President Lincoln believed in the Thirteenth Amendment so strongly that he signed 14 copies of it, but died before he could see it passed on December 18, 1965. Explore the text that forever abolished slavery in America with a document...

Could you pass a citizenship test? As part of their study of Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner and the immigrant experience, class members are presented with a sample citizenship test.

Ben Franklin was the only American to sign The Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Alliance with France, the Treaty of Paris, and the US Constitution. An interesting resource explores his role in the latter by comparing the US...

If used as an independent review, this presentation could be a quick way for students to study U.S. History facts. Since it only presents a few simple facts, it would not be adequate for a comprehensive review, but a teacher could...

Students assess the significance of a watershed event in the political history of the United States . They identify events and issues associated with the internment of Japanese-Americans as a result of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor...

Is health care a right or a privilege? Scholars review pro and con arguments to decide if all Americans should have the right to health care. They also watch informative videos and review information on the United States and...

Students write and illustrate their own graphic novels. In this George Washington lesson, students collaborate to research Washington's life as surveyor, his involvement in the French and Indian War as well as the American Revolution,...

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...

Here is an excellent PowerPoint presenting loads of information about the US election process. Some of the topics included in the slide show: the reasons voting is important, how to choose a candidate, how the federal, state, and local...

Who is in line for the presidency? Learners research the line of succession in the executive branch. They analyze the role the cabinet plays in a situation where the president and vice president are not able to serve. Along the way,...

Students examine the Preamble to the Constitution. In this government lesson, students read the Preamble of the Constitution and define the meaning of unknown words. Students write about examples of how the Constitution protects our rights.

Young scholars study the Bill of Rights and the US Constitution. They investigate the authors of the Bill of Rights and play a game based on the research.

For this government worksheet, students read the First Amendment to the United States Constitution before reading about the limitations of the laws. They answer 2 short answer questions about the freedoms, and write an essay on the back...

Middle schoolers examine the responsibilities of the 3 branches of U.S. government. In this checks and balances lesson, students identify the powers of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. Middle schoolers...

Students examine federal powers. In this U.S. Constitution lesson plan, students explore the powers of Congress to coin money. Students also study the meaning of the symbols on U.S. coins.

High school student love discussing controversial issues like those brought up in this fourth amendment case study. They examine the 1928 Olmstead vs. U.S. prohibition court case, applying the fourth amendment to determine whether...

Use the dystopian novel After by Francine Prose to spark discussion about individual and student rights. Learners read the novel, evaluating how far a school can go to control its attendees. As they read, scholars...

Eleventh graders analyze the limits and bounds of religious freedom issues in the United States through several Supreme Court case decisions.

Students engage in a role-playing situation to illustrate the kinds of compromised that were made a teh Constitutional Convention. They write three short 1-2 paragraph arguments and then present their arguments to the class at the...

Students read, discuss and analyze the New York Times article "In Wartime, Who Has the Power?" and relate the article to the Constitution. They then brainstorm how the president and Congress make decisions about the war in Iraq and write...

Third graders learn the responsibility of citizenship and learn facts about a state they choose to research.

Students read biographies of their assigned Founding Father. They present an oral argument that their assignee deserves to be better known by making connections between regional politics and postions defined by character.

Young scholars investigate the document of the Constitution as part of a national day of recognition. The lesson plan uses many different activities to dissect the national document to increase student awareness of how the Constitution...

High schoolers use the Internet to read a brief description of Magna Carta (link provided). They "walk through" the document with the teacher, identifying four major themes. High schoolers read and discuss "The Rhetoric of Rights:...