Perfect for establishing classroom protocols, this activity gets even the youngest learners thinking about rules and their consequences. The lesson begins with a discussion and a reading of the poem Humpty Dumpty that gets...

Create your own classroom court. After studying courtroom proceedings, with a focus on the concept of a trial by a jury of your peers, pupils create a set of classroom rules and develop a procedure for solving conflicts. They then are...

Divided into groups of threes or fours, class members develop skits that demonstrate their knowledge of classroom rules, routines, and protocols.

First graders analyze politics by participating in a class rules instructional activity. In this democracy instructional activity, 1st graders identify several class and school rules they dislike and conduct discussions to examine if...

Students develop awareness of the necessity for rules and use logic to decide what rules make the classroom have a learning and caring atmosphere. They examine the choices they make have consequences.

Travel back to 1787 as young scholars investigate the creation of the US Constitution. After first working in small groups to create sets of classroom rules, students go on to read a summary of the Constitution and watch a short video...

Courtrooms are complicated. In addition to the many rules, there are a number of people whose jobs are not very clear to the casual courtroom observer. With the resource, individuals identify some of these roles and review more...

Accuracy, transparency, trustworthiness, and impartiality are four unspoken rules of journalism. Scholars delve deep into the subject by discussing the pros and cons of relying on social media for news. They also play an online game to...

Students explore the concept of sharing. In this character education lesson, students role play methods of sharing in the classroom and create a guidebook for sharing in the classroom.

Students discuss basic classroom rules as a whole class. They break into groups to determine other rules which they present to the whole class. They vote on two or three of the best rules to use for the rest of the school year.

Students study rules and consequences as well as learn positive, healthy behaviors in and out of the classroom. In this behavior instructional activity, students discuss behaviors that got them into trouble at home. Students name trouble...

First graders discuss how others should use the Golden Rule to peacefully solve real life problems. They perform short skits that depict people breaking the Golden Rule. They work as a class to determine ways the problem could be solved....

Whether out of choice or necessity, people want to know what will happen on a typical day in court. A helpful lesson walks scholars in the field of criminology through the trial process from opening statements to the final verdict. 

Engage your class with a mock National Ocean Sciences Bowl. The first installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program provides an introduction to the ocean sciences, as well as to the rules of...

Students explore organization by participating in a cleaning activity. In this classroom rules lesson, students identify their responsibility to clean up messes they have made and define the consequences should they not clean. Students...

Students listen to a story about Rosa Parks and examine the bus seating rules of the 1950s. In this civil rights movement lesson plan, the teacher reads students a book about Rosa Parks, then students complete a worksheet with a diagram...

First graders make connections between the purposes of rules. In this governing lesson students listen to a story about rules being broken. Students identify rules that they have at school or home.

Students discuss rules, have introductions, complete school tours, and more for the first day of preschool. In this first day of school lesson plan, students also discuss being good friends.

Students examine the platforms of early political parties in the United States. In this political parties lesson, students discover details regarding the attributes and ideals of the federalists and the democratic-republicans. Students...

Turn the class into the next episode of Law & Order! Scholars work together to create a mock trial over the course of several weeks before going before a judge for the case performance. They take on different roles, go through...

Students consider alternative decisions and consequences. In this decision making lesson, students role-play in a social problem. They look for a realistic solution based on advantages and disadvantages.

How can people learn to spot viral deception? Players do just that with the NewsFeed Defenders media literacy game. Scholars choose avatars and the focus of their news feeds: student life, health and wellness, or sports and...

Students learn about discrimination and the Jim Crow laws. In this discrimination lesson plan, students are presented with new classroom rules that discriminate against certain types of clothing. Students discuss the effects of the new...

Illegal immigration is an ever-changing source of consistent controversy. A reading passage about the rights of undocumented workers and illegal immigrants—and the lack thereof—guides high schoolers into a mock trial activity. Three...