One Semester US Government for Co-Op

[RootAnn]

A friend is looking for something that can be used in a one-semester co-op type environment meeting once per week. She'd like to spend the first six weeks or so covering the election process / electoral college and then finish the semester with other US government materials.

 

This will be for a mix of high school ages (with maybe a high reading ability 8th grader thrown in).

 

Ideas?

Edited May 21, 2016 by RootAnn

[Murrayshire]

Listening in......

[MEmama]

DS has been asking for something similar.

 

Listening in!

[RootAnn]

Okay, I changed the title a little bit. Hoping for more input from experienced moms.

 

Spent last night checking old threads & looking around. Two things that looked interesting were:

 

Walch Power Basics American Government (maybe the Student Text & possibly using the Tests as worksheets or discussion points?)

 

Catherine Jaime's Understanding Presidential Elections

 

with some Crash Course videos?

 

Looked at & mostly dismissed various Notgrass items, and A Noble Experiment. Abeka & BJU.

 

(Edited to add BJU & Abeka)

Edited May 21, 2016 by RootAnn

[almondbutterandjelly]

I wanted to suggest a couple of Schoolhouse Rock videos:  I'm Gonna Send your Vote to College and I'm Just a Bill.  Plus several of the America Rock videos from those, like No More Kings, Preamble, and Three Ring Government.

 

We are also using See How They Run: Campaign Dreams, Election Schemes, and the Race for the White House.  Plus a Steck Vaughn workbook called Freedom, Rights, and Responsibilities.

[JoJosMom]

She may want to check out iCivics.org.  They have a ton of resources, including curriculum.  And it's free!

[merylvdm]

I am teaching a class in this at our co op next year and also online. This is my first time teaching this class so I am also working on resources but I definitely plan on using iCivics - especially their online games! 

 

My daughter, who has just done AP Government, is helping me create the course she wishes she had had at school. I will use debates between the students, get them to write their own Bill of Rights etc. I also plan to find movie clips that illustrate things like filibustering. I will just use a textbook to find the topics I need to cover and then will search online for ideas on how to make each lesson as interesting as possible. I have already bookmarked a number of Youtube videos on different topics and I will also use some On The Media (NPR podcast) shows. There was a great one recently on the Supreme Court - really fascinating. I used a few PlanetMoney podcasts in my geography class and they went down really well with the students.

[theflyingbunny]

Can you tell me why you dismissed "A Noble Experiment"?  I was considering this as one of our options and I would appreciate your thoughts.  Thanks.

 

Okay, I changed the title a little bit. Hoping for more input from experienced moms.

 

Spent last night checking old threads & looking around. Two things that looked interesting were:

 

Walch Power Basics American Government (maybe the Student Text & possibly using the Tests as worksheets or discussion points?)

 

Catherine Jaime's Understanding Presidential Elections

 

with some Crash Course videos?

 

Looked at & mostly dismissed various Notgrass items, and A Noble Experiment. Abeka & BJU.

 

(Edited to add BJU & Abeka)

 

[RootAnn]

Can you tell me why you dismissed "A Noble Experiment"? I was considering this as one of our options and I would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks.

Those were ones my friend looked at already and dismissed on her own. I know that Notgrass was too focused on the Bible/religion, but I don't know why she nixed A Noble Experiment.

 

She hasn't found anything that she likes as a spine yet, FWIW. I'm planning a back up class for my Dr in case this class doesn't end up happening.