How do the rights of citizens in other countries, such as India, Germany, Brazil, and Iran, compare to those of Americans? Take a closer look at the provisions of various foreign constitutions, and compare and contrast the protections...

What defines marriage in society? Scholars investigate the moral and legal arguments of what defines marriage. They analyze different marriage traditions and social customs around the world along with Supreme Court decisions. Individuals...

Learners study the decisions and solutions involved in winning the right to vote. After reading background information on the fight for women's suffrage, including one woman's story, and its eventual success in the United States and...

Which countries implemented women's suffrage before the 19th amendment went into effect in the United States? Which countries still do not allow women to vote? Watch the global spread of women's rights in an interactive timeline...

The work of building and maintaining a democracy is, in the words of Justice William Hastie, "never finished." To better understand what Hastie sees as an ongoing building process, class members listen to a seven-minute podcast about two...

While this lesson includes several nice worksheets to identify and discuss the various limits on government (i.e. a constitution, the rule of law, separation of powers, consent of the governed, etc.), its main value lies in a case study...

"Without concerned citizen action to uphold them (human rights) close to home; we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world. . ." Eleanor Roosevelt's comment is used to set the stage for the conclusion of a five-lesson unit...

"Promises Denied," the second instructional activity in a unit that asks learners to consider the responsibilities individuals have to uphold human rights, looks at documents that illustrate the difficulty the US has had trying to live...

America has always been seen as a melting pot to the world. Scholars research the concept of blending cultures in the United States and how it is changing over time. The final activity of a four-part series analyzes the changing...

Class groups investigate the economic and political implications of a country's policies on genetically modified foods, craft a position paper detailing that policy, and share their findings with the class. Armed with this...

Students consider which aspects of world around them have roots in 1960s, research and compare 1960s to today with regards to Civil and Women's Rights, Vietnam, counterculture, music, voting, and economic rights, and explore legacy of...

Middle and high schoolers are walking into a world rife with strong political viewpoints and vocal opinions. Help to prepare them for controversial discussions with a lesson in which they choose, research, and learn more about a...

The class discusses how they feel about war. They brainstorm emotions that teens have toward the war in Iraq, and then discuss their opinions of the war in small groups. The discussion is then opened up to the entire class. What do you...

Students explore the role of the media in war reporting. In this information age lesson, students discuss how to find and disseminate factual information. Students consider the source, motive, authority of information.

Spark what's sure to be an interesting discussion in your classroom by introducing the topic of terrorism. Consider the meaning of the word terrorism and examine the associated connotations with a brief introductory reading. With your...

Students, in gorups, develop a Bill of rRghts for a newly discovered planet. They give the planet a name and they decide upon ten human rights they think are the most important. Then they compare their list with the lists of other...

Students compare rights from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with those in the United States Bill of Rights and Amendments. They explore reasons for the presence or absence of certain rights.

Students discuss the land and peoples of India. They examine the effects of the earthquake that occured on the Indian holiday of Republic Day in 2001. They make a list of items they would need in an emergency or natural disaster.

Students examine the concept of censorship in authoritarian government and how Japanese and Chinese artists used their work as political commentary. This lesson includes possible lesson enrichments.