I.D.E.A.L. Citizenry

I.D.E.A.L. Citizenry: Innovative Designs that Engage Active Learning for Citizenry

The I.D.E.A.L. project employs the train-the-trainer approach, supporting secondary Social Studies and English Language Arts educators to develop innovative curricular guides and lessons focused on improving students’ literacy skills and civic knowledge and engagement.  

This project emphasizes collaboration between secondary and higher education practitioners, as well as between researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s College of Education, Health, and Social Sciences and the Institute of American Civics, the UT Institute of Agriculture (UTIA), University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and regional K-12 schools. 

Below are the 19 awarded lesson plans, each put together by the talented teacher who was guided by a passion for their subject and skill in their approach to teaching. Each lesson plan is entirely the work of the teacher from subject matter to the lesson plan design. The content, links, views, or perspectives within each lesson plan are solely those of the individual author.

UT Grand Challenges Type I Grant Awarded Lesson Plans, 2024-2025 

Lesson Cover Page: Ramble Through The Preamble: The U.S. Constitution and the Roles of Government An image of the US Constitution on the cover of the lesson plan

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LESSON 1 Ramble through the Preamble: The U.S. Constitution and the Roles of Government
by Nicholas Blair, Social Studies Teacher at Whittle Springs Middle School

Lesson Cover Page: Create Your Own Enlightened School: Using Enlightenment Philosophy to Create a Democratic High School — An image of students listening to their teacher

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LESSON 2 Create Your Own Enlightened School: Using Enlightenment Philosophy to Create a Democratic High School
by Jennifer Crawford, Social Studies Teacher, Central High School

Lesson Cover Page: Monkey Time: The True Nature of the Scapes Trial — An image of Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan chatting during the Scopes trail in 1925. (Image credit: Public domain)

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LESSON 3 Monkey Time: The True Nature of the Scopes Trial
by Andrew Fultz, EdD, Social Studies Teacher at L&N STEM Academy

Lesson Cover Page: Voices of The Brave: The Clinton Twelve — An image of The Clinton Twelve walking into school

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LESSON 4 Voices of the Brave: The Clinton Twelve
by Summer Greene English Language Arts Teacher at Anderson County High School

Lesson Cover Page: Coal, Convicts, and the Constitution: The Fight Over Freedom and Fair Labor — An engraving of miners with the American flag.

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LESSON 5 Coal, Convicts, and the Constitution: The Fight Over Freedom and Fair Labor
by Connie Higgins, Social Studies Teacher at Knox County Virtual School

Lesson Cover Page: Secrets, Security, and the First Amendment: How Freedom of the Press Was Won: New York Times v. United States Mock Trial — An image of high school aged children in a courtroom performing a mock trial.

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LESSON 6 Secrets, Security, and the First Amendment: How Freedom of the Press Was Won
by Shelby Avery McGill, EdS Social Studies Teacher at Bearden High School

Lesson Cover Page: Your Voice, Your Vote — An image of high school aged student smiling and holding a VOTE sticker/button.

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LESSON 7 Your Voice, Your Vote: Making a Mark on Democracy
by Kelly McNamara, Social Studies Teacher at Seymour High School

Lesson Cover Page: Dear Representative...: Using Your First Amendment Right to Petition — An image of high school age students knocking on doors with a petition and talking with a retired age woman.

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LESSON 8 Dear Representative… Using Your First Amendment Right to Petition
by Rachel Monday, English Language Arts Teacher at Karns High School

Lesson Cover Page: Imprisoned in a Faraway Place — An image of Manzanar Relocation Center, Manzanar, California.

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LESSON 9 Imprisoned in a Faraway Place: Japanese Internment in Tennessee
by Ashlyn Neas-McCaul, Social Studies Teacher at Central High School

Lesson Cover Page: The Making of a Nation — An image of the Washington Monument across the Mall from the Lincoln Building in D.C.

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LESSON 10 The Making of a Nation
by Lisa O’Donnell, English Language Arts Teacher at South-Doyle High School

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LESSON 11 What Would the Court Say?
by Karen Rice, English Language Arts Teacher at Heritage High School

Do Us Good Lesson Plan Cover with an image of the pillars of Congress

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LESSON 12 Do Us Good
by Nancy Rothery, EdD, EdS, English Language Arts Teacher and English Dept. Chair at Heritage High School

Lesson Cover Page: The Bill of Rights — An image of the Bill of Rights in script font

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LESSON 13 The Bill of Rights: How Does it Affect Me?
by April Shoults, English Language Arts Teacher at Karns High School

Lesson Cover Page: Property v. The Pursuit of Happiness — An image of The Two Treatises of Government book and an image of John Locke

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LESSON 14 Property v. The Pursuit of Happiness
by Sarah Stanton, Social Studies Teacher at West View Middle School

Lesson Cover Page: How A Law Gets Made — An image of state of Tennessee's congressional chamber

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LESSON 15 How a Law Gets Made: Without Losing Your Mind
by Paegan Turner, Social Studies Teacher at Austin-East Magnet High School

Lesson Cover Page: Banning Phones Bans Speech — An image of four teenagers looking at their phones together

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LESSON 16 Banning Phones Bans Speech: Are School Phone Policies Violating Your Rights?
by Jordan Vallem, Social Studies Teacher at Fulton High School

Lesson Cover Page: The Case of the Changing Story — An engraving of Pocahontas saving John Smith

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LESSON 17 The Case of the Changing Story: Investigation into John Smith’s Pocahontas Mystery
by Nicole Whitecotton, Humanities Teacher at Clayton Bradley Academy

Lesson Cover Page: Government Gameday — An collage of images of the Supreme Court, Congress, and the White House

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LESSON 18 Government Gameday: Which Branch Wins When They Go Head-to-Head?
by Kacey Whited, Social Studies Teacher at Halls Middle School

Lesson Cover Page: Bullets, Ballots, and Big Questions — An image of voting stalls on election day

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LESSON 19 Bullets, Ballots, and Big Questions: Does My Vote Matter in the Presidential Election?
by David Wright, Social Studies Teacher at Fulton High School

UT Grand Challenges

Awarded Projects

I.D.E.A.L. Team

I.D.E.A.L. Citizenry Student Assistants

Helen Alexander

Business Administration and Marketing, Haslam College of Business, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Tori Harless

Business Administration and Marketing, Haslam College of Business, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Will Mead

Public Affairs, Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

I.D.E.A.L. Citizenry Reviewers

Derek Griffin

PhD Candidate with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Department of History; UT Baker School and Institute of American Civics Assistant; Former Knox County Schools, L&N STEM Academy Social Studies Teacher

Alexis Hall

UTIA Extension Assistant and Children Learning Through Outdoor Experiences Program Manager; Former Knox County Schools, L&N STEM Academy Social Studies Teacher

Logan Peterson

Lead Social Studies Teacher, Knox County Schools, Bearden High School; 2024 Knox County Schools “Teacher of the Year”

Mark Schug, PhD

Consulting Services President; Professor Emeritus and Director, Center for Economic Education, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Served as Senior Fellow with the National Council on Economic Education

I.D.E.A.L. Project Collaborators