Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Presidential Powers

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners study and discuss the section of the Constitution that refers to the executive branch. They write a new section or clause describing a new duty for the president of the United States. Students define the word power and proposal.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Makes an Amendment?

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students investigate amendments to the Constitution. In this government instructional activity, students research how an amendment is made and amendments that have both passed and failed. They write their own amendment and attempt to...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Proposition 8 Struck Down

For Students 9th - 12th
Have your class examine the issues surrounding same-sex marriage, civil rights, and proposition 8. They read a New York Times article entitled "Proposition 8 Struck Down" and then answer 10 who, what, when, where, and why questions....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Why A Bill of Rights?

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Examine conflicting viewpoints in this instructional activity, in which middle schoolers write their own proposal for including a Bill of Rights in the Constitution. As a class, they discover how the Bill of Rights was not a planned...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Bill of Rights: Debating the Amendments

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Provide your class with an opportunity to investigate an important historical document. Without identifying the document, distribute copies of the original Bill of Rights, as transcribed by John Beckley, Clerk of the House of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Constitutes a State?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine the differences between various state constitutions in the United States. Then, using their own
Lesson Plan
Constitutional Rights Foundation

If Men Were Angels: Teaching the Constitution With the Federalist Papers

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Much like the methods of group work, the writers of the Federalist Papers worked together to advocate for their viewpoints against the anti-federalists. The resource enables learners to break into small groups and conduct research before...
Worksheet
School District of Detroit

The Articles of the Confederation

For Students 10th - 12th
Primary historical sources can be a challenge for some readers, so these seven guided-reading questions will be very useful to US History or Government classes studying The Articles of Confederation. Each question has multiple parts and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Constitution: Counter Revolution or National Salvation?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students take a close look at the foundations of American government. In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students analyze the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution. Students participate in a...
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.
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
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...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: The Constitutional Battleground

For Students 8th - 12th
For this primary source analysis worksheet, students analyze political cartoons about the Supreme Court and Constitutional issues and respond to 5 talking point questions.
App
Clint Bagwell Consulting

Constitution

For Students 8th - 11th
US history classes will enjoy this handy tool for reading the Constitution. Broken down by article and amendment, it also includes brief biographies of each signer and a detailed description of one painting. 
Interactive
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Judicial Learning Center

The Ratification Debate

For Students 6th - 12th
Most Americans profess their love for the US Constitution, but this was not always the case. An informative lesson overviews the debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists by summarizing the main arguments of each side. It...
Lesson Plan
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Constitutional Rights Foundation

Naturalized Citizens and the Presidency

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution takes center stage in a lesson that asks class members to assume the role of state senators, debate a resolution to amend the U. S. Constitution to permit naturalized citizens to run for...
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
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1
C-SPAN

Presidential Birth Requirement

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Every president of the United States must be a natural-born citizen, but the definition of natural-born is not as straightforward as it seems. Secondary scholars examine two points of view surrounding the constitutional requirement...
Interactive
US National Archives

We the People Focusing on Details: Compare and Contrast

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Even the most inspiring documents in American history had to go through a few drafts before they were ready for publication. Reinforce the importance of the writing process, as well as the collaborative nature of democracy, with an...
Interactive
National Constitution Center

American Treasures

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
Just how long did it take the framers to write the Constitution? What role did the drafting process play? Scholars examine various drafts from the Constitutional Convention to gain a better understanding of its formation. Interactive...
Lesson Plan
2
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Using Historic Digital Newspapers for National History Day

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Your learners will take a trip through history as they peruse through historic digitalized newspapers, reading real articles from such historical periods in the United States as the Temperance movement...
Activity
Teacher Web

1920's Magazine

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What a creative and engaging project to incorporate into your studies of the 1920s! Your young historians will work in groups to design a magazine discussing the political and cultural topics of the decade, each member writing one...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Why was the Constitutional Convention Necessary?

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore the steps leading up to the Constitution.  In this American Government lesson, 11th graders practice document based questions.  Students create a letter that describes how a person felt during this...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Constitutional Convention

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students examine the structure and function of the United States government established by the Constitution. They also explore the problems the country faced under the Articles of Confederation.

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