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Civics, US Government, and Social Justice for Change!

In this eight-week course, students will learn about the US government and how you can be an advocate for social change!
Melissa Seideman, MAT
Average rating:
4.5
Number of reviews:
(82)
Class
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What's included

8 pre-recorded lessons
8 weeks
of teacher support
1 year access
to the content
Homework
2-4 hours per week. They will be creating the Padlets, worksheets, Flipgird, civic action project, and postcards independently.
Assessment
They will be assessed based on their Padlet discussion, civic action project, and daily assignments.

Class Experience

US Grade 4 - 7
▬▬▬▬▬▬  COURSE SUMMARY  ▬▬▬▬▬▬
Social justice advocates hope to build a society in which individuals have equal access to resources and receive equitable treatment regardless of their race, gender, religion, sexuality, income level, or disability. Social justice classes can also use activist strategies such as social media campaigns, demonstrations, and activities to raise awareness of an issue and build support for positive change.

In this course, you will learn about a specific branch of the US Government (Legislative, Judicial, and Executive). Within each lesson, students will gain the knowledge and understanding of the inter-workings of each branch, and how they can influence each other and the Nation as a whole. This class will be comprehensive, interactive, and cooperative to foster greater student participation and understanding. You will be equipped with the facts and knowledge to master how our Federal Government runs! You will reflect on how you have the potential to evoke social change and make connections to the modern-day government.  

▬▬▬▬▬▬  FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE  ▬▬▬▬▬▬ 
Week 1: You will learn about the legislative branch this week. You will learn how the legislative branch functions and the duties it performs. You will complete a legislative branch handout and research current bills being proposed by your local US Senator or House of Representatives today!

Week 2:  You will learn about the executive branch this week. You will learn how the executive branch functions and the roles/duties it performs. You will complete a matching activity about Presidential roles. You will also research two actions the current president is working on today! 

Week 3: You will learn about the judicial branch this week. You will learn how the judicial branch functions and the duties it performs. You will watch a 20-minute video about the judicial branch and complete an activity. 

Week 4: You will study the concept of checks and balances and will gain an understanding of each branch's place within the system. You will play the checks and balances matching activity. 

Week 5: You will learn about the different methods of social justice. They will watch a video of me teaching about different methods of social change. You will complete the social justice worksheet. You will write two postcards to people to encourage them to vote in the next election. 

Week 6: Students will learn about social justice through real-life examples of people creating change. I  will read them two storybooks about social justice. They will write a refection Padlet post researching in more depth one of the people featured in the story and how one person can create social change. We will reflect on how the books impact their lives, communities, and what they can do to make the world a better place! This will be an engaging week where we discuss specific examples of social change and how one person can make a difference in their community! 

Week 7: You will work on their civic action project! They will have 4 opportunities to get live zoom drop-in office hours support on two Sundays if they need help with their projects. 

Week 8: Students share their video projects with the class using Flipgrid to record their presentation. They will watch other student's projects about social justice and change! I  will comment on each student's project and give them feedback about their civic action project. 

This is a powerful class about the impact of social change and how one person can make the world a better place!
Learning Goals
-Students will share their ideas and respond to the ideas of others in a way that allows for disagreement but still values the student’s perspective. 
-Students will learn different ways they can create a positive change in their community. 
-Students will see first-hand real-life examples about how to be a social justice advocate in their everyday lives. 
- Students will master the fundamental structures of the American government, and understand the relationships, strengths, and playbook of each branch of our federal government.
learning goal

Syllabus

Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum
Standards
Aligned with National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (NCSS)
8 Lessons
over 8 Weeks
Lesson 1:
Legislative branch
 You will learn about the legislative branch this week. You will learn how the legislative branch functions and the duties it performs. You will complete a legislative branch handout and research current bills being proposed by your local US Senator or House of Representatives today! 
1 assignment
Lesson 2:
Executive Branch
 You will learn about the executive branch this week. You will learn how the executive branch functions and the roles/duties it performs. You will complete a matching activity about Presidential roles. You will also research two actions the current president is working on today! 
1 assignment
Lesson 3:
Judicial Branch
 You will learn about the judicial branch this week. You will learn how the judicial branch functions and the duties it performs. You will watch a 20-minute video about the judicial branch and complete an activity. 
1 assignment
Lesson 4:
Checks and balances
 You will study the concept of checks and balances and will gain an understanding of each branch's place within the system. You will play the checks and balances matching activity. 
1 assignment

Other Details

Parental Guidance
They will learn about non-violent forms of social justice such as protesting, voting, petitioning, boycotting, and registering to vote. We will read a short story designed for kids on the following people: Samuel Adams, Harriet Tubman, Susan B Anthony, Woody Guthrie, Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, Rachel Carson, Martin Luther King, Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, Muhammad Ali, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Gilbert Baker, Jazz Jennings, Colin Kapernick, America Ferrera, and Parkland Students. We will also discuss parts of Harry Potter and how it connects to social justice.
Supply List
They will need to print the handouts for each lesson.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined June, 2020
4.5
82reviews
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Teacher expertise and credentials
I  am a full-time teacher with 14 years of experience teaching civics and government with a professional certification in teaching Social Studies Education. I have a Master's Degree in Special Education from the Univesity of New England. I  have taught civics and government for 14 years in a public school! I  am an expert at presenting government in a non-partisan way and I  will always show the two sides of an issue if a kid brings up one side of an argument. 

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Self-Paced Class
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$10

weekly or $80 for all content
8 pre-recorded lessons
8 weeks of teacher support
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1 year of access to the content

Completed by 20 learners
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Ages: 9-14

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