take part in the democratic process as a poll worker!
Lesson Plan: Political Parties: Two is Company, Three’s a Crowd
Students explore the two-party system and why it’s been so difficult for third parties to make it. The class then break into groups to study three U.S. elections with major third party candidates: the 1912, 1992, and 2000 elections.
How2Internet: Use Media Literacy Skills to Navigate the Misinformation Highway
Students will use media literacy skills to navigate through the perils of the land of online misinformation with the Teen Fact Checking Network, and then analyze their own social media platforms to see if they may be stuck in an echo chamber.
Decoding Media Bias
Students will examine where people in the U.S. get their news, how news selection amplifies one’s political views, and how media organizations decide to cover stories.