Teach core democratic values with primary source documents, read alouds, social studies-history activities & art lessons.

Democracy Lessons for a Core Democratic Value: Pursuit of Happiness

LESSON PLANS FOR PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
Warm-up - Poetic Pause
Read Aloud - Picture Book from your library or bookstore
Explore Democratic Values: Think-Pair-Share
and Document Analysis
Think Piece essay - Discussion of Pursuit of Happiness
Pencil Power - Why are some schools still not integrated?
Art Connection activities - Photos with pointillist effect

POETIC PAUSE SAMPLE: Read aloud “Harlem” by Langston Hughes.“What happens to a dream deferred?” Ask, What are some of your dreams? Ask, What are some dreams that have come true for you? ...What happens if a dream never comes true?

Purchase and download the electonic-booklet in PDF file format. Print copies for your assistants and the students in your classroom. Use the Core Democratic Values lesson plans year after year.

Get the picture book,
Freedom Summer,
at your library or bookstore.

The Core Democratic lesson plans are electronic booklets in PDF format so you can download the files to your hard drive. You can print copies of the teacher's information pages and duplicate the Student Activities pages, documents, and worksheets for all of your students. Use the Core Democratic Values Lesson Plans over and over again each semester.