History · Government
SEL activities for United States Government and Civics
17 RoseThread Connect activities matched to the chapters of United States Government and Civics (McGraw Hill). Each one teaches the chapter's content and builds one Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) skill in about 20 minutes.
We look only at each book's table of contents (chapter titles and topics) to suggest activities that fit the flow of your course. We don't use or reproduce any textbook content, and your edition's chapter order may differ slightly. RoseThread Connect is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by these publishers.
Chapter 1: Foundations of Government
- Democracy Compared Relationship skills · GovernmentComparing how civil society works under constitutional democracies and authoritarian regimes, and practicing the respectful disagreement that free societies depend on.
- Ambition Checks Ambition Self-management · GovernmentReading Federalist No. 51 on checks and balances and building personal checks that slow a reaction before it becomes a regret.
- Who Is a Citizen Here? Self-awareness · GovernmentStudents map the communities they already belong to and name the civic identity they bring into Principles of American Democracy.
Chapter 2: Origins of American Government
- Ideas the Founders Borrowed Social awareness · GovernmentTracing how Greek, Roman, English, and Enlightenment thinkers shaped the Constitution, then noticing which voices have shaped students' own beliefs.
- Ambition Checks Ambition Self-management · GovernmentReading Federalist No. 51 on checks and balances and building personal checks that slow a reaction before it becomes a regret.
Chapter 3: The Constitution
- Ambition Checks Ambition Self-management · GovernmentReading Federalist No. 51 on checks and balances and building personal checks that slow a reaction before it becomes a regret.
- Rights That Belong to Everyone Relationship skills · GovernmentExamining the freedoms in the Bill of Rights and practicing how to speak up for a right while listening closely to someone who interprets it differently.
- Ideas the Founders Borrowed Social awareness · GovernmentTracing how Greek, Roman, English, and Enlightenment thinkers shaped the Constitution, then noticing which voices have shaped students' own beliefs.
Chapter 4: Federalism
- When Levels of Government Disagree Responsible decision-making · GovernmentAnalyzing how conflicts between state and federal authority are resolved through courts and negotiation and practicing fair steps for resolving a conflict between classmates.
- Government Close to Home Social awareness · GovernmentMapping who provides water, schools, roads, and tribal services in the Coachella Valley, including the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, and noticing the unseen people who keep a community running.
Chapter 5: The Structure of Congress
- How a Bill Really Becomes Law Relationship skills · GovernmentFollowing a bill through committee, compromise, and vote, and practicing the give and take that turns a group idea into a shared plan.
- Ambition Checks Ambition Self-management · GovernmentReading Federalist No. 51 on checks and balances and building personal checks that slow a reaction before it becomes a regret.
Chapter 6: Congressional Powers
- How a Bill Really Becomes Law Relationship skills · GovernmentFollowing a bill through committee, compromise, and vote, and practicing the give and take that turns a group idea into a shared plan.
- Ambition Checks Ambition Self-management · GovernmentReading Federalist No. 51 on checks and balances and building personal checks that slow a reaction before it becomes a regret.
- When Levels of Government Disagree Responsible decision-making · GovernmentAnalyzing how conflicts between state and federal authority are resolved through courts and negotiation and practicing fair steps for resolving a conflict between classmates.
Chapter 7: Congress at Work
- How a Bill Really Becomes Law Relationship skills · GovernmentFollowing a bill through committee, compromise, and vote, and practicing the give and take that turns a group idea into a shared plan.
Chapter 8: State and Local Legislative Branches
- Government Close to Home Social awareness · GovernmentMapping who provides water, schools, roads, and tribal services in the Coachella Valley, including the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, and noticing the unseen people who keep a community running.
- Direct Democracy in California Responsible decision-making · GovernmentReading the official arguments for and against a past California ballot measure in a structured academic controversy, then practicing decisions that weigh evidence over first reactions.
Chapter 9: The Presidency
- Power in the Executive Self-awareness · GovernmentExamining how President Kennedy and his advisers weighed options during the Cuban Missile Crisis and noticing how fear and pressure shape students' own choices.
- Ambition Checks Ambition Self-management · GovernmentReading Federalist No. 51 on checks and balances and building personal checks that slow a reaction before it becomes a regret.
Chapter 10: Choosing the President
- Parties, Polls, and Persuasion Self-awareness · GovernmentExamining how campaigns from every party use polls and advertising to stir emotion and practicing how to notice when a message is pulling on one's feelings.
- Many Ways to Be Heard Responsible decision-making · GovernmentExploring voting, petitioning, lobbying, and peaceful assembly as lawful paths to influence and choosing a respectful way to raise one's own voice.
- Direct Democracy in California Responsible decision-making · GovernmentReading the official arguments for and against a past California ballot measure in a structured academic controversy, then practicing decisions that weigh evidence over first reactions.
Chapter 11: Structure and Functions of the Executive Branch
- Power in the Executive Self-awareness · GovernmentExamining how President Kennedy and his advisers weighed options during the Cuban Missile Crisis and noticing how fear and pressure shape students' own choices.
- Government Close to Home Social awareness · GovernmentMapping who provides water, schools, roads, and tribal services in the Coachella Valley, including the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, and noticing the unseen people who keep a community running.
Chapter 12: State and Local Executive Branches
- Government Close to Home Social awareness · GovernmentMapping who provides water, schools, roads, and tribal services in the Coachella Valley, including the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, and noticing the unseen people who keep a community running.
- Power in the Executive Self-awareness · GovernmentExamining how President Kennedy and his advisers weighed options during the Cuban Missile Crisis and noticing how fear and pressure shape students' own choices.
Chapter 13: Federal and State Court Systems
- Judges, Evidence, and Restraint Self-management · GovernmentComparing judicial activism and judicial restraint as two serious philosophies held by thoughtful people and practicing calm judgment before taking a side.
- When Levels of Government Disagree Responsible decision-making · GovernmentAnalyzing how conflicts between state and federal authority are resolved through courts and negotiation and practicing fair steps for resolving a conflict between classmates.
- Landmark Cases, Changing Minds Social awareness · GovernmentTracing the shift from Plessy v. Ferguson to Brown v. Board of Education and reflecting on what helps a person or a nation change its mind.
Chapter 14: The Supreme Court of the United States
- Judges, Evidence, and Restraint Self-management · GovernmentComparing judicial activism and judicial restraint as two serious philosophies held by thoughtful people and practicing calm judgment before taking a side.
- Landmark Cases, Changing Minds Social awareness · GovernmentTracing the shift from Plessy v. Ferguson to Brown v. Board of Education and reflecting on what helps a person or a nation change its mind.
- Ambition Checks Ambition Self-management · GovernmentReading Federalist No. 51 on checks and balances and building personal checks that slow a reaction before it becomes a regret.
Chapter 15: Constitutional Freedoms
- Rights That Belong to Everyone Relationship skills · GovernmentExamining the freedoms in the Bill of Rights and practicing how to speak up for a right while listening closely to someone who interprets it differently.
- My Rights, Your Rights Responsible decision-making · GovernmentExploring why enjoying one's own rights requires respecting the rights of others, then deciding how to act fairly when two people's freedoms collide.
- A Free and Responsible Press Social awareness · GovernmentDiscussing why a free press matters and comparing how two outlets cover the same event, practicing curiosity about why others trust different sources.
- Landmark Cases, Changing Minds Social awareness · GovernmentTracing the shift from Plessy v. Ferguson to Brown v. Board of Education and reflecting on what helps a person or a nation change its mind.
Chapter 16: Constitutional Right to a Fair Trial
- Judges, Evidence, and Restraint Self-management · GovernmentComparing judicial activism and judicial restraint as two serious philosophies held by thoughtful people and practicing calm judgment before taking a side.
- Rights That Belong to Everyone Relationship skills · GovernmentExamining the freedoms in the Bill of Rights and practicing how to speak up for a right while listening closely to someone who interprets it differently.
Chapter 17: Political Parties
- Parties, Polls, and Persuasion Self-awareness · GovernmentExamining how campaigns from every party use polls and advertising to stir emotion and practicing how to notice when a message is pulling on one's feelings.
- Many Ways to Be Heard Responsible decision-making · GovernmentExploring voting, petitioning, lobbying, and peaceful assembly as lawful paths to influence and choosing a respectful way to raise one's own voice.
Chapter 18: Voting and Elections
- Many Ways to Be Heard Responsible decision-making · GovernmentExploring voting, petitioning, lobbying, and peaceful assembly as lawful paths to influence and choosing a respectful way to raise one's own voice.
- Who Is a Citizen Here? Self-awareness · GovernmentStudents map the communities they already belong to and name the civic identity they bring into Principles of American Democracy.
- Direct Democracy in California Responsible decision-making · GovernmentReading the official arguments for and against a past California ballot measure in a structured academic controversy, then practicing decisions that weigh evidence over first reactions.
Chapter 19: Public Opinion and Interest Groups
- Parties, Polls, and Persuasion Self-awareness · GovernmentExamining how campaigns from every party use polls and advertising to stir emotion and practicing how to notice when a message is pulling on one's feelings.
- Many Ways to Be Heard Responsible decision-making · GovernmentExploring voting, petitioning, lobbying, and peaceful assembly as lawful paths to influence and choosing a respectful way to raise one's own voice.
- A Free and Responsible Press Social awareness · GovernmentDiscussing why a free press matters and comparing how two outlets cover the same event, practicing curiosity about why others trust different sources.
Chapter 20: Mass Media in the Digital Age
- A Free and Responsible Press Social awareness · GovernmentDiscussing why a free press matters and comparing how two outlets cover the same event, practicing curiosity about why others trust different sources.
- Parties, Polls, and Persuasion Self-awareness · GovernmentExamining how campaigns from every party use polls and advertising to stir emotion and practicing how to notice when a message is pulling on one's feelings.
Chapter 21: Financing Government
- Government Close to Home Social awareness · GovernmentMapping who provides water, schools, roads, and tribal services in the Coachella Valley, including the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, and noticing the unseen people who keep a community running.
- Power in the Executive Self-awareness · GovernmentExamining how President Kennedy and his advisers weighed options during the Cuban Missile Crisis and noticing how fear and pressure shape students' own choices.
Chapter 22: Making Social and Domestic Policy
- Government Close to Home Social awareness · GovernmentMapping who provides water, schools, roads, and tribal services in the Coachella Valley, including the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, and noticing the unseen people who keep a community running.
- Duties of a Citizen Self-management · GovernmentWeighing legal duties like jury service and paying taxes alongside chosen duties like volunteering, and committing to one small act of service.
Chapter 23: Making Foreign and Defense Policy
- Democracy Compared Relationship skills · GovernmentComparing how civil society works under constitutional democracies and authoritarian regimes, and practicing the respectful disagreement that free societies depend on.
- Power in the Executive Self-awareness · GovernmentExamining how President Kennedy and his advisers weighed options during the Cuban Missile Crisis and noticing how fear and pressure shape students' own choices.
Chapter 24: Comparing Political and Economic Systems
- Democracy Compared Relationship skills · GovernmentComparing how civil society works under constitutional democracies and authoritarian regimes, and practicing the respectful disagreement that free societies depend on.
- Ideas the Founders Borrowed Social awareness · GovernmentTracing how Greek, Roman, English, and Enlightenment thinkers shaped the Constitution, then noticing which voices have shaped students' own beliefs.
RoseThread Connect activities are drafted with the help of AI and shaped by educators. Students never have to share anything personal. Our five SEL skills are informed by CASEL's SEL Framework; RoseThread Learning is not affiliated with or endorsed by CASEL.