The Racial Justice and Black Lives Matter Learning Pathway features four digital choice boards: Black Lives Historical Explorations; Black History Month; History of the Black Press; and Exploring Black History with ChatGPT. There are also links to Black History topics throughout our Building Democracy for All eBook.

In this Influential Women Learning Pathway, you will find four digital choice boards: Women's History Month; Influential Women in History; U.S. Women and the Wars; and Women Discoverers in STEM. There are also links to learning activities in the Building Democracy for All eBook that focus directly on women's roles and experiences in government and society.

In this Student Rights in School and Society Learning Pathway, you will find a Student Legal Rights Digital Choice Board and links to learning activities throughout the Building Democracy for All eBook focusing on students' rights and responsibilities in the American political and educational systems.

The Elections 2024, 2022, & 2020 Learning Pathway consists of sections on voting rights, voter suppression, and the history of elections in the U.S., resources and materials for the 2024 Presidential election, and historical information on the 2022 mid-terms and the 2020 Presidential election.

The Critical Media Literacy Learning Pathway features background on "What is Media Literacy?" and key concepts of critical media literacy as well as learning activities throughout the Building Democracy for All eBook that promote media literacy learning for students.

Topic 1 explores the philosophical and historical origins of the United States system of democratic government, beginning with Ancient Athens and the Roman Republic and including how Enlightenment thinkers, North American colonial governments, and First People tribes influenced the writing of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the structure of U.S. government.  

The ancient Greek city-state of Athens is widely seen as the birthplace of democracy, the political system where people govern themselves through discussion, debate, and collective decision-making. Activities explore how political practices of ancient Athens impacted how democracy became established in the United States, the emergence of modern-day digital government within the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, the historical impact of the Olympic marathon on Native American runners, and efforts by students and teachers to make school classrooms more democratic places and spaces.

The Roman Republic's government included features that are part of U.S. government today. Activities examine the role of government in Roman society and Roman engineering; the widespread slavery in Roman society as well of the resistance of slaves (both in the ancient world and in North America) to their oppression; and the lasting impact of the Latin language on the terms we need to know to talk about and understand the law, legal rights, government, and politics.

The Enlightenment (or Age of Reason) is the term used to define the outpouring of philosophical, scientific, and political knowledge in Europe at the beginning of the 18th century. Activities explore Mary Wollstonecraft and Olympe de Gouges use of Enlightenment ideas to advance the political, social and economic rights of women and ask what actions schools can take to support the political career choices of young girls. A Media Literacy activity focuses on the achievements of 21st century women STEM innovators.

British political ideas and governmental systems influenced experiments in democracy and democratic government that began in the 13 North American colonies. Activities explore democracy and voting in colonial America; Lucy Prince Terry, Anne Hutchinson and other women's political and religious activists; democracy practices by pirates; and current debates over extending voting rights to 16 and 17-year-olds. Media literacy activities explore pirate democracy in colonial times and modern day media coverage of kings, queens and royal families.

Researchers believe governmental practices of native/First American peoples influenced the writers of the U.S. Constitution, and in so doing, shaped the governmental institutions of the new republic. Activities explore a broader historical background of native/settler relations and conflicts, including the Peskeompskut-Wissatinnewag Massacre in western Massachusetts and the case of Jeffrey Amherst and the smallpox blankets along with modern-day issues of how to decide to restore Native American names to geographic places and how indigenous peoples are represented in films, local history publications, and school mascots.

Topic 2 examines the development of the United States government during the time period of the American Revolution. It focuses on the founding documents of our democracy—the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights—as well as the contentious political debates that surrounded, and continue to surround, the meaning of those texts, demonstrated by current struggles of people of color, women, and LGBTQIA individuals for equal rights as well as efforts by people and courts to balance states rights and federal power in the pursuit of social and economic justice.

The Declaration of Independence has shaped thinking about freedom, liberty, justice, and human rights since the American Revolution. Activities explore the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention and the Declaration of Sentiments; Eleanor Roosevelt and the writing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and what students think a 21st century Declaration should declare. A Media Literacy Connection examines Declarations of Independence on social media.

The Articles of Confederation were the country's first central government and raised issues over federal versus state authority and power that remain today. Activities examine Shays' Rebellion and it impact on the writing of the Constitution and modern-day questions about who should regulate self-driving cars and trucks. A Media Literacy Connection explores the marketing of self-driving vehicles to consumers.

The Constitutional Convention was a central event in the founding of the United States. Activities explore how slavery and the status of enslaved Blacks impacted key compromises about the framework of U.S. government, including the Great Compromise. The overriding contradiction of slavery in American life is examined by two documents: Thomas Jefferson's Draft Constitution (1776) and Thurgood Marshall's Bicentennial Speech (1987). The question of a constitutional amendment to abolish slavery as punishment for a crime is considered and a Media Literacy Connection looks at racism toward Black Americans in the media.

Federalists and Anti-Federalists debated the roles of federal and state governments within the U.S. political system. Activities examine the ideas of Abigail Adams and Mercy Otis Warren and political roles for women in revolutionary America. Modern-day debates over which level of government should have responsibility for environmental policies are discussed. A Media Literacy Connection examines political debates using lyrics from the musical Hamilton.

The Constitution establishes the legal and structural framework of the United States government. The Bill of Rights, the Constitution's first ten amendments, sets forth the individual rights guaranteed to all Americans. Activities explore the articles of the Constitution and the text of the Bill of Rights, the roles of W.E.B. Du Bois and the NAACP in fighting for rights and liberties for African Americans, and what might be the nation's most influential multicultural and social justice documents. A Media Literacy Connection explores how the Bill of Rights might be communicated on social media.

Topic 3 examines the central institutions or branches of the United States government along with their roles and functions in our political system.

Separation of powers between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches is a foundation of the U.S. government system. Activities explore the three branches of the government, highlight the career of the pioneering African American politician Shirley Chisholm, and outline the debate about whether Puerto Rico or Washington, D.C. should become the nation's 51st state. A Media Literacy Connection looks at Hollywood movies about the branches of the government.

Topic 4 explores the rights and responsibilities of citizens and noncitizens in U.S. democracy. It consists of 13 modules ranging from how to become a citizen to the different ways that each of us can actively participate in political and civic life through voting, public service, political protest, and membership in public and private interest groups.

Activities explore the histories of diverse people becoming citizens of the United States, including the official citizenship rules and procedures, the histories of Africans who came to America involuntarily as slaves and immigrants who came here voluntarily, the complicated story of Puerto Rican citizenship, and when someone can and should be granted asylum in the United States. A Media Literacy Connection examines how immigration is presented in the media.

Activities explore the rights of citizens and non-citizens in the United States, times when those rights been denied (including the Page Act, the Chinese Exclusion Act and Japanese internment during World War II) and what individuals and events deserve a state or national holiday or day of recognition in the struggle for civil rights and civil liberties. A Media Literacy Connection asks students to analyze portrayals of immigrants on television and in films.

Every one of us has a civic, political, and private life. Activities examine whether the government can restrict personal freedoms (private life) in a public health emergency such as COVID-19; women's political participation (political life) around the world; and whether the U.S. should adopt Universal Basic Income (civic life) as a national policy. A Media Literacy Connection asks students to evaluate how people's lives are impacted by the ways pandemic information is presented in the media.

Political and civic life in the United States rests on a set of fundamental principles and values including equality, rule of law, limited government, and representative government. Activities explore the meaning of these principles and values, the importance of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, and the boundaries of student rights at school as well as the history of the Boston Massacre and the right to an attorney at trial. A Media Literacy Connection examines online messaging by special interest groups.

Why people do and do not vote is investigated through who was and was not allowed to vote in U.S. history, the Minor v. Happersett (1875) Supreme Court Case, voting and the 2016 and 2020 Presidential elections, the myth of voter fraud, and women voters and the voting gender gap. There are explorations of secret ballots, poll taxes, literacy tests and modern-day voter suppression laws have impacted people’s voting behaviors and voting rights and questions about how to motivate more people to vote, especially young people who have not been engaged in politics. A Media Literacy Connection examines digital games that promote civic engagement.

Activities address the impact of persuasion, propaganda, and political language in U.S. political campaigns, the role of Presidential debates in American politics, and the question of public versus private financing of elections. A Media Literacy Connection asks students to analyze the role of spin in media coverage of elections and election campaigns.

Political leadership is a quality people seek in those they choose for key roles in democratic systems of government. Activities explore the histories of women and men -- straight and gay, Black and White -- who demonstrated political leadership throughout their lives and then ask how can students become leaders in their schools and communities. A Media Literacy Connection explores the influence of celebrity's endorsements of politicians and political issues.

Activities explore whether elected leaders listen to and respond to the everyday people who contact them or do individuals and groups need other ways to make their voices heard by elected leaders. The historical experiences of youth activists for change are explored along with the effectiveness of consumer boycotts and buycotts as tools for influencing policies. A Media Literacy Connection examines how political activism happens on social media platforms.

Public service includes careers in government and diplomacy, education and training (including K-12 teaching), public safety, non-profit organizations, and environment and conservation. Activities focus on public service careers in the field of education and training, including a short history of public education and the question "Is teaching a career for you?" There are investigations of divisive concepts laws, teachers' first amendment rights, and for whom are and could public schools be named.

Tensions between majority rule and minority rights been a constant feature of American life throughout U. S. history. Activities explore those tensions in the context in the civil rights movements of African Americans, women, LGBTQIA individuals, and workers; in the nation's foreign policy; and in current struggles over transgender students rights in schools. A Media Literacy Connection discusses how trans identities are presented in the media.

Political courage is the act of standing up for and affirming democratic ideals no matter how popular or unpopular those ideas may be at a given time in history. Activities examine individuals who stood for the ideals of democracy and people and policies that directly negated those ideals. A Media Literacy Connection explores the ongoing media framing of January 6, 2021 insurrection.

Activities examine how political protest drove social and political change in U.S. history from three distinct standpoints: 1) Martin Luther King, Jr. and the doctrine of civil disobedience; 2) impactful marches and demonstrations, including Black Lives Matter; 3) and how activists use books and music to express ideas for change. A Media Literacy Connection explores music as a protest art.

Special Interest Groups, Political Action Committees (PACs), and Labor Unions engage in lobbying to influence governmental actions or policies through oral or written communications and spending huge amounts of money to support candidates and causes. Activities examine the labor history of the Pullman Strike and discuss how to regulate the role of money in elections. A Media Literacy Connection looks at how PACs, SuperPACs, and labor unions are presented in the media.

Topic 5 explores the evolving nature of the United States Constitution through amendments, landmark Supreme Court decisions, social and political movements, and dramatic historical events. Chapters address the history and the present-day realities of core constitutional issues around the struggles of women, people of color, and individuals with disabilities to gain civil rights and civil liberties in our nation's democratic system.

Historic Supreme Court landmark decisions have both expanded and repressed individual rights and equal opportunities for Americans. Activities explore key cases dealing with First Amendment rights, due process and equal rights, the U.S. flag and pledge of allegiance, school prayer, national security and gun control. A Media Literacy Connection explores the issue of allowing television cameras and other media in courtrooms.

Topic 6 explores the roles of state and local government in Massachusetts and throughout the United States.

There is one federal government, 50 state governments, and 574 Native American tribal governments in the United States. The activities in this section explore how state, federal government, and tribal governments function under the concept of federalism. The history of Sequoyah, the Native American state that almost existed in 1905 is discussed. Part-time versus full-time state legislatures are examined as contrasting models for governmental decision-making. There is a teacher-designed learning plan about Native American school mascots and logos and a media literacy activity about government power during the Pandemic.

A Constitution establishes a framework of democratic governance. The activities in this section examine the constitutional powers of state and national government in the U.S. as well as the restrictions that exist on those powers. There is the history of efforts to abolish slavery in Massachusetts, including court cases involving Mum Bett, the first enslaved African to be freed under the Massachusetts Constitution. The question of whether governments should pay reparations for slavery is discussed.

Enumerated powers are those expressly granted to Congress by the Constitution. Implied powers enable the federal government to carry out tasks outlined by the enumerated powers. Activities in this section examine minimum wage laws as an example of the implied powers of Congress and ask whether as a matter of public policy, the U.S. should adopt a living wage rather than a minimum wage for workers.

The individual rights of Americans are set forth in core documents, including the Bill of Rights, the 14th Amendment, and Article 1 of the Massachusetts Constitution. Each document serves as a foundation for our democracy and their meaning has been influenced and shaped by historical pressures by governments, political groups, and the courts. Activities in this section examine marriage equality court cases, the function of small claims courts, and the issues of privacy on social media.

The 10th Amendment to the Constitution states that any powers not granted to the federal government “are reserved to the states, or to the people.” The modern-day meaning of the 10th Amendment is examined in the context of COVID-era pandemic policies by state and national government as well as the growth of legalized sports betting in the U.S. A media literacy activity explores how government pandemic policies were communicated in the media.

The Massachusetts state constitution, a model for the federal constitution, is still the oldest functioning constitution in effect in the world today. Activities examine efforts to incorporate gender-inclusive language in state constitutions and laws, and consider whether Massachusetts - the first state to legalize marriage for same-sex couples - should constitutionally mandate LGBTQIA-inclusive curriculum in its K-12 schools.

Federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments in the U.S. directly impact the lives of people. Activities examine the functions of state and local governments in two areas: 1) COVID-19 vaccination policies and the historic 1905 Jacobson v. Massachusetts court case; 2) government bans on single-use plastic items and other steps to save the environment. Media literacy activities explore the role of trusted messengers in delivering pandemic policies to people and communities and the use of social media for environmental campaigns.

Massachusetts state government's legislative, executive, and judicial structure is similar to the three branches of the nation's federal government. Activities in this section explore the history-making political milestones which have made Massachusetts government representative of all genders and races. Historical explorations include the question of what can state government and private businesses do going forward to eliminate gender gaps in wages, jobs, and careers in the 21st century.

Taxes are fees people pay to local, state, and national government for the services they receive and the facilities they use. This section's activities explore how people's taxes are spent on parks and recreation, stadiums for sports teams, and public education. The need for taxes raises the policy question whether states should expand lotteries and legalize sports betting to raise money for communities. A media literacy activity examines how lotteries are advertised online and in print.

Local government in towns and cities provide services to the people who live there. Activities explore democracy in local government through town meetings, open meeting laws, electing people to school board and other local offices, and in cooperative organizations and worker/employee owned companies. Local governments face the public policy question whether to designate themselves as safe or sanctuary cities. A media literacy activity examines how digital democracy is evolving through social media.

Topic 7 explores the role of the Press, News, and Media Literacy in 21st century America's digital society. The News is everything of importance that happens when we are not physically present to see it for ourselves. Since we were not there, we rely on the Press to report it to us.

Freedom of the Press is a bedrock principle of our democratic system of government. It establishes that news reporters and news organizations must be free and unrestrained in their efforts to report events and uncover the truth and that principle has been established in law through landmark freedom of the press court cases. Activities explore press freedom and censorship through the campaign to ban comic books in the 1950s, efforts to ban books in schools and libraries today, the Great Chinese Firewall, and the speech rights of student journalists in schools.

A free press provides information about government and politics to people. In many countries in the world, the press is not free and people receive one side only about a topic or issue—the view the government or powerful elites want published. A free press presents wide-ranging and informed perspectives from which people can make up their own minds about what candidates and policies to support. Activities explore the history of newspapers; the threat of "news deserts" to democracy; the role of investigative journalism in “systematic, in-depth, and original research and reporting,” often including the “unearthing of secrets;" and how each individual can become their own digital age investigative journalist. A media literacy activity uses the site AllSides to understand how news is presented differently depending on online or print platforms.

Newspapers include multiple forms of writing, including news coverage articles, editorials and editorial cartoons, sports writing, Op-Ed commentaries, and photographs. Each type of writing has a specific style and serves a particular function. Activities explore the work of Jackie Ormes, Dale Messick and other pioneering women cartoonists and animators and examine the roles of war correspondents and photographers in a free press. Media literacy activities examine newspaper photographs and designs, how reporters report the news, and whether U.S. news media has a "bad news bias."

Mass media is the communication of information to large audiences through multiple, increasingly digital platforms. Activities include the history of the Mueller Report and Russian efforts to influence the 2106 and 2020 Presidential elections as well as whether Internet access should be a guaranteed human right. Activities explore social media recommendation algorithms, fake news evaluation, and the emergence of AI (Artificial Intelligence) writing tools.

Fake and false news is information that is presented as real that is in fact not true. Activities explore the historical role of "yellow journalism" during the Spanish American War and the the tools and strategies students need to become their own fact-checkers able to critically evaluate what is being said and by whom in today's multifaceted news and information landscape. A Critical Media Literary activity offers strategies for visual analyses of online and print media.

Writers express their news viewpoints through editorials, editorial cartoons, and Op-Ed commentaries. Students can learn to be critical readers who explore what is being said or shown, examine how information is being conveyed, evaluate the language and imagery used, and investigate how much truth and accuracy is being maintained by the author(s) before drawing their own informed conclusions. Activities explore the rise of deepfakes and other forms of false political messaging and examine whether social media companies should regulate political content on their platforms.