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Living News: Classroom Materials
Students explore controversial current events. In this Bill of Rights instructional activity, students research selected issues and examine the issues from different perspectives. Students script and record news stories that feature...
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Justice
Students consider the role of justice in the formation of the United States and in the operation of today's criminal justice system. They investigate symbols associated with justice and references to justice in the Constitution.
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Government: Missouri Bar Civics Library
Learners visit the Missouri bar Website to examine information about the U.S. Constitution and its Amendments. They complete a variety of activities from the provided lessons including the judiciary, Fourth Amendment issues, civil law,...
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Ambivalent Council
Young scholars consider the purpose of a constitution and research Iraq's five major population groups. They write a letter to the Iraqi Governing Council from the perspective of a member of one of these Iraqi population groups.
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Are We the People?
Students investigate their elected officials and their roles. In this governmental leadership lesson plan, students discuss the Constitution and research their elected officials. They also organize the information they find regarding the...
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Preserving Democracy
Students read excerpts of the Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution. Using the documents, they identify the ideas of how the government should be run. In groups, they develop a skit that encourages people to be...
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Comparison of Political Ideologies in the Context of Constitutional Preambles
High schoolers examine the various philosophies that form the foundations of political systems of major world countries.
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Building the Foundation
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...
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Government by the People
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning lesson, students examine primary documents regarding the founding of the United States. Students analyze section of the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of...
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Two Nations Struggle for Independence
Students compare the struggle for independence of the United States with that of India. They review the idea of "British Rule" as it affected both countries. Explore the idea of taxation as a way to control the resources of a country....
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Checks and Balances
Eleventh graders explain the structure and function of the United States government established by the Constitution. They set up a make-believe scenario: the 3 volunteers have been friends for a long time and have formed a club (the...
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The Three Branches of Government
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.
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The Civil War as Photographed by Mathew Brady
Learners gain historical background on the Civil War era from textbooks, encyclopedias, or supplemental material. Assign at least two photographs for each student to analyze using the Photograph Analysis Worksheet which is imbedded in...
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Development of Labor Unions
Students examine the conditions that led to organized labor unions. In this 20th century America instructional activity, students compare and contrast the Knights of Labor Constitution, the American Federation of Labor Constitution, and...
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Images of the American Revolution
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...
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We the Second Graders
Students study the history, development and meaning of the Constitution. They participate in a classroom simulation of the Constitutional Convention by writing a Preamble, developing a government, and writing a Bill of Rights for their...
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Early American Government: Cause and Effect
Students explore cause and effect. In this early American government lesson plan, students research the series of events that led to the revolution, confederation, and constitution. Students use cause and effect examples to complete a...
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Philanthropy in History Lesson 1: We the People Hall of Fame
Students examine the lives of people who contributed to the common good, and democracy. They investigate grievances that lead to the call for American independence and look at the costs that are incurred as a result of personal acts of...
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What Is Democracy?
Students explore the concept of democracy. They define and describe democracy and choose an issue they believe the government should care about for its people. They write a persuasive essay about their issue.
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Court Documents Related to Martin Luther King, Jr., and Memphis Sanitation Workers
Students read about the civil rights movement in their textbooks. They engage in a whole-class discussion of how nonviolent direct action can be a powerful tool for bringing about social, economic, or political change.
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The Anti-Slavery Movement
Eleventh graders as a class create and write a constitution for an anti-slavery society. They investigate demographics of slavery, treatment of slaves, the colonization movement, and women in the abolition movement, and present their...
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We the People
Students show how the meaning of the Preamble is reflected in current American culture. They collect images and/or sounds from media sources that represent, symbolize, or explain each phrase in the Preamble and create a media...
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JUSTICE
Young scholars analyze the role that Alabama played in three major events of American History and how those roles contributed to Alabama being dubbed the "Cradle of the Confederacy" and the "Birthplace of the Modern Civil Rights Movement."
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Philantrophy of the Founding Fathers -- Alive and Well Today
Students discuss the role that individuals have in contributing to society. They develop alternative solutions to problems in their area. They write a paper about what they have discovered.