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Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: Democracy in America: The Constitution: Fixed or Flexible?

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
This unit explores the timeless qualities of The U.S. Constitution, the opportunities to amend it, and how it is a pillar of the American identity, through these activities, videos, and outside resources.
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Primary
PBS

Pbs: Eyes on the Prize: "No School in Our State Will Be Integrated"

For Students 9th - 10th
In this 1962 speech, Mississippi governor Ross Barnett defies the Supreme Court's order to admit James Meredith to the University of Mississippi claiming the federal government was interfering in a state matter.
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Lesson Plan
Library of Congress

Loc: The Great Depression and the 1990s

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students frequently echo sentiments such as, "The government is too big," or "The government should make welfare mothers pay for their own needs." It seems that many citizens, high schoolers included, have begun to believe in reduced...
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Graphic
Other

Lander Der Bundesrepublik Deutschland

For Students 9th - 10th
Good site for the Bundeslander (States of Germany). Shows location of each state on a separateGermany map, links to capitals and state governments.
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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Unsettled Domestic Issues

For Students 5th - 8th
The new United States government faced many threats to its success. Read this overview of the possible problems.
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Article
Siteseen

Siteseen: Government and Constitution: Article 4 of the Us Constitution

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides a summary and full text of Article 4 of the US Constitution that summarizes the duties that individual states have to each other, as well as those the federal government has to the states.
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Primary
US Government Publishing Office

U.s. Government Publishing Office: Constitution of the United States of America: 16th Amendment Income Tax [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Read this text of the 16th Amendment, followed by the history of the Amendment and an analysis. (PDF)
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Article
Other

Money: What It Is, How It Works: Understanding Government Debt

For Students 9th - 10th
This article discusses how our monetary system works and the role the government plays. Organized into the following sections: "Government Money," "Treasury Options", "Tax or Borrow?", "Rolling Over Government Debt", and "Net Financial...
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Website
Library of Congress

Loc: George Washington to the United States Senate, 1789

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A summary of Washington's task to appoint Supreme Court and other federal judicial officials, appointments which he based on relevant experience, their support for the constitution, and on where they lived. Includes images of a...
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Handout
The White House

The White House: The Judicial Branch

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about the judicial branch of the federal government, how the organization of the federal judiciary is determined, the functions and responsibilities of the Supreme Court, and features of the judicial process.
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Unit Plan
C-SPAN

C Span Classroom: Teaching About Poverty

For Students 9th - 10th
Learning module in which students use current and relevant information to take a close look at poverty in America, past and present, and examine how the government should address it. Comprehensive multi-media learning materials include...
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Activity
Scholastic

Scholastic: What Is the Definition of Citizenship?

For Students 9th - 10th
A brief, easy to read definition of citizenship, with links to closely related subjects like how to become a citizen, the definition of naturalization, the Constitution on citizenship, and the history of citizenship in the United States.
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Website
Digital History

Digital History: Local Control vs. National Authority [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
One of the debates at the Constitutional Convention centered on whether states or a national government would have greater authority. Read a reconstruction of speeches given by delegates to the convention concerning this important issue....
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Neh: Edsit Ement: The United States Capitol Building

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
A comprehensive site that provides three lesson plans which explain what takes place in the U.S. Capitol Building. This thorough site describes the function of the Capitol Building and includes many photos of both the building itself and...
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Website
Other

Representative Democracy Has Failed

For Students 9th - 10th
This politically oriented site outlines the degeneration of American Democracy and the erosion of democratic principles as exemplified by unconstitutional actions on the part of the Federal and State governments, as in the examples of...
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Website
Digital History

Digital History: Republicanism

For Students 9th - 10th
The framers of the Constitution had a great distaste for the monarchial society of Great Britain. See how this was reflected in the checks and balances they wrote into the Constitution in an effort to create a working republic.
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Unit Plan
The Newberry Library

Newberry Library: Anti Statism in u.s. History

For Students 9th - 10th
Newberry Library digital collections presents a lesson using primary sources from which students explore the concept of "anti-state" sentiment and examine the reasons writers and politicians protest the authority of the federal...
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Article
Other

The Texas Economy: Texas School Funding at a Glance

For Students 9th - 10th
See the breakdown of Texas public school revenues including local, state, and federal monies. Totals for these revenue sources include state spending not reported by school districts, such as state purchases of textbooks.
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Website
Other

Data: Empowering People

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Find, download, and use datasets generated by the executive branch of the U.S. federal government to learn about our nation and the world.
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Activity
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: Rules of the Supreme Court

For Students 9th - 10th
Site that acts as an index to all the rules that govern the United States Supreme Court. Each rule can be seen in its entirety by clicking the link on the left the listed rule.
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Unit Plan
Library of Congress

Loc: Thomas Jefferson Exhibit

For Students 6th - 8th
The Library of Congress has created an exhibit which focuses on the extraordinary legacy of Thomas Jefferson--founding father, farmer, architect, inventor, slaveholder, book collector, scholar, diplomat, and the third president of the...
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Handout
Travel Document Systems

Tds: Ivory Coast: History

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about Ivory Coast's recent history, the military coups, violence, and the encouraging agreement that has ushered in a transitional government. You can also find out about its history as a French colony. Information is from the U.S....
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Unit Plan
The Dirksen Congressional Center

Dirksen Congressional Center:congress for Kids: Introduction to the Constitution

For Students 3rd - 8th
Explore the history of the United States Constitution: information about the writing the Constitution, the Great Compromise, the Constitution's signers, the Bill of Rights, the Amendments to the Constitution, federal powers, checks and...
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Website
Other

U.s. Office of Personnel Management

For Students 9th - 10th
This is the homepage of the Office of Personnel Management, one of the many independent government agencies.

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