Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Radical Reconstruction

For Students 5th - 8th
Read about the frustration the Radical Republicans in Congress had with the Reconstruction plans of Andrew Johnson. Find out what legislation they were able to pass over Johnson's veto, and how they attempted to protect emancipated...
Website
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: Supreme Court: Expanding Civil Rights: Brown v. Board of Education

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a detailed overview of the landmark Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education which held that the racial segregation of children in public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The...
Website
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: Freedom: A History of Us: Forgetting the Constitution

For Students 9th - 10th
Read the story of a young Japanese-American girl whose family was sent to an internment camp after Pearl Harbor.
Activity
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: u.s. Constitution: Fourteenth Amendment

For Students 9th - 10th
Presents the Fourteenth Amendment - Rights Guaranteed Privileges and Immunities of Citizenship, Due Process and Equal Protection. Includes a lengthy list of annotations to the Amendment.
Primary
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: u.s. Supreme Court: In Re Gault (1967)

For Students 9th - 10th
Full court transcript of 1967 U.S. Supreme Court case involving a juvenile, Gerald Gault.
Primary
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: u.s. Supreme Court: Gannett Co. V. De Pasquale (1979)

For Students 9th - 10th
Complete Supreme Court opinion for Gannett Co. V. DePasquale.
Lesson Plan
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: What Is Freedom?: Politics and Reconstruction [Pdf]

For Teachers 6th - 8th
A lesson plan from the producers of the 16-episode PBS series "Freedom: A History of US" that guides students through an examination of the outcomes of the Civil War. Includes discussion prompts related to the effectiveness of...
Activity
Lectric Law Library

Lectric Law: Due Process

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource presents a detailed description of the legal term "due process" with court cases cited.
Handout
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Ap Us History: 1844 1877: Reconstruction: The First Kkk

For Students 9th - 10th
Explains how the Ku Klux Klan came into existence and how they terrorized African Americans as well as those who sympathized with them. The Klan would suppress the black vote so that Democrats had a better chance of winning an election...
Unit Plan
Syracuse University

Syracuse University: Youth Due Process Gerald Gault

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This site contains a description of the juvenile justice system, background on the case involving Gerald Gault, and learning exercises for teachers to use in class.
Primary
Lectric Law Library

'Lectric Law Library: Gideon v. Wainwright: Indigent's Right

For Students 9th - 10th
Original text of the the 1963 Supreme Court decision that mandated legal representation for the poor.
Lesson Plan
South Carolina Educational Television

Know It All: Reconstruction Amendments

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders will complete research on one of the Reconstruction amendments then create a project demonstrating their knowledge of that particular amendment as if they are supporting that amendment during the era it was created. Their...
Website
Then Again

Then Again: Web Chron: World History Chronology: The 14th Amendment Is Ratified

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about the 14th Amendment and its impact on the lives of African Americans during Reconstruction and later.
Website
Other

Historical Boys' Clothing: The American Civil War: Reconstruction

For Students 9th - 10th
Outlines the major programs of the Reconstruction period after the Civil War, and the discrimination that African Americans faced, such as from the Black Codes and the Ku Klux Klan. Also discusses the amendments made to the Constitution...
Primary
Illinois Institute of Technology

Oyez Project: Richmond v. j.a. Croson Co. (1989)

For Students 9th - 10th
This Supreme Court case concerns the concept of affirmative action. This site provides a brief description of the court case, contains a link to an audio file, and lists the justices who presided and how they voted.
Activity
Illinois Institute of Technology

Oyez Project: Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

For Students 9th - 10th
The U.S. Supreme Court case that upheld the famous "separate but equal" doctrine by dealing with the issues of racial discrimination and equal protection. This resource provides an abstract containing a concise summary and a link to the...
Activity
Illinois Institute of Technology

Oyez Project: Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka

For Students 9th - 10th
The U.S. Supreme Court case that overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and dealt with the issues of equal protection and racial discrimination. This resource provides an abstract containing a concise summary, a link to the full text of the...
Activity
Illinois Institute of Technology

Oyez Project: Robinson v. California (1962)

For Students 9th - 10th
A brief summary of the case where Supreme Court concluded that it is "cruel and unusual" punishment to convict someone of being addicted to the use of narcotics.
Unit Plan
Shmoop University

Shmoop: Equal Protection

For Students 9th - 10th
The Amendments protect our rights; but in defending one person's rights, another person may be harmed! The Fourteenth Amendment is discussed here with all the ensuing ramifications of decisions made on Affirmative Action, Women's Rights,...