High School U.S. Government
America’s federal, state and local governments affect nearly every aspect of our lives, and understanding how they work is important. Use the High School U.S. Government Web Guide to find engaging government resources for students, teachers and parents.
Educators: Sign up for our education newsletter.
Educators: Sign up for our education newsletter.
Expand All Guide SectionsStudent Resources for High School Government
Investigate your local and national government, find original documents written by historical ... read more »
Teaching Resources for High School Government
There are so many fantastic social studies resources online that, as a teacher, your biggest problem may be choosing which to use in your classroom. Whether you’re teaching the three branches of government or following the election process, you’ll find great teaching resources for high school government using the sites below.
Insights for High School Government Teaching Resources
- Don’t get fooled into paying for resources. Although some pay sites offer dependable content, you’re just as likely to find great stuff somewhere else for free. Museums, government entities and universities all offer excellent resources at no charge, and are often more engaging than pay-site material.
- There are many resources throughout findingDulcinea.com that can greatly enrich the social studies experience in your classroom. Our Beyond the Headlines section puts the day’s news in a broader context. The Politics Web Guide highlights the best Web sites for political news, history and activism, and houses individual Web guides to each branch of government.
Top Sites for High School Government Teaching Resources
For government lesson plans …
PBS
maintains a top-notch site for educators. Look for lesson plans, classroom resources and professional development materials.
EDSITEment
is hosted by the National Endowment for the Humanities and offers interesting lessons to supplement your curriculum. It’s easy to use and searchable by grade level and subject if you’re looking for other resources.
Library of Congress
covers a range of government topics. Make use of wonderful primary sources such as pictures, artwork and original documents that will get your students thinking like historians. First-time users might want to visit “The Learning Page” to learn how to use the vast resources.
SCORE
provides both unit and lesson plans for social studies categorized by California Content Standard. Don’t worry if you don’t teach in California; the links are topical for anyone teaching government.
The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
provides an excellent unit on the U.S. Constitution that includes 18 original documents and audio recordings.
For government activities and curricula …
Justice Learning,
a collaboration between National Public Radio’s “Justice Talking” and The New York Times Learning Network, is aimed at providing the best resources to government and civics teachers. There are several categories to choose from, all of which focus on creating important discussions and critical thinking in your classroom.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
offers a wide array of resources, including lesson plans and enrichment texts, on constitutional issues designed to help your students discuss the importance of good citizenship. The “Bill of Rights in Action” archive provides free access to printable readings that you can implement directly into your curriculum.
Our Documents
contains the top 100 milestone documents in U.S. History. The “Tools for Educators” section contains a printable guide to using the documents along with other valuable resources.
Parent Resources for High School Government
In high school, students broaden their ideas about citizenship as they learn the workings of their ... read more »
© 2012 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
