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Featured Lessons:

8th grade: Exploring the Poetry of George Moses Horton

10th grade: It's EOC time!  Use these sample questions to prepare your students for their End of Course test in Civics and Economics. Check out the Sample EOC Questions:

• Goal 1
• Goal 2
• Goal 3
• Goal 4
• Goal 5
• Goal 6
• Goal 7
• Goal 8
• Goal 9
• Goal 10

11th grade: Freedom of the Press

News

1. Over Fifty Social Studies Teachers Attend Training on the Supreme Court of North Carolina
On April 16, over fifty social studies teachers came to the School of Government to participate in “Once Nation Under Law: The US Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of North Carolina.” The training was a result of a special partnership between the NC Civic Education Consortium and UNC-TV. A grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting enabled the two groups to come together and provide teachers with resources on the US Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of North Carolina. The PBS series “One Nation Under Law”  and accompanying curriculum were featured as resources on the US Supreme Court, and Consortium lessons were featured as resources on the Supreme Court of North Carolina.

Training participants started their day with a visit from Raleigh attorneys Wade and Roger Smith and John T. Hall, who performed a self-scripted play covering oral arguments from ten fundamental cases heard by the Supreme Court of NC since its inception. “A Medley of Oral Arguments Across the History of the Supreme Court of North Carolina" ranged from an 1819 case dealing with slavery and property rights, to the case of Tabitha Holton, the first woman in the south admitted to practice law. With the audience acting as judges, the Smith brothers presented their overview of the State’s highest appellate Court, while John T. Hall narrated the medley.

The workshop highlighted resources designed to engage students in the role of the Supreme Court of North Carolina in their everyday lives, including a lesson plan on exploring a recent court decision affecting public schools in North Carolina: Leandro v. State of North Carolina. Teachers discussed this pivotal case and debated whether it is the responsibility of our state to provide its students with equal education.

Attendees also had the exciting opportunity to meet with former US Supreme Court clerks Tom Metzloff and Elizabeth Gibson, who clerked for Justice Bryon White. Metzloff is a professor of law at Duke University School of Law and Gibson is the Burton Craige Professor of Law at UNC School of Law.

Teachers ended their day learning about myriad of resources and ideas for how to engage their students in learning about the US Supreme Court and its landmark decisions, including website resources available on the PBS website, UNC-TV website, and the Consortium’s Database of Civic Resources.

The Consortium offered “One Nation Under Law: The US Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of North Carolina” as part of its trainings for Civic and Economics teachers. Past trainings have been on topics ranging from North Carolina government to conflict resolution; all training topics are tailored to the NC Standard Course of Study. To learn more about the Consortium's trainings, please visit the Consortium’s Upcoming Trainings webpage or contact Christie Hinson at 919.962.8389.

2. Website Launched to Assist NC Voters

A website launched by Democracy North Carolina aims to improve current voting statistics in North Carolina: two out of five adult citizens in NC are either not registered or not voting.

The “2008 Election Connection” website answers questions like: How do I vote by mail? Can a 17-year-old vote in the primary? What about ex-felons? Where is my polling place? Can people who are registered as Unaffiliated vote in the primary? What is Same Day Registration & Voting? Where do I register if I'm a college student? Where do I vote if I've moved recently?

The website provides links to free English and Spanish voter registration forms, precinct polling locations, one-stop voting sites, toll-free hotlines, every county board of elections, and other resources to increase your power. The site's "Do More" section tells individuals, nonprofit organizations, businesses, schools, and churches what they can do to increase voter participation in North Carolina.

3. Attention Teachers and Students: NC’s Primary is May 6
17-year-olds who will be 18 by the general election (November 4, 2008) are eligible to vote in the North Carolina primary election on May 6, 2008. The Consortium has developed a lesson on North Carolina's 2008 Primaries that highlights this important election.

To vote in the May primary, eligible voters must have registered with their county board of elections 25 days before the primary. Voters will be selecting their party’s nominee for President, Congressional offices, Governor, Council of State offices, as well as numerous other state and local offices. The May primary offers 17-year old students with an important opportunity to take part in the election process; please encourage your eligible students to register, become informed, and vote. Additional information on voter registration in North Carolina can be found at the State Board of Elections website.

Current Opportunities

1.Consortium Accepting Applications for Youth Advisory Committee!
Deadline: June 13, 2008
Do you know a high school student who like to voice their opinion and encourage civic participation among their peers? Then encourage them to be a part of the 2008-2009 Consortium Youth Advisory Committee.

The Youth Advisory Committee is composed of 20 high-school students from across North Carolina who serve as an advisory body and ensure the Consortium's activities continue to meet the needs of its target audience -- young people. Committee members travel to UNC-Chapel Hill quarterly to offer input on all Consortium youth initiatives. Members of the committee also serve as role models for civic engagement, as well as spread news of the Consortium's initiatives in their own schools and communities.

To access an application, visit the Consortium's Just for Youth webpage.

2. Grant Available to Support Middle and High School Student Newspaper Projects
Deadline: May 16, 2008

A grant offered by the Newspaper Association of America Foundation encourages middle and high schools to partner with professional newspapers in their communities to start, relaunch, or revitalize student newspapers, whether online or in print.

All public and private schools serving grades 7 through 12 and working in partnership with daily or nondaily professional newspapers are eligible to receive Student/Newspaper Partnership Grants from the NAA Foundation. Schools are also encouraged to seek a university or a college as an additional partner. Funding priority is given to startup student newspapers. However, grant applications to relaunch or revitalize former or current programs also will be considered. The NAA Foundation especially welcomes grant applications from urban, rural, or minority-majority schools.

The NAA Foundation will fund up to twelve partnerships in 2008-09. Each partnership may receive up to $5,000 in Year One, plus an additional $2,500 in Year Two. Grant funds may be used for equipment, software, adviser training, and printing. Visit the Newspaper Association of American Foundation website for more information.

3. American Immigration Law Foundation Offers K-12 Education Grants
Deadline: June 1, 2008

The American Immigration Law Foundation will award grants nationwide for the 2008-2009 school year, of $100 to $500, to fund a limited number of K-12 grade level projects that provide education about immigrants and immigration. The Foundation seeks to fund activities that are innovative and supportive of AILF's mission of promoting the benefits of immigrants to our nation.

Applications are limited to educators teaching in public or private primary, intermediate, and secondary level schools. Proposals that are classroom-based will receive strong consideration, and the Foundation encourages projects that can be replicated in other classrooms across the nation. Funds for field-trips will not be granted. Grants are non-renewable. AILF is always looking for innovative and creative ideas, this year focus will be emphasized on proposals that relate to the following categories:

• Innovative use of technology
• Underrepresented minorities
• Community outreach and partnerships with community based organizations
• Math and science

Submissions will be accepted in June and November of 2008. Grants will be awarded bi-annually with submissions deadlines on June 1, 2008 and November 28, 2008. Recipients will be selected by AILF's Curriculum Advisory Board and announced in July, 2008 and December 2008. Grants will be paid to the teacher submitting the proposal. Funds will be disbursed in July and December and participants will have one year to complete their projects. To learn more information, visit the American Immigration Law Foundation website.

4. 10th Grade Essay Contest on County Government
Deadline: May 9
As part of its centennial celebration, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) is inviting 10th grade students in North Carolina public and charter schools to participate in an essay contest on county government. The topic of the essay is, “How does my county government improve the lives of its citizens?” Essays will be limited to 500 words. The winning student and his/her teacher will each receive $500 and will be invited to the NCACC’s Annual Conference in August to read the winning entry during a General Session. For more details, including a complete set of contest rules, please the Welcome to Your County website.

Welcome to Your County is for Civics & Economics teachers and students who would like to learn more about county government. The website contains sections on why counties and county governments exist, where counties receive their funding, what services they provide, who runs county governments, and more. The website also includes a tax calculator that allows users to increase and decrease various revenue options including the impact on any particular county of an expansion of the sales tax base; total revenue generated or lost with incremental adjustments to the property tax rate; and/or yield from a local option sales tax, land transfer tax, or impact fee. The tax calculator was developed in conjunction with the Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) at North Carolina State University and is designed to help North Carolina’s counties examine and illustrate financial tradeoffs as they prepare for a rapidly changing economic future. For more information on the contest or the website, please contact Todd McGee, NCACC Communications Director, at (919) 715-7336.

5. Training for Middle School After School Providers and Youth Leaders:
Strategies to teach about the environment & global warming
On May 13, the Consortium and UNC-Chapel Hill's Environmental Resource Program will offer "It's Getting Hot in Here!" to help middle school after school providers and youth leaders learn how to teach their students about global warming. From determining how you use energy to engaging in fun environmental role-plays and art activities, this training will offer hands-on explorations of the impact global warming has on our communities, and ways students can be a part of climate change solutions. Lessons and activities will integrate science, civics, art, drama, and more, and are designed for after school or summer enrichment providers who work with middle school students.

Participants will receive lesson plans and activities designed for the after school setting; interactive training on how to use the materials; $75.00 in supplies to implement activities; and 4.5 Childcare Professional Development Credit Hours.

The training will take place in Lillington, NC from 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM at the Harnett County Governmental Complex. For information about registration, click here.

6. Grants For Schools and Districts
Deadline: May 15
Teaching Tolerance offers grants of up to $10,000 for programs that engage collaboration between educators, researchers, parents/guardians and student groups that aim to equalize students' experience in schools. Such programs might include:

• Equitable discipline policies and practices
• Consistent educational experience for migrant, homeless, or foster-care students
• Special education advocacy, with emphasis on parent and students' rights
• Prejudice reduction efforts in racially isolated schools
• Equitable school assignment plans

These grants require a two-stage application procedure, beginning with a Letter of Inquiry and, on invitation, followed by the submission of a full proposal. Letters of Inquiry should not exceed three pages and must include: contact name, email address, phone number, organization name/address; summary of the proposal's main points; information about the school or district and its capacity to carry out the proposal, including credentials of key project leaders; concise description of the project, including the motivation and need(s) addressed, what will take place, how many people will benefit from the program, and who will participate; anticipated short- and long-term outcomes that connect clearly to students' holistic experiences in schools; brief estimated budget and timeframe; brief overview of qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods. For more information, visit the Teaching Tolerance website.

7. Teacher Training: “Documenting North Carolina’s Past: Learning from Primary Sources”
Deadline: June 13

The 2008 Summer Teacher Institute will be held July 14–17 at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh. Teachers will learn about significant events in United States history from a North Carolina perspective; examine original documents, artifacts, and historic buildings that help to tell North Carolina’s story as a state; and take back to classrooms a wealth of resources, including the latest historical research by well-known scholars. This four-day program in Raleigh and Historic Halifax will feature speakers, discussions, activities, and field trips.

• Monday, July 14 Discovering North Carolina’s Early Documents
  Learn to use primary documents and artifacts to tell the story of history. Visit the North Carolina State Archives to see some of the state’s original foundation documents.

• Tuesday, July 15 Reading Historic Buildings
  Travel to Historic Halifax for the day. Explore North Carolina during the revolutionary period. Examine buildings for historical clues. Learn how documents such as inventories and travel accounts help to bring these early buildings to life.

• Wednesday, July 16 The Bill of Rights: Lost and Found
  Visit the North Carolina State Capitol. Find out how North Carolina’s copy of the Bill of Rights was lost and recovered. Tour the North Carolina Legislative Building as you learn about North Carolina’s constitutions.

• Thursday, July 17 Preserving the Past
  Discover how to preserve documents and photographs. Develop lessons for engaging students with the past through hands-on archival methodology.

Click here for more information and registration form.