Social studies readings and activities designed primarily for low achieving students are presented. Objectives are to help social studies classroom teachers develop goals which are clear to students, suggest activities which work toward stated goals, offer evaluative measures particularly designed for low achieving students, and present readings which relate American historical and cultural ideas to the students' lives. Materials and activities are organized around the following topics: Constitutional rights, protest and dissent, political parties, organized groups, and influences on thinking and attitudes. In addition to describing each topic, information is presented on skills and tools needed for the unit and general unit objectives. Activities involve students in reading case studies, answering questions which are based on the case studies, defining and learning vocabulary words and phrases, discussing ideas in class, analyzing articles from newspapers and magazines, filling in blanks, surveying community members regarding political activism, and simulating situations such as city council meetings and community gatherings. (DB)