This curriculum unit is written to provide teachers with ideas that focus on American political thought. It acts as a useful guide to the many wonderful places on the World Wide Web, and explores a number of these sites so that teachers may feel comfortable using the internet as a supreme resource for finding exciting media to supplement their lesson plans.
While students will be trained to become self reliant in their thoughts and feelings, they will also be taught how groups of people have altered our country's independence with bias, prejudice and bigotry. Students will be able to discern traditional "group thinking" which established racial tension and hate in this country.
Lesson Plan #1 An Open Discussion: Students' views on a controversial topic
An opening topic which will allow students to offer their thoughts and express their feelings will be on the subject of the proposed "national apology" for slavery.
Lesson Plan #2 Teaching Prejudice: A Film Presentation and Discussion of
To Kill a Mockingbird
.
Lesson Plan #3 A Collage Play: Biographies of Famous American Political Thinkers
Section A: Internet Resource Guide for Teachers
While this curriculum unit contains several ideas for classes to be covered that pertain to American political thought, it is also to serve as a teachers' guide to the Internet.
Section B: Curriculum Development Projects
While several lesson plans have been included that are original ideas, many of the following plans come from other teachers all over the United States. They are included in this unit to promote creative unit composition and increase flexibility.
