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The Law: Your Rights and Responsibilities
Students explore First Amendment rights and responsibilities.
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The Bill of Rights
Students practice their reading comprehension skills by reading about the Bill of Rights. They answer questions after reading to test their comprehension.
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The New Republic
Students research the Federalists and Anti-federalists. In the lesson on state legislature, students use primary sources to create a brochure and write an essay that illustrates federalist and anti-federalists viewpoints.
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Cartoons for the Classroom: Bill of Rights Day
In this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about the Bill of Rights and respond to 3 talking point questions.
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The Right to Vote
Students discover voting barriers. In this government instructional activity, students explore the history of voting. Students work in small groups to analyze and debate if certain groups of people should have the ability to vote or not.
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Reconstruction (1865-1876)
Easily broken into pieces for several class sessions, this presentation is a great way to transition your class out of a Civil War unit and closer to the 20th century. Engaging photographs, including relevant maps and humorous political...
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Ratification Debate on the U.S. Constitution
Students study the U.S. Constitution and are asked to give a speech about what they have found.
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Women in Texas Politics: Winning the Vote, Three Pioneers, and Serving the People
Fourth graders study women's involvement in Texas politics. In this US history lesson, 4th graders discuss woman suffrage, examine three Texas female pioneer legislators by reading biographies, and explore women's issues by generating a...
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Worksheet #61 Questions - James Madison
In this James Madison historical term quiz, students define the meaning of several terms relating to the aforementioned topic in order to advance their historical knowledge.
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Debate On Ratification
Young scholars simulate a delegate that was responsible for the Constitution. They research their arguments, and stage a debate in front of the state's legislature (the class). The class then vote whether or not to ratify the new...
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Bill of Rights
In this Amendments to the Constitution worksheet, students list the freedoms that each of the ten Bill of Rights guarantees. Students write ten short answers.
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Citizenship Worksheet 5 - Local and State Government
The Tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution delegates rights that have not been defined by the federal government to the states. But what are the responsibilities of state governments? What about county and city governments?...
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Real Life Rights
Students consider modern applications to the Bill Of Rights (how does Ammendment 4 apply to locker searches?) students prepare and role play a mock trial to explore the finer points of the relevance ot the Bill of Rights in the 21st...
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Political Parties, Platforms, and Planks
Ninth graders examine the origins and functions of political parties. In this American Government lesson, 9th graders create a party platform to address political issues that are likely to arise during a national election. ...
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Checks and Balances Chart
In this checks and balances chart worksheet, students use their textbooks and a copy of the U.S. Constitution to complete 10 items in the chart identifying the branches of government.
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Role Playing Free Speech
Students conduct research into looking at a free-speech issue. They role play the events surrounding a court case. The activity includes guiding questions to help create context and determine areas of further study. The presentation...
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Citizenship Worksheet 1 - The Rights and Responsibilities of a United States Citizen
For this United States citizenship worksheet, students learns the qualifications for U.S. citizenship, the rights of that citizenship as well as the responsibilities therein.
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The Panama Canal Treaties: How Treaties Are Ratified
High schoolers gain an understanding of how the executive and legislative branches, influenced by popular opinion, work toward the ratification of a treaty. They examine the influences and impact of lobbying and special interests in the...
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A Look at Virginians During Reconstruction
Fourth graders examine slavery and Reconstruction in Virginia. For this Virginians during Reconstruction lesson, 4th graders research primary sources for the story of William Jasper and other slaves. Students hypothesize how rights...
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Declaration of Independence
Students define the words: republic, Articles of Condederation, survey, Northwest Ordinance, republicanism, ordinance, ratified, and Northwest Territory. They view the video Charlie Brown Constitution.
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A Right to Bear Arms - One Patriot's View
Learners research Samuel Adams' role in the crafting of the Second Amendment. They consider how Adams' views evolved with time and write a one-page response linking their research to current events.
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Genocide
Students research acts of genocide to become aware that acts of genocide have been ongoing throughout history, and continue today. Students create a presentation including a verbal description of the situation, a written summary and a...
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Government Lesson Plan: Lesson Plan 8
Students analyze the Fourteenth Amendment. They discuss Reconstruction, read the provisions of the Fourteenth Amendment, define the provisions, and in small groups analyze a Supreme Court case that was impacted by the due process clause.
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Racial Inequality: Remnants of a Troubled Time
Learners watch the Discovery program "Racial Inequality: Remnants of a Troubled Time" then examine the ratification of the 14th Amendment and the Plessy v. Ferguson decision. They research one of three events that tested Brown v. Board...