A SMART Board in the classroom allows students to actively participate in their learning. It is preferable to traditional lecture because it engages multiple learning styles. Students use their eyes, ears, and hands to interact with the material. SMART Boards also increase pupil familiarity with technology, which is a necessary skill for today's students. PowerPoint lectures can be adapted to make quizzes and movable maps for students to use during lessons or quizzes.
Civics is the study of government and citizenship. Students learn about the different branches of government --- executive, legislative and judicial. Teachers can create PowerPoint slides with questions like, "Which branch of the government writes laws?" and have the students answer on the SMART Board. This is a fun way to introduce the basic vocabulary and concepts of civics.
Have the students split into teams for a mock election. Younger students might use candidates in a real election, and older ones might actually run for class office. Have the students create campaign trail materials and present them on the SMART Board. These could range from print items to blogs, animations to Web videos. Students who have access to Animoto can create videos online using pictures, video clips, text and other multimedia. These videos can be put on YouTube, other websites and blogs. Animoto is free for educators.
The civil rights movement is crucial to understanding American history and government. Use your SMART Board to introduce important people and concepts. Make a map with important places and dates and let the students move them into the right place. Another fun game might be to match the civil rights leader to his or her accomplishment. Students who make Web videos for the SMART Board can include related quotes and musical clips from various eras in the civil rights movement.
A mock trial allows students to understand the workings of the judicial system. Present new concepts on the SMART Board, then have students prepare for the trial. The prosecution and defense can use the SMART Board to present evidence to the jury, and when it is time for deliberations, the jurors can go back over the evidence while they make their decision. For an extension of this lesson, allow students to write up news reports on the trial.