Scholastic's Democracy @ Work presents students with a behind-the-scenes tour of our American Government.
With the help of articles from a variety of Scholastic print and online publications, interactive games and timelines, and specialized learning activities, students explore the history of our American democracy even as they come to understand the challenges it faces in our current day.
The Democracy @ Work homepage is divided into five areas:
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In the News
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Explore Local Government
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More to Explore
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Now Featuring
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Presidential Activities
By having access to all the existing civics, U.S. government, and U.S. President content on Scholastic.com in one place, students can more readily make connections between subject materials. They can discover their own role in government as citizens of the United States and challenge their notions of what it means to be an American.
This project is suitable for students from grades 3–8, with a K–2 component that includes a Community Club field trip to Meet the Mayor. (For more K–2 components, go to the Community Club Teacher’s Guide.) See Lesson Planning Suggestions below for a prescribed plan on using Democracy @ Work with your students.
ASSESSMENT AND RUBRICS
Several assessment components are embedded in this lesson plan. Skill
labels 
highlight activities that address specific target skills. Targeted skills
are listed in the Learning Objectives. Assessment
and Rubrics assesses student proficiency with the Democracy @ Work
project.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Scholastic's Democracy @ Work is designed to support the teaching of
standards-based skills. Depending on how much time students spend in
the course of participating in Democracy @ Work, students will:
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Evaluate the meaning and significance of such historical documents as the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.
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Generate ideas and questions about the role of the American president and how the agenda of his administration impacts our daily lives.
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Consider what it means to be an American and the responsibility each American citizen has to participate in government by exercising their right to vote.
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Conduct research by gathering information about the function of government by reading background material, speech and interview transcripts, and in-depth political analyses.
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Use Web technology to access various aspects of American civics, including the history of our constitutional government and the continuing role of citizens in a democracy.
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Brainstorm on how they themselves can make a difference as individual citizens, not only of the United States, but of the world as a whole.
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Imagine themselves in the role of President and challenged with properly budgeting programs such as education, the military, and health care.
PROJECT COMPONENTS
In the News
Declaration Hits the Road
In 2001, producer and philanthropist Norman Lear launched the Declaration
of Independence Road Trip, a touring exhibit of an original copy of
"The People's Document" that visited cities across the country.
Students join that road trip in this Scholastic News project and discover
for themselves through readings, recordings, and interactive quizzes
the Declaration of Independence and, in addition, the Bill of Rights.
Meet President George W. Bush
This Scholastic News Special Report features in-depth coverage of the
Bush agenda and the impact of the president’s policies on areas
such as the environment, education, school safety, and foreign affairs.
Students can study the facts and present what they think of our current
president by voting in an online poll.
Election 2002: Citizenship
How does United States law define “citizenship”? How does
it define “alien”? In this component of a Scholastic News
In-depth on the 2002 Election, students find answers to any questions
they might have about how U.S. citizenship works and how it has functioned
throughout American history.
Explore Local Government
Meet the Mayor
Mayor Steve Yamashiro invites early readers from grades K–2 on
a Community Club visit to his office in Hilo, Hawaii. Through words
and pictures, students are introduced to a few basics about a mayor’s
job and given an opportunity at the end of their visit to show how much
they’ve learned by taking a simple interactive quiz.
More to Explore
Investigate Different Governments
Created with Grolier Online, this Research Starter on Presidential and
Parliamentary Government provides students with all the tools they need
to investigate these forms of government. Recommended research topics
are offered in addition to a glossary, background information, and a
list of resources that includes online articles and links to relevant
Web sites on the Internet.
Read About Civics
In this extensive archive of articles from Scholastic print and online
publications, students can research subjects ranging from the Constitution
to lobbyists in Congress to bios of Supreme Court justices. Also featured
are speeches of American political leaders and transcripts from Scholastic
guest interviews.
Read About Past Presidents
For students interested in U.S. Presidents, this archive of Scholastic
print and online publications offers a collection of speech and interview
transcripts, presidential profiles, and even memos from the desk of
the Oval Office. Also featured are articles on the role of the First
Lady, the White House and its history, and fun facts on everything from
what career each president had before taking office to what kind of
pet they kept while residents at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Now Featuring
Get Involved
Students are challenged to make a difference by the example of Craig
Kielburger, who at the age of 12 launched a campaign to fight child
labor worldwide. His organization, Kids Can Free the Children, continues
to raise money for food, medical supplies, and school construction for
kids around the world. Students can visit the official Web site of Kids
Can Free the Children and brainstorm ways they too can become civically
active by downloading the “Get Ready to Get Involved” PDF
workbook.
Presidential Activities
Can you fulfill your presidential duties?
In this interactive game from Scholastic News, students have a chance
to show what they would do if they were President. How would they run
the country? What would be the main issues of their agenda? Students
choose advisors from various political backgrounds and then make decisions
on budgeting programs such as education, the military, and health care.
Inauguration Time Line
This interactive time line allows students to follow the course of the
American presidency, from George Washington’s first inaugural address
in 1789 to George W. Bush’s swearing in after the election of 2000,
and compare the dates of the presidents with important corresponding
events in U.S. history.
U.S. President Math Hunt
With the help of Webster, Scholastic’s resident math expert, students
hunt around the Internet and travel to historic presidential sites such
as the White House, Ford’s Theater, and Monticello, as they collect
facts about U.S. Presidents to help them solve problems that test math
skills from the grades 5–8 curriculum.
History Mystery
With the help of clues from Carlotta Facts, professor of the History
Mystery Museum, students try to identify a mystery person or event from
American Government and politics. In each game, students are encouraged
to use the World Wide Web or offline research sources to aid them in
their efforts, and final answers offer comprehensive information on
the game’s subject, along with relevant links to other Web sites
for further study.
NATIONAL STANDARDS
CORRELATIONS
This project aids students in meeting national standards in several
curriculum areas.
Reading/Language Arts
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
- Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and to acquire new information to meet the needs and demands of society.
- Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions.
- Students use a variety of technological and informational resources (libraries, databases, computer networks) to gather and synthesize information in order to create and communicate knowledge.
Social Studies
National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and the Center for Civic
Education (CCE)
- Civic Life, Politics, and Government (Students study the characteristics and function of government and the civic and political life that defines it.)
- Foundations of the American Political System (Students distinguish the elements of American constitutional democracy.)
- Principles of Democracy (Students study the basics of representative law in the American constitutional system and the roles of federal, state, and local governments.)
- Roles of the Citizen (Students define the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in American constitutional democracy.)
- Individual Development and Identity (Students learn to ask questions such as "What influences how people learn, perceive, and grow?")
- Power, Authority, and Governance (Students study the historical development of the structures of power, authority, and governance in American society.)
- Civic Ideals and Practices (Students gain an understanding of the ideals, principles, and practices of citizenship in a democratic republic.)
Technology
Technology Foundation
- Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.
- Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.
- Students use technology tools to process data and report results
- Students use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions.
LESSON PLANNING
SUGGESTIONS
As you plan your lessons, you may wish to print out any reading assignment
pages and staple them into a book for individual students. If you have
several computers in your classroom, assign computer time to small groups
of same-reading, level students.
If you have one day
Begin
the lesson about American government with the document that first proclaimed
its independence. Direct students to the link for the Declaration Hits
the Road. Have students read about Norman Lear’s traveling exhibit
of the original Declaration of Independence. Has anyone in your class
seen this exhibit? Has anyone ever seen the Declaration of Independence
at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.? Discuss students’
basic preconceptions of the Declaration of Independence and then have
them look at the actual text of the document. Encourage them to listen
to portions of the text read aloud. They can then compare what they
hear to an interpretation of the text found at the Declaration of Independence
link. Finally, have students learn more about the Declaration of Independence
and the current Declaration of Independence Road Trip by putting their
Web-searching skills to use in the online Scavenger Hunt.
For more lesson planning ideas and reproducibles pertaining to the Declaration Hits the Road project, click on the link called Teacher Lesson Helpers.
If you have a week
Begin
your unit with a discussion on government and civic responsibility.
Some guided questions would be:
What are the three branches of government and how do checks and balances
work?
Who is the President of the United States and what are some of his policies?
What are some of the differences between the House of Representatives
and the Senate? For example, which body is larger and why? Or in which
body does one serve a longer term of office? Can students identify their
local representative or a senator from their state?
How do citizens take part in their government? Discuss a few basics
about voting in the United States, for example, who gets to vote? When
do national elections occur? How was the current president elected?
After the discussion, introduce the class to the Democracy @ Work homepage and break up the class into sections.
Direct
the first group of students to the Election 2002: Citizenship link and
have them read about the definition and history of citizenship. Review
relevant terms such as alien, naturalization, expatriation. Have
students read about the different ways one can become a citizen of the
United States. Ask them to write about what being an American means
to them. For homework, have them interview family members with the same
question, and then compare in class how the idea of being an American
is understood in different households. Is there a difference for a student
who has a parent who is a naturalized citizen compared with another
whose parent was born in this country?
Direct
the second group of students to examine how U.S. presidents have performed
while in office. First direct students to the Inauguration Time Line
found under Presidential Activities. Allow them to browse through the
various dates each U.S. President served in office and compare how those
dates correspond to important events in American history. Encourage
students to select a president from the time line and then direct them
back to the Democracy @ Work homepage to find the research link of articles
about past presidents. There, students can compile facts about their
chosen president and then discuss whether or not they think that president
performed well while in office. Was there a crisis with which that president
proved himself or was there an overshadowing event that left his presidency
a failure? Finally, have student participate in the If You Were President
activity to what they themselves would do if they were president.
Direct
the third group of students to study about George W. Bush.
Have them to read over the Bush agenda and familiarize themselves with
the various issues listed. Then instruct them to imagine themselves
as a member of the president’s cabinet, with each of them responsible
for an area covered by the various issues. If they had to submit a memo
to advise the president on their particular area, what would they write?
What specifics of the president’s plan would they think had good
ideas, and why? Would they approve of the president’s performance
of their given area? What would they say about the president’s
overall performance? Recommend that they consult the results provided
in the Presidential poll and then have them present their own findings
to the class. If you have more time, go to the research link of articles
about past presidents. Direct the students to select a past president
and make comparisons of their record in office with the Bush agenda.
After
each group has completed their tasks, have each group present their
findings to the rest of the class.
As an extension, have students, individually or as a group, play the “If You Were President” game. Use the results of the game as the basis for a discussion about the function of the presidency and the role the president plays in American government. Some guided questions might be: Which among the president’s programs is the most important? Why? What effect, if any, does balancing the budget have on these programs? Have students either discuss or write out their reasons for the choices they made while playing the role of president. What made them budget the way they did? How did they choose their advisors? How do their choices compare with the budget or advisors chosen by the current president?
If you have longer
Instead of breaking up the group, have each student do all three activities
above.
After studying the three lessons above, an extension would be to read the “Now Featuring” area, and decide how the students can be good citizens.
Challenge your students to ask themselves how they can make a difference as members of society. Begin by directing them to read about Craig Kielburger and his organization, (Kids Can) Free the Children. Break the students up into groups and have them visit the official Web site of (Kids Can) Free the Children. To each group, assign a particular aspect of the organization that they should investigate — perhaps a project or a country where certain work is being done on behalf of children — and then have each group report their findings back to the whole class. Use a discussion of these facts to get students brainstorming ideas on how they, too, can have an effect on society. Have them answer questions provided on the Get Ready to Be Involved PDF and then share what they write. Additionally, you might discuss examples of other kids or people known personally who have made a difference: Why did they do it? How did they do it?
CROSS-CURRICULAR EXTENSIONS AND ACTIVITIES
Art History
Have students visit via the Internet important U.S. landmarks, such
as the White House, the U.S. Capitol, and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.
How are the ideas of American civics reflected in these great buildings?
Encourage students to research these landmarks and discuss the meaning
of classical influences on their architecture. Study photographs of
Greek and Roman ruins to make comparisons.
Drama/Geography
What does it feel like to be an immigrant as they make the all-important
pledge to become an American citizen? Obtain the text used by immigration
officials and have students participate in a mock swearing-in ceremony.
But first have students imagine they have just come to the United States
from a foreign country they choose. Through research, let them find
a special place or custom native to that country that as American citizens
they will be leaving behind. Discuss the experience of being sworn in.
What do students think of the pledge they are making? Encourage them
to write their own pledges. To learn more about immigration, click on
Immigration: Stories of Today and Yesterday.
Science
What is the science behind keeping a paper document as old as the
original Declaration of Independence intact? And what methods do historians
use to distinguish an original from a copy? Encourage students to research
storing techniques used in museums and learn how certain chemical gases
can preserve antique documents, while other influences such as tea staining,
and excessive heat can make a page from the day’s newspaper or
even a piece of ruled notebook paper look like it’s aged a hundred
years.
Language Arts and the Media
Encourage students to think about the press and its relationship to
the president and his agenda. Start with a discussion of what your students
think about the role today’s press has in politics and public policy.
Use the mock newspaper article presented at the end of the “If
You Were President” game as an example. Have students play the
game, but then allow them to interview each other — either one-on-one
or in groups — as they conduct their own mock press conferences.
Students can then write a newspaper article about a classmate’s
performance as president. They can publish these articles as a class
or even online with the help of Scholastic News Editors by linking to
the News Writing activity featured on the Writing with Writers homepage.
RESOURCES
The Story of the White House
Kate Waters
Here is an engaging tour of one of the world's most famous houses. Portraits of former Presidents and First Ladies, fun facts, and highlights of holiday celebrations make this an unforgettable visit to this national landmark.
Grades K–3
Paperback, 40 pp.
Shop Now!
Candidates,
Campaigns, & Elections
Mary Oates Johnson , Linda Scher
Fully revised and updated! Get students excited about elections with these engaging activities. Through role-playing, interviewing, debating, and graphing, students will learn how our government is organized and how politicians present themselves and the media portrays them. Includes literature links, primary sources, and maps and charts for tracking results, plus a colorful poster.
Grades 4–8
Paperback, 80 pp.
Shop
Now!
Internet Activities: Government in the Making Series
Stand these sturdy folders up next to your classroom computer! Here are all the Web resources you and your students need to explore the Bill of Rights, the Boston Tea Party, and Washington, D.C.
Inside, you'll find background information, an Internet scavenger hunt, reproducible worksheet, and more Web-based activities.
The activities are designed to help your students develop critical-thinking skills and build their Internet-research skills. Ideal for independent learning!
Grades 4–8
Paperback Collection
Shop Now!
Quick & Easy Internet Activities for the One-Computer Classroom: U.S. Government
Jacqueline B. Glasthal
It's easy to integrate technology into your one-computer classroom with this resource. These 20 activities encourage students to build Internet research skills as they learn about democracy, the U.S. Constitution, the branches of government, political parties, and more. With reproducible graphic organizers, students sort through and record information from reliable Web sites. Based on the research they collect, they can then:
make a mobile showing the balance of power between the branches of government
create a personal "contacts" list of elected officials
write a job description for the next U.S. president, and more
Grades 4–8
Reproducible, 48 pp.
Shop Now!
Shh! We're Writing The Constitution
Jean Fritz
Jean Fritz introduces elementary and middle school students to the delegates at the 1787 summer convention in Philadelphia. Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, James Madison, and many other traveled there to draft a plan that would unify their states while preserving their sovereignty.
Grades 1–6
Video, 31 minutes
Shop Now!
Decisions, Decisions 5.0 Building a Nation
Help your students make some of the most important decisions in history right in your classroom!
Role-playing brings your curriculum to life!
With each title in the Decisions, Decisions series, students role-play a decision-maker faced with a critical situation drawn right from your history or contemporary issues curriculum.
Your students not only acquire information, they learn how to use it.
Grades 5–10
Software
Shop Now!
For more titles, shop the Teacher Store Scholastic.com.
