During elections, headlines constantly lament the issue of low voter turnout. Help class members understand why this is such an important topic with relevant articles, a discussion of both sides of the issue, and a reflective essay. 

Consider how America's founding fathers and their experiences contributed to the rights we all enjoy today. A collection of reading, writing, and collaborative exercises prompt high schoolers to think about the ways their current lives...

How does the Bill of Rights, created over 200 years ago, still apply to the lives of American citizens to this day? Here is a fantastic resource that includes several resources on approaching the Bill of Rights with your class. After...

High schoolers research and discuss the consequences of the Sedition Act. They illustrate the difficulty of balancing security needs and personal freedom using an example from John Adams's presidency.

What does "freedom of speech" mean to your class, especially in the context of Internet communications? In round-table discussion format, middle and high schoolers address the issues discussed in "State Legislatures Across U.S. Plan to...

New ReviewIs Russia really a democracy? High school scholars explore Russian democracy under the leadership of President Putin. The resource provides opportunity for group discussion, writing, and research to understand Russia's political history,...

Is the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) good for America? The informative website is a one-stop shop for ACLU debate resources. Scholars read about the topics surrounding the issue, including free speech, national security, and...

Human rights became a global focus after decades of war, recovery from war, and uncountable war crimes committed throughout. Social studies class members discuss the Universal Declaration of Human Rights before completing an interactive...

How are your students' rights protected? What are their responsibilities in protecting the rights of others? A instructional activity on human rights and the responsibilities therein introduces class members to the concepts of global...

Not all news in a newspaper comes in the form of a traditional article; photographs, charts, and even editorial cartoons help spread important information, too. A civics-based unit describes the parts of the newspaper as tools for...

What does it mean to be free? Is freedom possible? What are is joy and anguish associated with freedom? A fascinating video details Jean-Paul Sartre's key ideas and insights about freedom.

All of the details of American history fall into place with a clever crossword puzzle. Nearly 100 clues prompt middle and high schoolers to fit the correct answers to topics including the American Revolution, the Civil War, and...

Practice some primary source analysis with the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793. Learners read the act and then respond to four questions related to the content of the act and the ideas of freedom and security.

Approach the concept of freedom in United States history from a variety of angles and delve into rich primary source analysis practice. Pupils study the Statue of Freedom, which sits atop the dome of the Capitol building in Washington...

Here is a great online interactive activity that will not only spur discussion on free speech and student expression, but will also involve a great deal of practice in identifying claims and supporting them with evidence.

What is the key to effectively arguing any position? Evidence! But how can we know whether a piece of information is useful to proving our point? Check out this activity whereby your class members will review a fictitious scenario...

How does the Court of Appeals function in the United States, and how does it differ from the Supreme Court? Beginning with an overview of a case involving a school strip search and its process through the judicial system, this resource...

Can schools ban t-shirts picturing musical groups or bands? Your young citizens will find out with this resource, which includes a summary of a United States Supreme Court case from the 1960s about a similar dispute over young scholars...

What is the right to privacy? Does censorship violate the First Amendment? Should a school reflect the religious values of a community? These are just some of the great research topics regarding civil liberties that are suggested in this...

Make a study of the First Amendment and its relationship to freedom. Pupils rewrite the amendment and discuss the central idea before focusing on a specific phrase. After discussing, class members write a journal entry about the included...

Students read text of Fourth Amendment together as class, discuss necessity of Constitutional right to be free of unreasonable searches, and analyze landmark Supreme Court cases dealing with Fourth Amendment rights.

A discussion of the Supreme Court’s Opinion of Tinker v. Des Moines generates a discussion of the Bill of Rights and the First Amendment. Although the key elements of this lesson are based on a video that is not included, the activities...

Students explain the rationale behind the Fourth Amendment, and the types of activity regulated by the Constitution. They analyze situations, and explain a citizen's rights when an unlawful search or seizure is conducted.

In this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about the freedom of speech and respond to three short answer questions