The benefits of experiential learning are well-documented, but large course enrollment can be seen as a barrier to providing meaningful experiential learning experiences. Political science literature on experiential learning in large undergraduate classes has prioritized simulations of political processes over direct student engagement in actual…

Traditionally in Canada, attention to political or civic education has been at the primary- or secondary-school level. This study focuses on the place of civic engagement in introductory Canadian politics and government university courses in Canada by surveying instructors on their attitudes and approaches to civic engagement in the classroom.…

Offers a collection of seven lesson plans and 33 activity ideas for the celebration of the Constitutional bicentennial. The lesson plans and activities span grades K through 12. (JDH)

Provides an activity designed to help students understand how U.S. Supreme Court judges are selected. Points out that the Constitution does not specify any qualification to serve as a federal judge, but that an unwritten rule is that all nominees have a bachelor of laws degree. (JDH)

A simulation for the classroom consisting of three elections. This article presents its objectives, participants, duties of participants, how to prepare voter profile cards, sample subjects for voter profiles, how to play the game, and follow-up activities. See SO 504 023 for address of journal. (ND)

Presents a game which has students interpret Articles I, II, and III of the U.S. Constitution to understand the allocation of powers among the 3 branches of government. The game helps students understand the interaction between the 3 branches of government, stressing the separation of powers and the system of checks and balances. (JDH)

Teaching about the Amistad case provides correlations to the National Standards for History, and Civics and Government. An overview of the events of 1839 is given in this lesson plan. Seven student activities include reading and using primary source documents, writing journal articles, viewing the movie "Amistad," and giving…

Provides 3 learning activities based on actual court cases which are designed to introduce students to the concept of judicial review, its limit and process. (JDH)

Briefly reviews the history of the judicial branch of the U.S. government. Maintains that the 1803 U.S. Supreme Court decision in "Marbury v. Madison" established the Court's authority to not only interpret the Constitution, but also to apply the Constitution to acts of other separate but equal branches of government. (JDH)

Provides a 49 item crossword puzzle which focuses on concepts and terminology related to the U.S. Supreme Court. (JDH)

Presents a case study involving students in the issue of separation of powers as applied to the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act. Students examine the case of Jagdish Rai Chadha, an immigrant threatened with deportation whose problems resulted in 1983 U.S. Supreme Court decision declaring legislative veto provision of Immigration and…

Arranged in five chapters, this handbook provides teachers with a variety of short-term modular, and semester-long voter education programs suitable for use at either the elementary or secondary level. The first chapter, an introduction, provides an overview of the status of student voter education programs and recommends possible roles for…

Presents an activity designed to show the sources of power under our federal and state systems of government. Provides a visual demonstration of how power is divided, promotes study of the U.S. and state constitutions, and highlights the role of citizens in making democracy work. (JDH)

Provides descriptions and ordering information for 8 ERIC documents. Included are units of instruction, collections of lessons, and a curriculum guide for teaching about citizenship rights and responsibilities in grades K through 8. (JDH)

The student text portion of this set contains an account of the 1968 presidential election, from the state primaries to the election of Richard M. Nixon. The Teacher's Guide outlines objectives, teaching strategies, discussion questions, vocabulary, and an annotated listing of resources which includes educational and commercial films as well as…