This is a Teacher's Guide for The State We're In Washington: Your guide to state, tribal and local government. These quides are developed by members of the Washington State Social Studies Cadre.

Chapter 2 of the State We're In: Washington explores the design of today's democracy. The resources here may be implemented separately or together to guide students toward a deeper understanding of the content therein and to develop important social studies skills.

This is a Teacher's Guide for The State We're In Washington: Your guide to state, tribal and local government. These quides are developed by members of the Washington State Social Studies Cadre.There are key ideals established in state and tribal constitutions that determine the functioning of government. Washington state maintains important relationships among sovereign states (international and tribal) through both political and economic agreements. Tribes, as sovereign nations, have independent economies with different government regulations separate from the United States and Washington state. The economic impacts of tribes has been measured and positively impacts the economy of Washington in many ways.

This is a Teacher's Guide for The State We're In Washington: Your guide to state, tribal and local government. These quides are developed by members of the Washington State Social Studies Cadre. Chapter 7 focuses on local government: counties, cities, towns and special districts and their role, organization, duties and services they provide to communities.

This is a Teacher's Guide for The State We're In Washington: Your guide to state, tribal and local government. These quides are developed by members of the Washington State Social Studies Cadre.Chapter 10 focuses on the cultural, economic, political, environmental, and ecological ways in which people in Washington can become actively engaged citizens and make a difference in their communities. 

In this lesson from the World Affairs Council - Seattle, students will explore the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #7: Affordable and Clean Energy. They will learn about efforts to provide universal access to clean and affordable energy across various sectors, identify barriers faced by communities, and understand how sustainable energy policies can lead to positive outcomes. Students will evaluate the impact of specific energy sources on global greenhouse emissions and explore renewable alternatives like wind, solar, and thermal energy. Through interactive activities and analysis of new technologies, students will collaboratively develop proposals for improving access to clean energy. They will gain awareness of initiatives for equitable societies and climate change mitigation, and explain how reliable, affordable clean energy can transform lives globally.

In this lesson from World Affairs Council - Seattle, students will learn about UN Sustainable Development Goal #6: Clean Water and Sanitation. Currently, 2 billion people live in water-stressed communities, and 3.5 billion lack safe sanitation. Students will investigate the causes and effects of unequal access to clean water and sanitation, focusing on the impact on women and children. They will explore current solutions and identify further actions needed. Through research, presentations, discussions, and a community project, students will deepen their understanding, develop problem-solving and collaboration skills, and learn about organizations addressing these issues. The lesson will also highlight the interconnectedness of UN Sustainable Development Goals. Ultimately, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of SDG #6 and the ability to advocate for clean water and sanitation as a fundamental human right.

In this lesson from the World Affairs Council of Seattle - Global Classroom Program, students learn about United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #13: Climate Action. They will examine the causes and consequences of climate change and explore possible courses of action to address the issue. Students will engage in activities to reflect on previous knowledge, develop new learning, and encourage creative and critical thinking.Some of the activities in this lesson include a KWL Chart using Jamboard, a think-pair-share, a cause and effect graphic organizer, and a Flip video. These individual and collaborative learning experiences will help students deepen their understanding of climate change and its impact on communities locally and globally. Through these activities, students will communicate what they have learned about climate change and sustainability and utilize problem-solving skills to generate tangible solutions. 

In this lesson from the World Affairs Council - Seattle, students explore United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #5: Gender Equality. They will research, watch videos, and engage in discussions to understand the importance of empowering women and girls for stable societies. The lesson covers gender equality as a human right and includes activities to analyze the economic, social, and political impacts of gender bias. Students will use primary and secondary sources, collaborate in discussions, reflect on peers' conclusions, and research efforts to reduce gender bias. They will evaluate actions addressing gender inequality and consider how to contribute individually and collectively.

In this lesson from the World Affairs Council of Seattle - Global Classroom Program, students explore United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #9: Industries, Innovation, and Infrastructure. Students will examine readings, videos, and other online resources to learn about the use of new technologies and infrastructure projects to support sustainability. As part of these activities, students will analyze different green technologies, discuss the innovative strategies used by some communities to create sustainability and evaluate local, national, and global policies that support scientific research and innovation.  In addition, students will work as a group to develop a detailed plan for the design and implementation of innovative and sustainable community development projects. This activity will allow students to apply what they have learned about SDG #9, be innovative, and use problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

In this lesson from the World Affairs Council - Seattle, students explore United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #14: Life Below Water. Through individual and collaborative activities, they will learn the importance of conserving and sustainably using oceans, seas, and marine resources. In small groups, students will assess how proactive policies and collective action can address ocean challenges. They can choose to evaluate issues like plastic waste, warming oceans, acidification, or damaged ecosystems. Students will research various pollutants and consider how individuals and societies can support marine biodiversity. By connecting "life below water" with health, economic interests, and climate change, they will examine the work of local, national, and global organizations in waterway sustainability. This lesson will engage students in understanding the crucial role of ocean sustainability for our future

In this lesson from the World Affairs Council - Seattle, students will comprehensively understand SDG #15: Life on Land, including its key targets and significance. They will learn the importance of sustainable practices to protect and restore biodiversity, exploring how economic activities like agribusiness drive deforestation and its broader impacts. Students will examine the link between biodiversity loss and human health, understanding the interconnectedness of planetary and human health. They will discover how biotechnology and regenerative farming can combat climate change and restore ecosystems. Through critical thinking and reflection, students will identify resonant targets, propose land restoration steps, and develop a personal connection to the material. Working in small groups, they will enhance collaboration and communication skills, create a social media campaign to raise awareness, and engage in student-driven assessments. Finally, they will research local and global efforts in restoring forests and ecosystems, linking classroom learning to real-world actions, equipping them with knowledge and skills for environmental sustainability.

In this lesson, from the World Affairs Council of Seattle - Global Classroom Program, students learn about United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #1: No Poverty. They will watch a series of short videos that will provide an introduction to the SDGs and the no poverty goal. This specific lesson has students explore the connection between environmental issues (one of the themes of this module series) and poverty.Students will engage in small and large group activities that require them to analyze secondary sources and participate in collaborative discussions about the impact of environmental challenges, such as climate change, on poverty levels in different contexts. These learning activities include completing a graphic organizer, reflecting on the conclusions of their peers in a gallery walk, and researching efforts to alleviate poverty in a specific local, national, or global community. Finally, students will evaluate what is being done to address poverty and how they could take action individually and collectively to address the issue.

In this lesson from the World Affairs Council of Seattle - Global Classroom Program, students learn about United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. Students will engage in a series of individual and collaborative learning activities that prompt them to reflect on the concepts, peace, and justice, and how they are important to creating stable and inclusive societies. Students will work in small groups to assess how societies can enhance civic engagement, representative decision-making, and protect individual and collective freedoms. Students will discuss how to leverage partnerships and cultivate relationships that result in community building. In addition, students will identify and describe the characteristics associated with the rule of law and examine specific case studies that highlight the progress and challenges nations face on this issue. Finally, students will evaluate the role of citizens and government leaders in effectively addressing social and political issues, including action steps that can be taken to support peaceful and inclusive communities.

In this lesson from the World Affairs Council of Seattle - Global Classroom Program, students learn about United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #10: Reduced Inequalities. Students will engage in learning activities that include reflecting on short videos, small group discussions, and problem-solving activities. As millions of people have been displaced around the world, this lesson focuses on nations, individual communities, and international organizations that can develop collaborative solutions to address the inequalities that refugees encounter locally and globally. According to the United Nations (2022), “roughly one in five people have experienced discrimination on at least one of the grounds prohibited under international human rights law, such as ethnicity, age, sex, disability, religion, and sexual orientation.” Students will investigate how displaced populations are affected by these elements of discrimination, identify how discrimination and inequality are connected, and work together to design practical action steps to address the issue in different contexts. Overall, this lesson encourages students to think critically and creatively to reduce inequalities and provides an opportunity to bring culturally responsive teaching strategies into their pedagogy. 

In this lesson from the World Affairs Council of Seattle - Global Classroom Program, students learn about UN Sustainable Development Goal #2: Zero Hunger. They examine the causes and consequences of food insecurity and explore solutions. Activities include KWL or Jamboard exercises, UN videos and infographics, discussions, research, and advocacy projects. These experiences help students deepen their understanding of food insecurity and its global impact, develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills, and connect with local organizations addressing the issue. Enrichment projects and advocacy efforts further enhance their learning and solution-generating abilities.

This unit is focused on the examination of a single topic, in this case, the Native Americans of the inland Northwest and conflict that arose when other non-native people started to settle in the northwest, and to specifically address the native populations that lived in the inland northwest. The materials were created to be one coherent arc of instruction focused on one topic. The module was designed to include teaching notes that signal the kind of planning and thinking such instruction requires: close reading with complex text, and specific instructional strategies or protocols are described that support students’ reading and writing with evidence are described in enough detail to make it very clear what is required of students and how to support students in doing this rigorous work. Materials include summative assessment of content and process, central texts, key resources, and protocols that support and facilitate student learning.

 Verifying social media posts is quickly becoming a necessary endeavor in everyday life, let alone in the world of education. Social media has moved beyond a digital world which connects with friends and family and has become a quick and easy way to access news, information, and human interest stories from around the world. As this state of media has become the "new normal," especially for our younger generations, we, educators, find ourselves charged with a new task of teaching our students how to interact with and safely consume digital information.The following three modules are designed to be used as stand-alone activities or combined as one unit, in which the lessons can be taught in any order. "Who Said What?!" is a module focusing on author verification. "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words'' is a module devoted to image verification. "Getting the Facts Straight" is a module designed to dive into information verification. Lastly, there are assessment suggestions to be utilized after completing all three modules.