Curated OER
Citizens Together
Students examine the bill of rights as it relates to founding documents and their significance today. In this bill of rights lesson plan, students use newspapers as sources to answer critical questions regarding democratic citizenship....
Curated OER
We the People
Learners examine both the Preamble of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They work in small groups to connect the two documents and analyze how the documents are important to their lives today. They create a poster that visually...
Curated OER
The Federalist Papers
Students identify the Articles of Confederation and explain why it failed. They explain the argument over the need for a bill of rights in the Constitution and James Madison's role in securing its adoption by first Congress. Finally,...
Curated OER
Documents and Symbols and American Freedom
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...
University of Arkansas
Our Responsibilities
The fourth in a five-lesson unit examining human rights and personal responsibility asks class groups to investigate a current rights issue, and using the provided graphic organizer, summarize the issue, consider which rights are being...
Judicial Branch of California
The Constitution: What It Says and What It Means
Learners get the chance to act as representatives to the Constitution Convention, and must decide whether or not to recommend your state ratify the new framework. After examining the Constitution line-by-line, they consider their...
Judicial Branch of California
The Power of the Press: The First Amendment
Was what happened in 1886 at the Haymarket riot a crime or a case of xenophobia? Using political cartoons from the time, young historians consider the role the media played in anti-labor sentiment during the time and how that influenced...
Curated OER
The Right Ideas
Students investigate the Bill of Rights and explain how non-profit organizations take care of those rights. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students work in groups to look at the rights that are included in the Bill of Rights. They...
Curated OER
Racism: Law and Attitude
High schoolers examine discrimination laws. In this racism lesson, students compare and contrast de facto and de jure discrimination. High schoolers also explore the Bill of Rights and determine what makes some acts and speech illegal.
Curated OER
We Have Rights
Students investigate the concept of having rights as citizens. In this citizenship lesson, students examine the rights that are given to citizens of the United States in the Bill of Rights. They draw pictures of eight of their...
School Improvement in Maryland
Dividing the Powers of Government
Who does what? To develop an understanding of the balance of power between the US federal and state governments, class members research responsibilities in terms of legal systems, security issues, economic activities, lawmaking, and...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
If Men Were Angels: Teaching the Constitution With the Federalist Papers
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...
Curated OER
Constitution and the Bill of Rights
Fourth graders explore the information of the index of the Constitution. For this Constitution and Bill of Rights lesson, 4th graders complete a worksheet by locating keywords in the index. Students understand the importance of using an...
Curated OER
The Bill of Rights And Japanese Internment
Students review the Bill of Rights. They interpret how the American Government violated these rights with regard to Japanese Americans during World War II. They write down the violations of the Bill of Rights during Japanese ...
Curated OER
Real Life Rights
Students consider modern applications to the Bill Of Rights (how does Ammendment 4 apply to locker searches?) students prepare and role play a mock trial to explore the finer points of the relevance ot the Bill of Rights in the 21st...
Curated OER
We the People v. We the Children of the World
Students compare the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child to the Bill of Rights. In this social justice lesson plan, students read and analyze both documents. Students discuss how the documents compare and then write...
Curated OER
The Philadelphia Convention/Constitutional Convention
Eleventh graders explore the major points covered during the Philadelphia Convention/Constitutional Convention. They discuss the Federalists and the Anti federalists. They discuss the Bill of Rights and the drafting of the Constitution....
Curated OER
Foundations of American Government: Teacher’s Guide
Students explore the foundations of America. In this early American history lesson, students watch Discovery video segments regarding the Boston Massacre, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights....
Curated OER
Rights in Conflict
Learners study situations where rights are in conflict. In this conflict in rights lesson, students review a conflict situation and the Supreme Court ruling for the issue. Learners review the Bill of Rights and then receive their own...
Curated OER
Bill of Rights Day (December 15th)
On December 15, 1791, the ratification of the first ten amendments to the Constitution of the UnitedStates of American by three-quarters of the states took place. These were subsequently incorporated into the Constitution and became...
Curated OER
Honoring Property Rights
Students examine the issue of cheating. In this property rights lesson, students define honor and discuss intellectual property rights as they explore a case study.
Curated OER
U.s. Constitution Roll Call Test
Students act as newspaper reporters from 1787 and interview some of the signers of the Constitution. They study the contributions of these Founding Fathers: Washington, Franklin, Madison, Hamilton and discuss the purpose of the U.S....
National Endowment for the Humanities
A Day for the Constitution
The "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day" law requires schools receiving any federal funding to provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution. The lesson plans, materials, videos, questions, and activities...
Curated OER
The U.S. & Navajo Bills of Rights
Middle schoolers are introduced to the United States and Navajo Bill of Rights. In groups, they compare and contrast the two documents and take notes to share with the class. To end the lesson, they write in their journals about their...