In this lesson, students will identify essential components of a functioning democracy. They will be presented with “borderline” countries – hypothetical nations that exhibit some, but not all, of the characteristics of a democracy. Through discussion and group work, students will expand their understanding of democracy and see different manifestations of democratic practices.
Climate Change Lesson Plans & Resources
This curated collection serves as a great resource for educators to find a wide-range of relevant K-12 lessons on climate change, celebrating Earth Day or supporting young people as they continue to lead the conversation around the climate change crisis. What is weather? How does it impact people and the planet? Are there things we do that can address climate change?
Women’s History Month Lesson Plans & Resources
The Share My Lesson team has curated a collection of free preK-12 lesson plans and class activities for educators to use in order to incorporate key figures and historical events into their Women’s History Month lesson planning. This Share My Lesson collection spans topics like women’s suffrage and women’s rights and features influential women in science, social justice and sports.
Thanksgiving Lesson Plans & Resources
Find new ways to teach students about the meaning of the Thanksgiving holiday. Share My Lesson’s vetted collection includes free preK-12 lesson plans, activities, and resources that explore this traditional event from multiple perspectives, including a focus on indigenous peoples and studying endangered cultures.
Battle for Truth: It’s Your Witness
Students will use role playing to learn about the procedure and purpose of questioning witnesses for determination of fact in the adversarial process. They will discuss the evolution of justice over time, and so come to understand the historical motivations for our current system.
Mock Trial Plan
In this lesson, students will stage a mock trial to resolve a hypothetical dispute. They will develop an understanding of the trial process, the roles of those in the courtroom and their importance to the administration of justice, and the significance of their constitutional protections.
Teaching About Due Process and the Law
In this lesson, students will be presented with various cases of discrimination. They will identify the discriminatory practice, and discuss the difference between permitted and illegal discrimination. The instructor might then lead discussion about the difficulties in drafting laws that ensure no discrimination while not interfering too much with private citizens’ freedoms.
Voir Dire Simulation
In this lesson, students will role play real lawyers as they carry out a voir dire simulation for jury selection. They will draft lists of favorable characteristics of jurors beforehand to aid in their questioning. Then, students will be presented with a list of thirty potential jurors and will impanel either a six-person or a twelve-person jury based on the size of the class. By reflecting on the impaneled jury towards the end of the session, students will think critically.
Environmental Laws Timeline Activity
Students will have to select 25 environmental laws in American history from a much larger list. Their goal is to produce their own timeline of American environmental law history to present to the rest of the class. In doing so, they will develop critical thinking and analytic skills and articulate the importance of the Rule of Law to protecting the environment.
Environmentalism Then and Now
This PowerPoint presentation uses modern environmental images juxtaposed with historic images and facts, and then asks students: Is Going Green new? While it is clear that environmentalism and the environmental movement, even environmental law, are historic, it is worth discussing how today’s movement is different from the past. Today there are stricter laws, policy initiatives, social networks, and new technologies.