Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Liberty vs. Security
In this current events activity, students analyze a political cartoon about civil liberties and respond to 3 talking point questions.
Administrative Office of the US Courts
Elonis v. U.S.
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...
Newspaper Association of America
Press Ahead!
Give class members some great news! A media unit teaches individuals about ethics, parts of a newspaper, business writing, photojournalism, and more topics that have to do with the press. Full of material for a variety of learners,...
Curated OER
Banned Book Week: Tips for Teaching Censorship
Consider how book censorship erodes our right to free speech and intellectual freedom.
Curated OER
John Gary Evans and the Politics of Race
Students read letters written by Evans and Gunton regarding race relations. In this Progressive Movement lesson, students interpret the intentions and tone of the letters to understand contemporary racial beliefs. Students discuss the...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: The Right to Know vs. Government Secrecy
In this current events worksheet, students analyze political cartoons about government secrecy and respond to 3 talking point questions.
Curated OER
US Patriot Act: Security vs. Privacy
High schoolers use readings, worksheets and discussion to explore the ramifications of the US Patriot Act which was passed by Congress shortly after September 11th. They review Constitutional Amendments and consider how they relate to...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Why is Freedom of Speech a Burning Issue?
For this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about the freedom of speech and respond to three short answer questions
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Guest-Worker Program
The U.S. Guest-Worker Program and the H-2A visa are the focus of a social studies activity. First, class members assume the role of advisors who must present the president with four proposals that would amend the visas given to...
Feminist
Women's History Teacher's Guide
The origins, goals, and struggles of the women's movement are the focus of a five-day series of lessons about the accomplishments of the movement and the continuing struggle for women's rights.
Curated OER
Random Statistics
Seventh and eighth graders solve and complete 20 various types of short answer problems. First, they write a brief description of themselves including those as stated. Then, learners categorize the type of sampling used in various...
Curated OER
Bill O'Rights
Students discuss and identify the first ten amendments to the Constitution and apply their understanding of the material to how they currently affect their lives. They discover the rights and responsibilities of being a citizen, and...
Curated OER
Divided We Fall
Students investigate the consequences of eliminating one or more of the amendments to the Bill of Rights.
Curated OER
With Liberty and Justice for All
Fifth graders identify and define in their own words the first ten amendments to the Constitution. They are assigned a CDV or amendment from the Bill of Rights and create and present a one-minute skit demonstrating it.
Curated OER
Government: War Powers Limitations
Students examine historic examples of authority during wartime. They interpret the Fifth Amendment. They debate the merits of the Patriot Act.
Curated OER
Which Freedom?
Fourth graders choose on the freedoms in the Bill of Rights and research it on the internet. They answer specific questions using their research and produce a written document using a computer.
Curated OER
The Eiserloh Story
Students read "The Eiserloh Story" and evaluate decisions made by the government in time of war. They determine if the government violated the rights of innocent civilians. They identify the Bill of Rights and analyze each Right.
Curated OER
The Rule of Law
Young scholars continue their exploration of the concept of rule of law. As a class, they discuss how Civil Rights leaders followed the rule of law in their protests. After reading various articles, they participate in a discussion and...
Curated OER
Hodgson v. Minnesota
Students investigate the role of and develop opinions of the court in weighing competing interests in making decisions. They examine the power of the courts and legislature to regulate constitutional rights.
Curated OER
Near v. Minnesota
Learners discuss what free press means and what it would be like without this right. They read the summary from the Near v. Minnesota case. In groups, they analyze a problem and report to the class.
Curated OER
Exploring the Bill of Rights
Learners examine, discuss, and research the Bill of Rights. They, in groups, develop a presentation about their amendment for the class.
Curated OER
Judges in the Classroom
Students study the history of the Bill of Rights and discuss the first ten amendments. The class is put into groups and each group is responsible for knowing 5 statements from the history of the Bill of Rights. Then the class plays a...
Curated OER
Freedom of Religion
Students use this lesson to focus on the freedom of religion. In groups, they discuss how the separation of church and state applies to the public schools across the country. They compare and contrast the establishment and free exercise...
Curated OER
Introduction to Law I
Pupils identify four basic values (economic, social, moral, and political) protected by law, examine different definitions of values, and correlate laws to values they aim to protect.