Curated OER
Bill of Rights: Rights and Responsibilities
Students explore the meaning of freedom. In this U.S. History lesson, students research the Declaration of Independence and how it relates to American freedom by completing activities and a mock trial.
Curated OER
Religion in Public Schools
Students examine the presence of religion in public institutions. In this ethics instructional activity, students focus on one aspect of the presence of religion in public institutions, and the controversy surrounding religion in the...
Curated OER
Bill Of Rights
Students examine Supreme Court cases. In this U.S. government lesson, students watch a video about the Bill of Rights and then research 4 Supreme Court cases using the noted web site. Students analyze the presented information and write...
Curated OER
Are We Free Yet?
Learners read excerpts from several Freedom Documents, evaluate amount of freedom guaranteed by each document, and rank documents on scale to determine which grant greatest and least amount of personal freedom.
Curated OER
Fairy Tails Can Show Due:It can happen for you, If you play your part.,
Students view a Reader's Theater focusing on the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The story is used as a springboard into a videotaped mock trial of Gold E. Locks developed by the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). They...
Curated OER
A Letter Read 'Round the World
Learners examine primary document to examine the concept of free assembly, and analyze Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's letter to the clergy to explain the rationale for this tactic to advance civil rights.
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
Just Say It
Young scholars explore the initial Supreme Court decision to regulate commercial speech, and then analyze the legal precedents and principles underlying a recent case contesting this regulation.
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...
Curated OER
Free Speech or Hate Speech?
Students see the difference between protected and prohibited speech as guaranteed by the First Amendment. They explain why free speech is essential to a democracy and consider how best to deal with speech they find offensive.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 2: The Debate in Congress on the Sedition Act
Pupils research and discuss the provisions in the Constitution that supported the arguments for and against the Sedition Act. They articulate objections to and arguments in favor of the Sedition Act.
Mrs. Hodges' Social Studies Classes
I Have Rights?!
Do young people have rights in the United States? Your pupils will not only learn the answer to this important question, but will also build vocabulary through cloze activities and gain a thorough introduction to the Bill of Rights.
Administrative Office of the US Courts
Cox v. New Hampshire
Staging a debate is a great way to class members to think deeply about issues, especially those related to rights guaranteed by the US Constitution. The Supreme Court case, Cox V. New Hampshire, focuses on the First Amendment's...
Center for Civic Education
What Is Authority?
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...
Bill of Rights Institute
Freedom for All?
What did abolitionists have in common with those working for women's rights? How has the Native American struggle for voting rights differed from the struggles of other groups? Class members examine the 15th, 19th, 23rd, 24th, and 26th...
Carolina K-12
Marsh v. Chambers and the Establishment Clause
1983 Supreme Court case Marsh v. Chambers, which centers on whether opening a legislative session with a prayer violates the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment to the US Constitution, is the focus of a series of discussions and...
National Woman's History Museum
Women's Suffrage Movement
The National Women's History Museum offers a 20-slide presentation that details the history of the Women's Suffrage Movement from its creation in the 1830s through the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920.
Center for History Education
Nineteenth Century Reform Movements: Women's Rights
It's hard to imagine a world where women were marginalized from the seats of power. Yet, there are women today who remember what it was like to not be allowed to vote. Using a DBQ of images and other primary sources, such as political...
Facing History and Ourselves
Interracial Democracy
Radical Reconstruction, the 10-year period referred to after Congress passed the Reconstruction Act of 1867, saw the establishment of manhood suffrage, men voting without any racial qualifications. Southern states also rewrote their...
DocsTeach
Evaluating the New Departure Strategy in the Fight for Women's Suffrage
When women demanded their right to vote, did the Constitution already protect it? The New Departure Strategy in the women's suffrage movement made this claim through court hearings. Using documents, such as transcripts from Susan B....
DocsTeach
Election of 1800
The 2020 election is not the only unpredictable one in history. The Election of 1800 highlighted an unforeseen event in a presidential election. The activity reviews documents from the elections and what happened when the electoral...
Center for History Education
Speaking Freely In the Soviet Union's Autocratic Government
Speak your mind! The lesson explores the difference in free speech between the United States and the Soviet Union. Academics review the constitutions of both governments, political cartoons, and case studies to understand how freedom of...
Curated OER
The Nineteenth Amendment: Susan B. Anthony
What would your scholars do if Susan B. Anthony walked into class? Shock them to attention with this lesson, which has the school secretary (or any willing participant) dress as the famous suffragette and answer questions as a surprise...
Curated OER
Citizenship Test: Principles of American Democracy, Questions 1-12
Prepare your English learners for their upcoming citizenship test with this presentation. Addressing common questions about the American government and Constitution, this slideshow could be a good study guide for students who struggle...