A piece of the past helps shape the future. Learn what historical documents reveal about the past using an engaging activity.  Academics participate in a role-playing scenario, view the voting record of the Constitutional...

Give your Constitution Day celebration a timely slant by discussing the census! An activity that includes analysis of the Constitutional call for a census, along with scaffolded worksheets, help pupils understand the connection between...

Once a registered voter isn't always a registered voter. Academics explore the topic of voter registration and hindrances to remaining registered. The resource focuses on data analysis, federal voter registration law, and Supreme Court...

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...

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...

Practice analyzing primary sources in a thought-provoking lesson on the impact of slavery. Young historians read a petition regarding the Fugitive Slave Law and answer a series of questions to understand the importance of the document....

Senators are public servants but they do get paychecks. The activity focuses on historical analysis and a treasury document from the first Congress. Scholars read the document, answer questions, and participate in group discussion to...

Which right does the Constitution weigh more heavily: the sanctity of the American flag as a symbol of national unity, or the right to burn the flag in protest? The 1989 Supreme Court case of Texas v. Johnson explores a...

Votes for women! The activity highlights the push for the Nineteenth Amendment giving women the right to vote. High school scholars learn how the Fifteenth Amendment giving African American men the right to vote helped to spark the...

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...

Scholars learn how the judicial system treated under-age Civil War soldiers using historical analysis. The resource uses court documents to help historians understand why Habeas Corpus was used in the case of Alfred Sinker and why he was...

The Bill of Rights is a foundational document of American democracy, much like the Nuremberg Laws were a foundational document of the Reichstag of Nazi Germany. But that's where their similarities end. Engage high schoolers in a...

Organized crime and speakeasies ... just another day during Prohibition. An intriguing activity explores the world of Prohibition and its consequences on life in the United States. Scholars analyze primary sources and place them on a...

Can your class help the people of Nepal? Scholars take an in-depth look into the social injustices and struggling economy of a country in turmoil during a multi-day role-playing exercise. After reviewing information on the problems...

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...

Going green? Scholars investigate the creation of the US National Park program. Through diary entries as well as expert testimony, they synthesize information and analyze the need for conservation and preservation. Finally, they display...

This resource discusses Clause 1, Section 3, in Article IV. It outlines the parameters put in place to ensure that as new states entered the union, power was equitably distributed among all.

This resource explains Clause 10 of Article I of the U.S. Constitution beginning with the origins of "Piracies, Felonies, and Offenses Against the Law of Nations." Further historical background as considered by the Constitutional...

A scholarly discussion of Article II of the U.S. Constitution, which establishes the executive branch of the U.S. government. Discusses the origin of the article and the debates on executive power that took place among the Founding...

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention had to decide the means of amending the Constitution. Discusses Madison's proposal for empowering Congress to propose amendments, either on its own initiative or upon application by the...

This resource presents section 6 of article 1 of the U.S. Constitution, which details the rights and disabilities of members of Congress. The site discusses congressional pay, and privileges from arrest and of speech or debate in an...

Learning activity in which students survey the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas and his ideas on government, natural law, and the common good to create policies or programs the U.S. government could enact. Questions for discussion and...

This resource offers a discussion of the Fourth Amendment, and what has become known as the Exclusionary Rule. Provided on the bottom of the page are footnotes which can be reached by clicking on the links throughout the body of the text.

This particular page of annotations on the Eighth Amendment discusses the background and intended meaning of the phrase "cruel and unsual punishment".