Unit Plan
Core Knowledge Foundation

Unit 7: The United States Constitution

For Teachers 4th Standards
Fourth graders delve into the United States Constitution in a unit designed to boost reading comprehension, grammar, and writing. During each lesson, scholars read through and discuss a new chapter and work with prefixes and verbs....
Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

The Office of the Executive

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
An executive is not just a leader of a company; you can also use the term to describe the president of the United States. The ninth part of a 20-part unit teaches high schoolers about the importance of the executive branch and the...
Lesson Plan
1
1
K12 Reader

Slavery in the Constitution

For Teachers 9th - 11th Standards
Your young historians will read excerpts from three parts of the United States Constitution—Article One, the Thirteenth Amendment, and the Fourteenth Amendment—and discuss how they each address the issue of slavery. 
Lesson Plan
1
1
University of California

The Civil War: Secession of the South

For Students 8th Standards
Was the Southern states' decision to secede from the Union protected by the United States Constitution? Eighth graders discuss the constitutionality of the South's justification for secession, particularly the secession of South...
Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

The House of Representatives

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The House of Representatives has a lot of responsibility  in the United States government. But how did it all begin, and why is it the way it is now? A comprehensive instructional activity answers all of these questions about the US...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Evolution of the Presidency: Theodore Roosevelt to Franklin D. Roosevelt

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
How much power should a president be allowed to exert? Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt exercised their power according to their interpretations of the United States Constitution, and these interpretations affected the...
Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

Voting and the Constitution

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How difficult was it for everyone to get voting rights? Understanding voting rights and the fight to get them for everyone in the United States can be tricky for some learners. However, they are clarified after engaging in the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is the Federal System Created by the Constitution?

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Explore the unique structure of the federal system of government in the United States. Class members will learn about how most nations were organized before the establishment of the Constitution, how power is currently divided...
Lesson Plan
1
1
University of California

Equal Rights? The Women's Movement from Suffrage to Schlafly

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
If you've never heard of the Equal Rights Amendment, it's probably because there isn't one in the United States Constitution. Delve into the contentious history behind the ERA, its founders and supporters, and reasons for its political...
Lesson Plan
American Constitution Society

Constitution in the Classroom: The Right to Vote

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
The system of checks and balances is integral to the functionality of the United States government. Learn more about the ways the three branches of the government work together—and about the limitations of their power—with an informative...
Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

How to Read the Constitution

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Even lawyers can find the US Constitution to be very wordy! Help learners create a foundation for understanding the Constitution with several analysis essays. Multiple activities complement the reading and allow for active and meaningful...
Lesson Plan
1
1
University of California

The Civil War: The Road to War

For Teachers 8th Standards
The United States Civil War resulted in the highest mortality rate for Americans since the nation's inception. Delve deeper into the causes for the drastic separation of states with a history lesson plan that features analysis charts,...
Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

The Amendment Process and the Bill of Rights

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Did you know that lawmakers have proposed more than 5,000 bills to amend the US Constitution in Congress? Your class learns intriguing facts about the process of choosing amendments. A variety of activities including before and after...
Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

The Senate

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Do your learners struggle to understand the differences between the Senate and the House of Representatives?  Help them develop an understanding of how the US Constitution's clauses affect the Senate's operations. A high-quality...
Interactive
iCivics

Immigration Nation

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
If citizens are living abroad, can their children still be considered citizens? How long does citizenship last for someone who has been permitted to work in the country? Here is a fun online interactive game that will help your learners...
Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

The Constitution, Federalism, and the States

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The divide between federal and state government is responsible for much of tension that continues to this day, partly because of the US Constitution. The activities in the 14th lesson in a series of 20 are designed to help learners...
Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

Congress's Territorial Powers, Implied Powers, Citizenship, and the Bureaucracy

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
An informative resource gives scholars a look into why the US Constitution placed certain federal powers over that of the state. A variety of activities about constitutional clauses helps to create meaningful learning.
Worksheet
Digital History

Slavery and the Slave Trade

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
What would it have been like to have heard the debate on the issue of slavery at the Constitutional Convention of 1787? With this resource, you are given the opportunity to read through a reconstruction of speeches on the topic with your...
Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

Lawmaking and the Rule of the Law

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How many constitutional clauses does it take to create a bill? High schoolers find out with several activities and  selected clauses about the rule of law and the US Constitution. Various coinciding activities help to strengthen...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Mrs. Hodges' Social Studies Classes

I Have Rights?!

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Do young people have rights in the United States? Your pupils will not only learn the answer to this important question, but will also build vocabulary through cloze activities and gain a thorough introduction to the Bill of Rights.
Lesson Plan
1
1
National Endowment for the Humanities

George Washington: The Precedent President

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Everyone knows that George Washington was the first president, but do your scholars know why that was so important? The lesson plan, the third in a sequence of three, allows learners to understand how George Washington set a precedent...
Worksheet
Bismarck Public Schools

History & Math of the 1830s

For Students 5th - 7th
Using this interdisciplinary worksheet, your young historians will have the opportunity to practice their math skills while learning about the drastic population increase in the United States during the presidency of Andrew Jackson....
Lesson Plan
Friends of Fort McHenry

Privateers in the War of 1812: Soldiers or Thieves?

For Teachers 8th Standards
Do governments have the right to authorize individuals to perform illegal acts during times of war? Did the US government really employ pirates? Use the War of 1812 as your vessel to answering these questions through class discussion and...
Lesson Plan
2
2
Hyperion Publishing

Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
The language of the Constitution can feel quite ominous to young learners, but there are a variety of strategies you can utilize to help your class grasp the important concepts and ideals in our nation's founding document. This lesson...