National First Ladies' Library
Riding the Underground Railroad
Young historians explore the underground railroad and life as a slave during the Civil War. After internet research, they discuss the hazards of travel as a slave and the benefits of freedom. Individually, students write a short story...
Curated OER
Religion and the First Amendment
Students examine the tenets of the First Amendment and how it applies to Islam. They observe a video about Islamic prayer and focus on rights, responsibility, and respect in relation to the religion. Students discuss the difference...
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Faith-Based Initiatives: Separation of Church and State
Students examine the role of religion in everyday life. In this religion and ethics lesson plan, students investigate the use of government funds to support faith-based initiatives. The lesson plan calls for students to conduct research,...
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Storytellers: Pearl Jam
Students examine the concept of freedom of speech as it applies to music. They watch and discuss the video, "VH1 Storytellers: Pearl Jam," participate in a class discussion about free speech, conduct research, and conduct a debate.
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Australia's Religious Diversity
Students identify major world religions and forms of spirituality and recognise the religious diversity of communities in Australia. They brainstorm for the definition of religion. Students brainstorm to come up with a list of religions.
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In God We Trust; All Others Pay Cash
Learners review their knowledge on the First Amendment. After reading an article, they identify specific church and state issues. Using the Internet, they research President Bush's proposal from a specific point of view. They summarize...
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A Civic Duty to Protest
Students examine the concept of religious freedom by evaluating Hong Kong's security laws. In pairs students investigate the levels of religous freedom allowed in various countries around the world and present this information to the class.
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social Studies: First Amendment Role-Play
Students evaluate First Amendment case decisions by the Supreme Court. they divide into three groups - Supreme Court justices, prosecution attorneys, and defense lawyers. Both sides present their arguments and the justices deliver...
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Keep It Academic
Students study various methods to learn about religion in the classroom. In this religion study lesson plan, students read and visit links to learn about various ways of teaching religion in schools. Students learn the model world...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 1: The First Great Awakening
High schoolers examine the First Great Awakening and how it affected religious belief in colonial America. They read and analyze primary source documents, explore various websites, and write a five-paragraph essay examining the beliefs...
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Writing Newspaper Articles
Students write newspaper articles regarding their service learning experiences. In this writing skills lesson, students review the writing process skills to develop high-quality articles. Students write articles regarding the their acts...
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The First Amendment: What's Fair in a Free Country
Students describe the contents of the First Amendment while telling about an example of speech that is protected by the Constitution and that which is not. They attempt to apply the First Amendment to situations that could occur in their...
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The First Jews in America
Students investigate how Jews established roots in America. Students determine the difference between religious tolerance and separation of church and state. Students participate in a role-play activity using primary and secondary...
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Faith-Based Initiatives
Students examine faith-based initiatives. In this religion and ethics lesson, students consider the separation of church and state in the United States as they examine government funding of social service programs that are affiliated...
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Respecting Nonreligious People
Help students understand what an atheist is and why it is important or respect their beliefs. Using this non believers lesson, students will learn about people who hold different beliefs are discriminated against by others. They will...
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First Amendment and the Future
Young scholars read the Knight report and discuss key findings before deciding what aspects of the findings students can replicate in their own school and conduct a survey. They write survey questions and test them on sample group before...
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Public Schools and Prayer - Do They Mix?
Students discuss and research different Supreme Court cases and examine religious freedom and prayer in public schools.
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Introduction to "Anne Frank - The Diary of a Young Girl"
Reflecting on what life was like during the Holocaust, 8th graders will read excerpts from the book, The Diary of Anne Frank, then complete five classroom activities that reflect on the readings. The classroom will be set-up to portray...
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Democracy, A Basic Element In Our Society
Students investigate the concept of freedom with the context of the First Amendment. They research and take notes looking for the connections between democracy and freedom. They complete a writing assessment that includes naming all of...
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Pause for Thought
Students discover the customs of Ramadan. In this Muslim beliefs lesson, students research the listed Web sites about the history of Ramadan, the evolution of calendars, and the separation of church and state.
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Does This Belong to You?
Fourth graders examine legislation that has been passed to protect the rights and religion of Native Americans. In groups, they discuss their feelings on others taking artifacts from Native American sites and what they do if they find...
Curated OER
To Express or Be Oppressed
Students examine the debate between free-speech and patriotism. They analyze the conflict between expression and patriotism to the throne in the Northern Renaissance, recording their responses on an Ordeal of the Artist handout.
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It's Your Right: A Civil Rights Brochure
Learners examine the US Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Supreme Court cases in order to broaden their understanding of the US Judicial System. They research a variety of textual and Internet resources to create a tri-fold brochure,...
National Constitution Center
Explore Rights Around the World
How has the American Bill of Rights influenced the rest of the world? An interactive web activity helps individuals see the similarities between countries' bills of rights. A text-to-text tool compares the American Bill of Rights to...