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National Constitution Center: Hall Pass Videos
The National Constitution Center offers this collection of informative and entertaining videos intended to start conversations and develop critical thinking skills. Viewers learn about the rights granted by the constitution, about the...
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Judicial Learning Center: The Role of the Federal Courts
Informational, interesting, and easy-to-understand, the five resources in the Role of the Federal Courts collection provide an overview of the historical context, important principles, and content of the US Constitution regarding the...
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Judicial Learning Center: Student Center
A collection of 22 interactive resources provides learners with information about the United States federal courts. The pages are divided into five sections: The role of the federal courts; The organization of the federal courts; How the...
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Documenting Democracy: Lesson Plans on the United States Constitution
Balance and compromise. Class members come to understand the importance of these concepts as they investigate the concerns of the various stakeholders and how the format of the Constitution addressed these concerns.
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A Day for the Constitution
The "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day" law requires schools receiving any federal funding to provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution. The lesson plans, materials, videos, questions, and activities...
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Constitution Day
Give your Constitution Day celebration a timely slant by discussing the census! An activity that includes analysis of the Constitutional call for a census, along with scaffolded worksheets, help pupils understand the connection between...
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On This Day: Constitution Day
Constitution Day celebrates the evolving principles that guide our nation from 1789 all the way to today. The resource celebrates Constitution Day with an overview of the principles and laws that guide the government. Scholars see events...
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Where to Draw the Line: Balancing Government Surveillance with the Fourth Amendment
The question of how to balance Fourth Amendment Rights with national security concerns becomes critical in an age of planned terrorist attacks, election interference, and fake news. Get young social scientists involved in the debate with...
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The Constitution
Supreme Court justices debate the meaning of the US Constitution, but we expect teachers to explain it to scholars with far less training and experience. A daunting task for sure, but it's not insurmountable with resources that simplify...
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Article III and the Courts
What's the best way to make sense of the Constitution? A helpful lesson contains both the text of Article III and annotation of each of its sections, breaking it down into easy-to-understand parts. It also includes links to a glossary...
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The Constitution and Rights
What's the right way to teach young historians about the Bill of Rights? Many an instructor has asked this question when pondering lesson plans over the US Constitution. The Constitution and Rights is a nifty resource that provides a...
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The Thirteenth Amendment
While the end of the Civil War marked the end of slavery with the Thirteenth Amendment, the questions of the Reconstruction remain unanswered today. Slavery first became a matter of debate at the Constitutional Convention. Today, we...
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The Legislative Branch
A visit to Washington, DC inspired Congressman John Lewis; a video visit to Congress and the Constitutional Convention just might inspire your learners. Using an intriguing video, viewers learn why and how the Founding Fathers created a...
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The Constitutional Convention
The Founding Fathers are larger than life in history books, but an engaging video resource brings them up close to your pupils. As viewers meet the founders in the National Constitution Center's Signers' Hall, they learn about the...
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Convention, Ratification, and Amendment Process
While the Revolution is perhaps the most famous revolt in American history, do scholars know about Shays' Rebellion? The outcome of the uprising led to the current Constitution. A video resource traces the history of and how the Bill of...
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The Bill of Rights (Second Edition)
Protecting basic liberties was at the heart of the American Revolution. However, it wasn't until after the Constitutional Convention that the Founding Fathers added a list of rights guaranteed to the people, now our most important legal...
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Separation of Powers
After the Revolutionary War, the Founding Fathers were in a pickle. They needed to create a government, but how could they protect the people from a tyrant? The separation of powers was their answer! A video resource explores the history...
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The Executive Branch
While the president is perhaps the most famous politician, why did the Founding Fathers create the office? While it has evolved over time, the presidency has its roots in the American Revolution. A video resource—created for Constitution...
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To Amend or Not to Amend, That's Been the Question...Many Times
Looking for some ideas for how to celebrate September 17, Constitution Day? Check out a packet that focuses on the factors that are considered in the amendment process. Class members examine the amendment process and the types of...
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U.S. Constitution Crossword Puzzles: Advanced #1
What do Boston Harbor, the Electoral College, and Chief Powhatan have in common? They all represent vital moments in American history—and they are all clues in a thorough and challenging crossword puzzle about the United States...
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Historical Analysis of Constitutional Amendments
Each of the 27 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution were adopted within specific economic, political, social or cultural, and international contexts. As part of their Constitution Day/Week studies, seniors investigate these factors for...
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Connecting the Separate Powers
Scholars demonstrate what they know about the separation of powers through role play. Two individuals act out a skit as the remaining class members discuss and decide whether the interaction they observed is an appropriate example of the...
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Constitutional Convention Simulation
Why did the Founders make it so challenging to amend the US Constitution? To gain an understanding of why the process is so difficult, class members engage in a Constitutional Convention simulation. Groups draft, propose, and debate...
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What Does Returning to Fundamental Principles Mean?
Looking for materials for your Constitution Day and Citizenship Day lessons? Then check out this packet of activities that not only gets your class members thinking critically about the fundamental principles at the heart of American...