Founding Ideals Handout

A 3-day introductory unit designed for Philadelphia high school students. This sequence introduces local civic structures, power dynamics, and student agency through the lens of City Hall, SEPTA, and local school board policies, complete with slides, worksheets, teacher guides, and a diagnostic quiz.

Day 3 of the kickoff unit. Students assess their baseline civic knowledge, explore local avenues of youth agency (like the Philadelphia Youth Commission), and develop a personal civic action plan.

Day 3 student diagnostic quiz and civic health survey. Features 8 identical-styled baseline questions regarding local government functions, followed by a personalized civic connection action planner and reflection.

A comprehensive, 4-unit sequence designed for a CTE Career Pathway in Early Childhood Education. Each lesson equips high school/adult students with formal workplace preparation, industry-standard credentials, and professional habits.

Day 2 of the kickoff unit. Students dive into the structure of Philadelphia's city government, analyzing the roles of the Mayor, City Council, and Row Offices, and simulating local legislative advocacy.

A comprehensive 3-day lesson plan / teacher guide including pacing, Pennsylvania civics standards, classroom discussion strategies, and full answer keys for worksheets.

A comprehensive pre-Columbian Native American history unit for 8th graders. Students engage in primary source analysis and an architectural research project highlighting pre-contact innovations, adaptations, and social structures.

Day 1 of the kickoff unit. Students explore the concept of civic power, mapping how local decisions about transit, school policies, and public spaces impact their daily lives as Philadelphia teenagers.

Day 2 student worksheet designed to build local municipal literacy. Students analyze scenarios of city issues, explore the split between Executive (Mayor) and Legislative (City Council) branches, and map their local council representation.

A two-part introductory unit for 7th graders on reading, understanding, and applying map skills. It covers map essentials (compass rose, legend, scale, title) and physical vs. political maps, culminating in an active stations lab.

A project-based lesson where students work in teams to research, color-code, and assemble a giant, collaborative topographic world map using atlas coordinates and topographic elevation zones.

Day 1 student worksheet designed to help students map power dynamics in Philadelphia. Features an interactive local impact map, scenario analysis, and structured spaces for identifying personal avenues of community influence.