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...

Just what is jurisdiction and why does it matter? A helpful activity takes academics on a journey to understand how judicial jurisdiction works. Scholars read excerpts from the Constitution and court documents to understand the process...

Are executives as powerful as they sound? High schoolers find out about the US president and executive branch. A variety of activities include scaffolded reading sections, research assignments, and collaborative group work.

In order to understand the complicated nature of slave laws during the Civil War, learners compare and contrast an abolitionist poster and a runaway slave ad. They use an attached worksheet to consider each primary source document, then...

Young scholars examine the concepts of power and authority as they begin learning about government in this elementary social studies lesson. Through a series of readings, discussions, and problem solving activities, children...

How did slavery mold the creation of the US Constitution? The final lesson in the series focuses on how slavery impacted the creation of the Electoral College. Academics learn how the Electoral College was created because Southern states...

Explore the importance of rules in a community with the engaging first lesson plan of this series on the US government. To begin, children play a paper clip game that requires them to make up their own rules as they go, after which...

To gain an understanding of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, class members investigate the Jim Crow Laws, the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments of the US Constitution, and the 1898 Supreme Court case,...

Did the Declaration of Independence really intend to grant liberty for all? Get your class thinking about historical perspective with documents relaying the experiences of women, white men, and African-Americans during the Revolutionary...

Congress does more than create new laws. Political scientists delve into the elections of 1796 and 1800 to understand how political parties, the Electoral College, and personal agendas affected the election process. The resource also...

Those who lived during the Great Depression could clearly draw a line between the roaring 1920s and the desolation of the following decade. Class members examine these two periods and compare them using an essay question prompt and...

The contributions of African-Americans to the American Revolution are the focus of this Social Studies and language arts lesson. After reading and discussing Linda Crotta Brennan’s The Black Regiment of the American Revolution, class...

What are the limits on freedom of speech? While a cherished right in the Constitution, it is not unbridled. Budding historians consider what checks should exist on this liberty using news stories, court cases, and College Board prompts.

Why is it important for judges to operate independently of politics or other branches of government? Scholars ponder the question as they examine video clips, case studies, excerpts of the US Constitution, and an interactive computer...

Time to work together in class to understand the separation of powers as well as the qualifications for office! The resource includes terms to review for pre-knowledge before beginning instruction. Following the review, pupils work on a...

The census has been a part of the American landscape since the Constitution was written; however, it does have a history of controversy. Class members use a guided reading and simulation activity on developing census questions to...

Why is Article III of the constitution so significant? Pupils discover the importance of Article III and how it relates to past as well as current events by completing Internet research using a provided handout. They learn everything...

Hamilton may be a hit Broadway show, but there is so much more to learn. An eight-unit resource guides young historians through the life of Alexander Hamilton and the Revolutionary War. The lessons include hands-on-activities, writing,...

Students investigate President Abraham Lincoln's use of the U.S. Constitution and its importance to the Civil War. In this US history lesson, students read text about President Lincoln and the US Constitution. Students examine the...

Students analyze the adaptive nature of the U.S. Constiution. In this Amendments lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding the amendment process. Students respond to question regarding...

Students assess the validity of a national bank. They study the importance of McCullough v. Maryland. They review the arguments of Hamilton and Jefferson. They analyze the Tenth Amendment and the debate over state v. federal power. They ...

Pupils consider constitutional rights. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students complete an activity guide regarding the property rights regarding the Obama "Hope" poster. Pupils respond to discussion questions pertaining to the topic.

Students analyze the structure, organization, and powers of State legislatures. They outline the overall shape of the office of the governor. Students analyze the structure of local governments as creations of the State. They describe...

Students discuss basic foods and what constitutes a well-balanced meal. They identify four basic food groups, and identify food sources, such as farms.