Students research abolitionists, civil rights advocates, and their allies to learn about racism and justice. In this racism and justice lesson, students define justice and sing a song about activism. Students review the biographies...

Pupils design a booklet that explores the Bill of Rights. They summarize each of the rights, write a personal response to each entry and create an illustration to interpret each of the rights. Students then make a cover and title page...

Learners explore the Barbary Pirates of the Mediterranean. In this American history lesson, students read a narrative regarding the conflict between the Barbary Pirates and the United States under the leadership of Washington, Adams,...

Students research, list, define and discuss all the aspects to the United States Bill of Rights. They assess their foundations by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson and reflect on all the conditions happening at the time period of...

Robert Coles’ The Story of Ruby Bridges forms the basis of this powerful cross-curricular study of civic education and civic responsibility. Class members consider how the book presents authority, responsibility, justice, and privacy.....

These guided reading questions accompany several websites on the development of the US Constitution. While some of the links have changed, they are still accessible. History or government classes benefit from reading primary source...

Class members examine human migration. For this population lesson plan, they read an article entitled, "Freedom of Movement" and respond to discussion questions about the article related to guest worker programs.

Who was Lorenzo de Zavala to the Texas Revolution, and how did he change the Alamo? Find out using an educational resource that asks learners to fill out graphic organizers and respond to short-answer questions to further solidify their...

The first legal gay marriage in the United States occurred in Massachusetts in 2004. Since then, countless others have tied the knot. Scholars decide whether gay marriage should be legal by reading a history of the issue, analyzing the...

With the explosion of social media sites, with online threats and cyber bullying, issues of freedom of speech have taken on a whole new aspect. Elonis v. U.S. represents the first time the Supreme Court has considered whether or not...

Young scholars analyze the American Bill of Rights, compare it to the English Bill of Rights and note the differences in an essay. They access websites imbedded in this plan to do their research, then present their findings to the class.

Students complete a unit of lessons on the documents, symbols, and famous people involved in the founding of the U.S. government. They create a personal bill of rights, write a found poem, design a flag, conduct research, and role-play...

Young scholars explore the content of Abraham Lincoln's First Inaugural Address. In this Abraham Lincoln lesson, students analyze the text of the speech to determine how Lincoln sought to preserve the Union from secession attempts.

Fourth graders complete a unit of lessons on the development of the U.S. government. They examine the main ideas of the Declaration of Independence, develop a class translation of the preamble to the Constitution, create a flow chart,...

Students investigate fair housing issues in the United States. In this government instructional activity, students watch "No Place Like Home," and then prepare to participate in a classroom simulation that requires them to act as state...

Students record and interpret data. For this constitution lesson, students discuss voting and making bar graphs. Students practice voting and do a bar graph activity. Students make visual representations of votes on the board.

Students explore Latinos and the Fourteenth Amendment. In this government and law lesson, students analyze the ruling in Hernandez v. Texas. Students predict how the United States would be different if the court had made an alternated...

Eighth graders determine how secession impacted South Carolina as well as the United States. In this American Civil War lesson, 8th graders examine selected primary and secondary sources in order to study the state's sovereignty and the...

High schoolers examine the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. They analyze the role of religion and cultural identity in shaping governments. They also examine the United States foreign...

Students examine the role of citizen journalism, freedom of the press, and the First Amendment. They analyze the results of an Internet survey, discuss the ethics of downloading copyrighted material on the Internet, and write a news story.

Students examine the people and events associated with the United States Constitution. Using the Articles of Confederation, they discuss its shortcomings and the significance of the Bill of Rights. They listen and sing songs that...

Students search the Constitution for specific information. In this Constitution lesson plan, students read the Constitution and search for the branches of government, specific Amendments, and more, in groups.

Students examine the purpose of constitutions. In this government systems lesson, students analyze the sections of the U.S. Constitution. Students then compare the U.S. Constitution to the constitutions of other countries. Students write...

Young scholars explore the U.S. Constitution through music. In this Bill of Rights instructional activity, students discuss a hypothetical case regarding lyrics by Madonna and the historical Massachusetts Blue Laws. Young scholars use...