Exemplary Lessons in Civic and Law-Related Education   New Pictures: CELD Staff introduces Shiver, Gobble and Snore to elementary students...a lesson for Constitution Day 2009. • All Grade Levels – Observing Constitution Day with Literacy Activities • Elementary and Middle School – Exploring the Purposes of Government: A Lesson on the Preamble • Middle School – Our Evolving Constitution: The Road to Citizenship • High School – Free Expression in Wartime: A Controversial Constitutional Issue New Lessons for commemorating the Lincoln Bicentennial: • Upper Elementary and Middle School Students (developed by CELD) • High School Students (developed by the Center for Civic Education) New from the Constitutional Rights Foundation: President's Day - An Opportunity for Reflection In a two-day workshop in June 2008, CELD and 15 middle and high school teachers explored how teaching about the election can focus on controversial issues. As part of the workshop, CELD staff developed four lesson plans for use in classrooms this fall; the lessons were revised based on input from teachers participating in the workshop. • Immigration in 2008: Drafting a Position Statement (a focus on the Colorado Senate race) • A Presidential Debate on Immigration • A Town Meeting on Health Care • Talking about Race: A Class Discussion The election of 2000 marked the third time since the Civil War that the presidential candidate who won the popular vote did not win the electoral vote and therefore did not become President. Despite the discussion prompted by this controversial election, many citizens still do not fully understand how the electoral college functions. This three-part lesson from the Constitutional Rights Foundation helps students understand how the electoral college works and why the Founders included this structure in the Constitution, involves them in analyzing data from the past four Presidential elections, and engages them in a simulated commission considering reforms of the electoral college. Grades 4-6 mock trial developed by members of the Colorado Bar Association. See also "SpongeBob tries to square things at school event," Pueblo Chieftain, April 21, 2007. Teacher Resources include: "Too Much Democracy....or Not Enough?"; 2006 Opinion Ballot; Pro and Con Arguments on Colorado Amendment 40. Elementary, middle and high school lesson plans developed to enhance legislators' classroom visits during "America's Legislators Back to School Week" in September; developed by teachers for NCSL with funding from the Trust for Representative Democracy. Contact NCSL for details. 15 lesson plans from the Colorado Judicial Branch introducing high school students to aspects of the Colorado judicial system. The plans include background information, outlines, transparency masters, classroom work sheets, homework assignments and classroom activities. New from Choices Program at Brown University Teaching with the News. This lessons provides a framework of four distinct alternatives to frame the current debate on America's role in the world. Framed in stark terms to emphasize very different policy approaches, each alternative includes a set of policies on specific issues, an overview of the beliefs that underlie it, some arguments in support of the position, and some criticisms of it. Recent legislative and judicial actions in Colorado regarding a law requiring recitation of the Pledge in Colorado schools provide teachable moments for engaging students in thoughtful lessons. CELD has compiled a special website of resources and lesson ideas on the Pledge of Allegiance. K-12 lessons posted by the American Bar Association focusing on the American jury-- the focus of Law Day, May 1, 2005. On-line resource guide for teachers, students and citizens on the jury system; features lessons developed by the Constitutional Rights Foundation-Chicago. Democracy for All: Fundamental Principles of Democracy. A lesson from Street Law in which students create a roadmap to democracy by identifying "signposts" of important democractic principles. In this interdisciplinary middle school lesson, students use the story of the Frankenstein monster to consider analogies between Dr. Frankenstein attempting to form a living being from inanimate matter and the framers of the Constitution and their efforts to create a strong national government that won't overpower state governments.   Note: The links on this page lead to other web sites that do not necessarily reflect the views of the Center for Education in Law and Democracy nor does CELD guarantee the accuracy or age-appropriateness of information presented on other sites.