Curated OER
The Bill of Rights is a-Rockin
Young scholars explore the U.S. Constitution through music. For this Bill of Rights lesson, students discuss a hypothetical case regarding lyrics by Madonna and the historical Massachusetts Blue Laws. Young scholars use the Bill of...
Curated OER
Jefferson vs. Franklin: Revolutionary Philosophers
Students cite connections among Franklin's Albany Plan of 1754, his Plan of Confederation of 1775 and the U.S. Constitution and/or the Declaration of Independence. In an essay, they give examples of the philosophical and political...
Curated OER
Comparing the 1945 Vietnam Declaration of Independence and Constitution of 1992 with the United States Declaration of Independence and Constitution
Students compare and contrast the Vietnamese and American plans for government. In this government systems lesson, students analyze and compare excerpts of the 1945 Vietnam Declaration of Independence, the Vietnam Constitution of 1992,...
Curated OER
Letters to the Government
Seventh graders examine how to be active participants in their local, state, or federal governments. They create a powerpoint presentation and write a letter to one of their governmental representatives about a problem and solution of...
Federal Reserve Bank
Constitutionality of a Central Bank
Considering the expressed and implied powers of Congress, was it constitutional for the United States to establish the Second National Bank in the early nineteenth century? What is the constitutionality of the Federal Reserve...
Curated OER
Lincoln's Spot Resolutions
High schoolers take a closer look at historical relations between the United States and Mexico. In this Texas annexation lesson plan, students examine primary documents authored by Zachary Taylor, James Polk, and Abraham Lincoln to...
Curated OER
Constitution/Impeachment/Reconstruction
Eleventh graders analyze a chart comparing U.S. census data from 1850, 1880, 1900, and 1920. They read a handout summarizing immigration legislation from 1882-1996 and create a graph charting how open / closed U.S. immigration is over time.
Curated OER
The U.S. Constitution: Practical Application of the Amendments
High schoolers create their own HyperStudio cards which include scanned images of at least one member (designated reader) of each group. They add the text of a predetermined amendment. The designated reader then reads the selected...
Curated OER
The President's Roles and Responsibilities: Understanding the President's Job
Students examine the roles and responsibilites of the president of the U.S. They identify and discuss the three branches of U.S. government, view and discuss a White House Photo essay online, and create a class book entitled, 'If I Were...
Curated OER
How Has the Constitution Shaped the Economic System in the United States?
Students examine the characteristics of market economies. In this United States economics lesson, students analyze the Constitution to understand how it contributes to the market economy established in the United States. Students...
National Endowment for the Humanities
James Madison: Madison Was There
Madison was there! Scholars go on a journey to discover the person behind the founding father label as they explore James Madison's role in the formation of the United States government. The culmination is a writing assignment and...
Curated OER
Keep Your Eye On the Prize
High schoolers learn about citizens who were actively involved in the civil rights movement, and the strategies they used to overcome the Jim Crow laws that were so prevalent in the 1960s. They investigate the voting amendments of the US...
Curated OER
How Congress Works
Students describe role of the U.S. Congress in American government as set forth in the Constitution, and explain why the Framers created a Congress with a House and a Senate and gave them different roles.
Curated OER
Examine Your State Government's Demographics
How is your state government organized? How many elected officials are women? What is the mean age of your state representatives? Young scholars answer these questions in a research project before creating a chart to reflect their...
Curated OER
Constitution Cartoons
Students view series of cartoon overheads that explain Constitution, name branches of government and their powers, define federalism and separation of powers, examine rights and obligations of citizens, and discuss significance of...
Curated OER
Why We Chose Our Constitution
Students examine the American plan for government. In this American government lesson plan, students examine selected Internet websites regarding the Magna Carta, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution.
Curated OER
Constitutional Issues: The Separation of Powers
Learners research and stage a debate on the question: RESOLVED that the Constitution should be amended to provide for a parliamentary system of government. They debate if a parliamentary system of government might be better.
Curated OER
It's in Your Pocket
Students examine American coins. In this American currency lesson, students study how American money came to be as well as the responsibilities of the U.S. Mint. Students discover details regarding American coins and design their own coins.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 4 James Madison: Internal Improvements Balancing Act—Federal/State and Executive/Legislative
Who has the power? The founding fathers asked the same question when the United States was formed. Learners explore issues that arose during Madison’s presidency that raised constitutional questions. Through discovery, discussion, and...
Curated OER
American Studies
Entitled American Studies, this small unit covers various topics related to the study of the United States. Learners warm up by creating a dictionary of democracy, then dive into three different lessons focused on government, famous...
Curated OER
Constitutional Issues: Watergate and the Constitution
Students take and defend positions on what conditions contribute to the establishment and maintenance of a constitutional government. They debate whether or not the government should have prosecuted Nixon over the Watergate scandal.
Curated OER
Bill of Rights
Students analyze the U.S. Bill of Rights. They conduct research on an amendment of the Bill of Rights, complete a worksheet that matches scenarios to amendments of the Bill of Rights, and write a letter to their Congressperson.
Curated OER
Teaching With Documents Lesson Plan:Launching the New U.S. Navy
Pupils demonstrate understanding of the issues related to the creation and ratification of the United States Constitution and the new Government it established.
Curated OER
Checks and Balances
Students take a closer look at the responsibilities of the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branches. In this U.S. government instructional activity, students read articles 1, 2, and 3 of the Constitution and then use Venn diagrams...