Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Preamble to the U. S. Constitution

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explain the purpose of the government by examining the Preamble to the Constitution. They identify ways in which the government is preserving those rights today. They discover one of the fundamental principles of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Get To Know The Constitution

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers search the Constitution for specific information. For this Constitution lesson plan, students read the Constitution and search for the branches of government, specific Amendments, and more, in groups.
Lesson Plan
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Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary

Classroom Constitutional Convention

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate the eight phrases that comprise the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution to determine its principles and purpose. Their own Constitutional Convention is convened to craft a preamble for their school's governance.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Justice in America

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students use the Preamble to the Constitution as the central resource, to consider the concept of justice in the United States, from past times to the present. Thoughtful questions are posed and helpful hand-outs provided.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A More Perfect Union: Women's Suffrage and the Constitution

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students reflect on the pros and cons of Women's Suffrage and it was viewed during the late 1800's.  In this history lesson plan, students will analyze documents on women's suffrage so that they can compare and contrast the rights...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Declaration of Independence and the Constitution

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders read a rewritten version of the Declaration of Independence, create a set of pictures illustrating the Preamble of the Constitution and create a version of the Declaration of Independence in the form of a song, a poem,...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Constitution of the United States: Crossword Puzzle

For Students 5th - 8th
In this United States history worksheet, learners use the 16 clues in order to fill in the crossword puzzle with the appropriate answers pertaining to the Constitution of the United States.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The United Nations: Fifty Years of Keeping the Peace

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine the work of the United Nations. In this United Nations lesson plan, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding the history of the United Nations. High schoolers respond to discussion...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Readers Theatre: Presenting Historical Events Through Theatre

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students examine historical events. In this instructional activity on the US Constitution, students engage in a theatrical exploration of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They also engage in an extensive discussion, complete...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

We Are the Government

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students read primary documents to find the motivations of the founding fathers of the United States. In this primary documents lesson, students discuss the meaning of the Preamble to the Constitution, read parts of the Constitution...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Three Branches of Government

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders discover details about the 3 branches of government. In this primary source analysis lesson, 6th graders examine documents and images from the Library of Congress to investigate the structure of the U.S. government.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

We the People: Promise and Practice in our Constitution

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students examine the concept that the constitutional government guarantees that our government is not all-powerful and analyze the purposes of our government that are listed in the Preamble. They assess that equality under the law and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Building the Foundation

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students understand the purpose of the judicial branch of government. In this judiciary lesson, students participate in exercises to understand how the court system works. Students complete activity sheets to develop understanding of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Development of Labor Unions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the conditions that led to organized labor unions. In this 20th century America lesson, students compare and contrast the Knights of Labor Constitution, the American Federation of Labor Constitution, and the Industrial...
Lesson Plan
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Judicial Branch of California

Our Government Today…What A System!

For Teachers 5th Standards
A group of citizens in North Canada has decided to leave their country, and they are asking for help in setting up an American-style democracy. Using a carefully structured activity, pupils lay out the principles in the American...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Declaration of Independence

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students examine the Declaration of Independence. In this colonial America lesson, students read literature regarding the document as well as excerpts of the document itself. Students also perform a Reader's Theatre script based on the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Citizenship

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders read the preamble of the U.S. and Florida Constitutions. They discuss vocabulary definitions surrounding the concept of citizenship. They discuss and write about the rights and responsibilities of citizens and apply their...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Timeline of Compromises over Slavery

For Students 6th - 12th
In this primary source analysis worksheet, students read excerpts of the Preamble, the Constitution, and the Fugitive Slave Act, the Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the Crittenden Compromise....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A More Perfect Union

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders complete a unit of lessons on the development of the U.S. government. They examine the main ideas of the Declaration of Independence, develop a class translation of the preamble to the Constitution, create a flow chart,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Living News: Classroom Materials

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore controversial current events. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students research selected issues and examine the issues from different perspectives. Students script and record news stories that feature their findings.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Legislative Branch

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students identify and describe the key terms as they relate to the Legislative Branch. Students describe how members of Congress are selected, how laws are created, and two of the limits on powers of Congress.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Images of the American Revolution

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze several documents as they research the Revolutionary War. They evaluate documents and examine them for bias and perspective. They use their research to write monologues from the point of view of a famous Revolutionary...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

US Government: The Constitution

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars explore the branches of government. In this U. S. Constitution lesson plan, students examine the system of checks and balances in the U.S. plan of government as they read the document and define vocabulary words.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Teaching With Documents Lesson Plan: Images of the American Revolution

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this American Revolution lesson, students examine international involvement in the war as well as major events of the war.