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Worksheet
Arizona State University

Declaration of Independence: A Transcription

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
The Declaration of Independence may seem like an outdated document, but it exists as one of the most important to the United States government. Middle and high schoolers read the declaration, complete a graphic organizer, and take notes...
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Activity
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Suppressing the Vote

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Voting rights have expanded over time, but some voters are still being suppressed. A thought-provoking resource explores the history of voter suppression in the US and efforts to remove roadblocks to voting. Young historians learn about...
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Lesson Plan
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Encyclopedia Britannica

Candidate Position Research

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
As part of their study of the US Presidential election process, class members research a presidential candidate's position on a specific topic or topics. Formatting their research as a pro/con question ("Should the Death Penalty Be...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Encyclopedia Britannica

Political Issue Timeline

For Teachers 9th - 12th
As part of a study of US Presidential elections, class members track the history of an issue in the 2020 campaign. They create a timeline to determine if there are any patterns, if ideas about the issue have evolved, or if in issue is no...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Encyclopedia Britannica

Electoral College Philosophical Chairs Debate

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Because of the Electoral College, it is possible to win the popular vote in a US Presidential election and still lose the election. After researching the pros and cons of the Electoral College, class members engage in a structured debate...
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Interactive
News Literacy Project

So, What’s the First Amendment?

For Students 7th - 12th
The First Amendment to the US Constitution protects people's rights to speech, the press, and religion. Using the resource, scholars discover how. They take a brief online quiz to determine how well they understand the First Amendment. 
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Analyzing a Photograph of a Treaty Council

For Teachers 7th - 12th
A photo catches a moment in time that provides a glimpse into the past. An interesting resource focuses on historical analysis using an image from a treaty council with Native Americans. Budding historians complete an online worksheet...
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Lesson Plan
1
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US House of Representatives

Keeping the Faith: African Americans Return to Congress, 1929–1970

For Teachers 7th - 12th
The third instructional activity in a unit that traces the history of African Americans serving in the US Congress examines the period from 1929 through 1970. After reading a contextual essay that details the few African Americans...
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Lesson Plan
1
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US House of Representatives

Permanent Interests: The Expansion, Organization, and Rising Influence of African Americans in Congress, 1971–2007

For Teachers 7th - 12th
The fourth installment of the seven-lesson unit focused on African Americans elected to and serving in the US Congress looks at the period from 1971 through 2007. Class members read a contextual essay that provides background information...
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Lesson Plan
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School Improvement in Maryland

Affirmative Action

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Do the government's affirmative action policies promote equity in the United States? The Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution and affirmative action policies come under scrutiny in an activity that asks class members to...
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Lesson Plan
1
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School Improvement in Maryland

Court Proceedings Civil Cases

For Teachers 9th - 12th
What's the difference between civil and criminal law? How do the court proceedings differ in these two types of trials? How do the standards of proof differ? Why do these differences exist? As part of their examination of the US court...
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Lesson Plan
1
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School Improvement in Maryland

Smart Growth

For Teachers 9th - 12th
New roads, new businesses, new developments, new mass transit systems. All growth has both positive and negative effects on communities. Government classes investigate the principles of Maryland's 1997 Smart Growth program and the...
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Lesson Plan
1
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School Improvement in Maryland

Demographic Investigation

For Students 9th - 12th
What are the factors that influence voting patterns? How do these factors influence government funding? Is participation the squeaky wheel gets the grease? Class members interpret graphs and analyze trends to determine what demographic...
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Lesson Plan
1
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School Improvement in Maryland

Analysis of Marbury v. Madison

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Should the United States Supreme Court have the power of judicial review? Instructors guide class members through a review of Marbury v. Madison and assist class members in writing a brief of the case. As independent practice,...
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AP Test Prep
College Board

Balance of Power Between Congress and the President

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Three branches of government help create a system of checks and balances. A helpful resource provides a series of articles regarding the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches of government. Historians answer...
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

Alabama's 1901 Constitution: What Was at Stake?

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Who should be able to vote? As part of a study of the 1901 Alabama Constitution, class members examine primary source document that reveal the reasons the authors gave to support their positions on this question and their assumptions in...
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

Alabama Slave Codes in 1833: What They Can Teach Us About Slaves Themselves

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
After viewing a short PowerPoint about Nat Turner's rebellion, class groups examine Alabama's 1833 slave codes. Individuals then develop a mini-legal brief arguing against one particular slave law.
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Lesson Plan
Close Up Foundation

Rights Auction

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
In an engaging activity on universal and unalienable rights, learners work in groups to establish a democratic nation and determine what principles they want to protect to ensure a democratic society. They conduct a "rights auction" in...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Council for Economic Education

Satisfaction Please! (Part 1)

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The topic of consumerism seems easy to those who participate actively in the US economy, but pupils who are new to economics may see the idea as foreign. Help them understand their rights as consumers and what to expect when interacting...
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Worksheet
Federal Reserve Bank

Financial Regulation: A Primer on the Dodd-Frank Act

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
Get the lowdown on the most sweeping financial regulatory reform since the Great Depression: the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.
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Lesson Plan
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Winner-Take-All: The Two-Party System

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Two's company, three's a crowd. High school historians learn about the Electoral College, a two-party, winner-take-all voting system in the United States. The lesson explains the pros and cons of the two-party system, roadblocks for...
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Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Lesson 1: The United States Confronts Great Britain, 1793–1796

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
After the Revolutionary War, the success of the United States was far from guaranteed. Foreign powers coveted the new land, and Great Britain challenged American sovereignty. Learners consider the challenges facing the new nation using...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Encyclopedia Britannica

Presidential Qualifications

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Can anyone grow up to be president of the United States? As part of their study of the 2020 election, groups research the constitutional requirements to become president. The class then brainstorms a list of qualifications beyond those...
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Lesson Plan
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School Improvement in Maryland

United States Foreign Policy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Policies of United States government which promote or fail to promote relationships with other countries—national defense, arms control, security of other nations, trade, human rights, economic sanctions, foreign aid, etc.—come under...

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