Curated OER
Government Websites
Students search for government sites and create master lists by category. They list Executive, Judicial, Legislative and Special Interest Group sites.
Judicial Learning Center
Types of Court Cases
How can one court acquit someone of a crime, while another convicts the person of the same one? It's all because of the differences between civil and criminal trials. An informative resource provides scholars in the field of criminology...
Judicial Learning Center
Levels of the Federal Courts
The Supreme Court gets all the glory, but very few federal cases make it to the highest court. An interesting lesson explores the structure of the lower levels of the federal court system. In addition to outlining the organization of...
Administrative Office of the US Courts
US v. Alvarez
Is it illegal to lie about military service? Discuss the ways the First Amendment affects the Stolen Valor Act with a lesson that focuses on the Supreme Court case U.S. v. Alvarez. As high schoolers learn more about the history of the...
Judicial Learning Center
The Ratification Debate
Most Americans profess their love for the US Constitution, but this was not always the case. An informative lesson overviews the debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists by summarizing the main arguments of each side. It...
Curated OER
Utah's Legislative Branch: How a Bill Becomes a Law
Seventh graders discover how a bill becomes a law in Utah. In groups, they decide on a law they would like to see enacted and discuss its chances of being passed by the legislative branch in Utah. They hold elections in which each...
DocsTeach
Court Packing vs. Reorganizing: The Supreme Court in the New Deal
Travel back in time to understand the effects of FDR's New Deal on the Supreme Court. Academics analyze historical documents to understand FDR's attempts to pack the Supreme Court and the opposition he faced. The activity includes a...
iCivics
The Road to Civil Rights
Here is a fantastic resource on the civil rights movement! It includes reading materials and worksheets, and particularly highlights major legislation and the role of the judicial branch in the federal government in addressing the...
Curated OER
Order in the Court
Students identify the branches of government, who leads each branch and its responsibilities. They understand the role that John Marshall played in our government system. They research the role of the Supreme Court.
Curated OER
Senate Judiciary Committee Confirmation Simulation
Students research the Supreme Court judicial selection process while role playing. They examine the political nature of the process and discuss merits of Supreme Court nominees.
Curated OER
Constitutional Acts (Chapter 3)
Help your students review constitutional acts in this review worksheet, which could also be used as a class quiz. Five matching questions and five multiple choice questions address checks and balances, the powers of the Senate and House,...
Curated OER
The Impact of Hazelwood on School Publications
Ninth graders explore the Supreme Court Case Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier. In this American Government lesson, 9th graders research the recent history of censorship and how the courts have been involved in either...
Curated OER
The Role of the Judiciary in a System of Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances
High schoolers review concepts shown to them in a telecast on the role of the judiciary in a system of separation of powers. After reading an article, they work together in groups to complete a chart on checks and balances. They also...
Curated OER
It's All About Justice
Students examine a specific environmental concern to their local community. In groups, they explore how the justice system would deal with the problem by participating in a treasure hunt. They review the meaning of federal and state...
Curated OER
George to George
Students use the internet to research the beginnings of the United States government. In groups, they examine the presidency of George Washington while they are guided along a museum tour. They end the lesson by discussing the changes...
Curated OER
The Supremes
Students discuss steps cases go through to reach Supreme Court, examine Bill of Rights, and rank rights in order of importance to them. Students then research Supreme Court case dealing with one of first ten amendments, and write about...
Curated OER
Watergate Revisited
Students review Watergate Files and the Watergate Trial using Internet sites. They read about the people involved in Watergate. They discuss the events leading up to and after Watergate.
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency: Connected Text, Practice and Read
A reading activity boosts scholars' level of fluency while reading connected text. Working collaboratively, pairs read a word list three times and a specific text while their partner gauges their accuracy and speed.
Curated OER
Roles of the President
Middle schoolers read a document which explains the roles and responsibilities of the President of the United States. In groups, they tour the George Bush Presidential Museum and participate in a Presidential scavenger hunt. Once back...
Curated OER
Who or What is Un-American?
Students explore concepts about civil liberties, research the history of sedition-related legislation in the U.S. and create a position paper on the topic.
Curated OER
The Constitution
Eighth graders watch as their teacher presents information on the Constitution, government and laws through a PowerPoint presentation. In groups, they discuss the importance of government and laws and identify the main ideas in the...
Curated OER
Supreme Court: Practice with Precedents 2010
Eleventh graders examine the term precedent in the court system. In this American Government lesson, 11th graders research various court cases in history. Students create a study chart that shows comparisons of these...
Curated OER
Introduction to the Constitution: The First Three Articles of the Constitution, Separation of Powers
Students review the first three articles of the United States Constitution. In groups, they examine the three branches of government and their function. They follow the path of a bill until it becomes law and discuss Congress' role.
Curated OER
Constitutional Convention
Students develop a constitution for a hypothetical country called Permistan by reviewing the constitutions from the other countries they have already studied.