An increasing number of people are calling for an end to the Electoral College. Teach high students about the Electoral College and its origins, as well as the more contemporary movement advocating for the National Popular Vote and the interstate compact that would support it.
Felony disenfranchisement can impact elections and local laws in a variety of ways. High school students learn about felony disenfranchisement, discuss the pros and cons and whether it should remain intact.
Students learn what algorithms are, how they work and how they impact our daily lives, and consider questions like: Is an algorithm always reliable when it predicts human behavior? Is it ethical to use an algorithm to make a critical decision about another person’s life?
Adding Up the Points: Merit-Based Immigration Policy
Lesson Plan
What is merit-based immigration policy and how does it works? Teach students about merit-based immigration while calculating their points based on Trump’s RAISE Act.
Students learn about how the Constitution affected persons who were not of the same demographics as the Founding Fathers. They will also discuss the ease and difficulty of making amendments to the Constitution.
Understanding bias and discrimination is integral to civics education because it relates to our civil rights. Students explore implicit bias and self-reflect about situations in which they have experienced or encountered everyday type of bias.
What a Black Man Wants: The 15th Amendment and the Right to Vote
Lesson Plan
One of the most outspoken proponents of the 15th Amendment was Frederick Douglass, a national leader of the abolitionist movement after escaping slavery. Students will analyze Douglass's speech, "What the Black Man Wants," and his argument for why Black men should have the right to vote.
Students compare each form of government and assigned powers, and consider which form of government has the most power to address issues, including those of equity and social justice, in their communities and lives.
Submitting a bill for consideration by the legislature involves writing, revising and sharing bills with a focus on passing them in a Senate hearing. Students brainstorm to identify changes they believe are important for improving their school community.