CIVICS Β· AMERICAN GOVERNMENT Β· UNIT 11
State & Local Government Unit Plan
Everything you need for an engaging, student-driven unit on state and local government in Civics or American Government, with easy-to-follow lesson plans for every day.
Unit 11 Overview
Who runs your community?
This is the last unit in my Civics and American Government curriculum, and it brings everything back home. Students learn how state and local governments work and who makes the decisions that affect their community every day.
The centerpiece is a "My Neighborhood" assignment where students map their neighborhood and interview neighbors about what's working and what isn't. That leads into a service learning project inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.'s commitment to service, which can take the place of a traditional unit test.
You can buy every resource for this unit here, or join Students of History to immediately access every lesson online, along with every other unit in the course.
Day-by-Day Flow
How the unit runs
The unit plan guide includes lesson plans for every day, so you always know which resource to use and how. Here's how the unit moves from start to finish.
State Government
A PowerPoint with guided notes covers the three branches of state government. Then students get the "My Neighborhood" assignment they'll work on throughout the unit.
Commission Simulation
Students take on roles in a state commission working with interest groups to find solutions to suburban sprawl. The more they buy into their roles, the better it gets.
Local Government
A PowerPoint explains how counties, cities, and towns are organized. Then students use Census data to build a demographic profile of their own community.
My Local Government
Students list their community's strengths and problems, then research their actual local officials. A county simulation game lets them try responding to citizen requests.
Service Learning
Students compare their neighborhood findings in a "tug-of-war" of positives and negatives, then plan and carry out a service learning project to address a real need.
Make It Local
Since every state works a little differently, many of the resources are editable so you can add your own state and local links and tailor the unit to your students.
What's Included
Everything you need, ready to teach
Every resource comes in both print and digital formats, plus a unit plan guide with lesson ideas for each day and links to videos and online resources.
- A complete unit guide packet students use throughout the unit
- A full set of digital notebook activities for Google Drive
- A pack of state and local government interactive notebook pages
- 2 PowerPoint lessons with guided notes on state governments and local government
- A state and local government reading activity
- A jobs in the state legislature activity
- A "My Neighborhood" assignment, in print and editable versions
- A local commission simulation
- A "My Community Demographics" activity
- A "My Local Government Leaders" research activity
- A complete service learning project packet to use in place of a traditional test
- A current event political cartoon assignment and video links
Teacher Reviews
What teachers say about this unit
β β β β β
βThis was super helpful with approaching state, local, and even tribal government with my students.β
Michelle W.Teacher
β β β β β
βHighly recommend, excellent resource. The content is accurate, accessible, and aligned with educational standards, making it an excellent resource for middle and high school classrooms.β
Joshua L.Teacher
β β β β β
βEngaging, clear, and easy-to-use history resource for class!β
Kirstin D.Teacher
β β β β β
βGreat resource! Very helpful and easy to follow for me.β
Dennis B.Teacher
β β β β β
βHelpful resource to use with my ELs. Thank you very much!β
Davina P.Teacher
Two ways to get this unit
If you just need this unit, you can buy it once and keep it forever. If you teach the whole course, a subscription gets you this unit plus every other Civics and Government unit, so you never have to plan from scratch again.
Pay Once, Keep Forever
Just This Unit
The complete Unit 11 bundle.
$25 one time
- Every resource and lesson plan for Unit 11
- One-time payment, no recurring charges
- Yours to keep and reuse every year
- Instant download from your dashboard
Access Everything
Every Civics Unit
Monthly or annual. Cancel anytime.
$33/ month
- All 11 Civics and Government units, including this one
- Lesson plans for every day of the year
- Immediate access to all new resources and updates
- Cancel any time through your settings
See the rest of the course
This is unit 11 of 11 in my complete Civics and American Government curriculum.
Β
Free sample lessons
Download Some Free Lessons!
Try out some of our lessons for your Civics or American Government classroom here or check out what we have for Geography, World, and US History.
Never spam. Instant download link sent to your email. Unsubscribe any time.