Curated OER
U.S. President: Facts
Students gather information from a chart. They become familiar with the names of the presidents of the United States. They complete a worksheet imbedded in this plan on the many facts associated with the Presidents.
Curated OER
A Day in the Life of Parliament
Tenth graders watch excerpts from a parliamentary session, assume membership in a political party from a fictitious country and conduct a parliamentary session of their own covering a range of topics of current relevance.
Curated OER
Roaring Twenties: The Impact of High School on its Students Over Time
Eleventh graders compare the American high school experience of the 1920's to today. In this historical perspectives lesson, 11th graders examine surveys from 1924 high school students and then create their own surveys for today's high...
Curated OER
The Cuban Revolution
In this Cuban history learning exercise, learners respond to 8 short answer questions about the Cuban Revolution and the American response to the conflict.
Curated OER
We Accuse Colored Peoples of California V. State of California
Students participate in a WebQuest to investigate discrimination of African Americans, Chinese and Californio/Latino during the Gold Rush era. They act as law clerks to write a letter to their clients about a potential trial.
Curated OER
State of Oregon v. Dominguez-Martinez
Students are introduced to the concept of racial profiling. In groups, they analzye the case between Oregon and Dominguez-Martinez and evaluate the use of racial profiling as a tool of policemen. They also discuss the laws in place to...
Curated OER
Human Rights : Historical Process towards Individual Application
Students compare governments as they relate to human rights of its citizens.
Curated OER
The Real Work is Done in Committee: A Simulation
Students research the Canadian federal legislative process, and identify the main features of local, provincial, and federal governments in Canada. They simulate the process of a bill going through the legislative process.
Curated OER
VS.6b
Sixth graders explore, analyze and identify the ideas of George Mason and Thomas Jefferson as expressed in the Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Virginia Statue for Religious Freedom. They list and declare the responses stated in...
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Constitutional Rights Foundation
Constitutional Rights Foundation: Are Bible Readings Ever Allowed in School? [Pdf]
Article on the consitutionality of prayer, worship or reading the Bible at school. Students analyze Supreme Court cases, answer questions for discussion and debate the protective clause of first amendment rights.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: The First Amendment
This resource presents lessons on the First Amendment. It contains many resources for use with children, and links to primary source documents.
Read Works
Read Works: Don't Know Much About Liberty
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students read about the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in classifying and categorizing.
Other
Freedom Forum: First Amendment Struggles & Triumphs
Find out how the First Amendment serves citizens in real life by reading about Daniel Ellsberg, Mary Beth Tinker, and Alton T. Lemon, all of whom were principal litigants in landmark Supreme Court cases regarding the freedom of expression.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Freedom of Speech and Automatic Language
Contains plans for four lessons that use the "Pledge of Allegiance" to discuss the concepts of freedom of speech and automatic language. Ties in well with novels that deal with First Amendment rights such as Laurie Halse Anderson's...
Read Works
Read Works: News Debate: Religion on Display
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text debating whether or not schools should be allowed to display the 10 Commandments. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
University of Missouri
Exploring Constitutional Conflicts: Engle v. Vitale
Read the majority and dissenting opinions in the Engle v. Vitale case of 1962 which held that school-sponsored prayer in public schools violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
US National Archives
Nara: Teaching With Documents: Petition Signed by Thomas A. Edison
What a surprise to read about the several controversies engendered by the request that the Columbian Exposition be open on Sundays. This lesson plan examines the background of the main controversy and its relation to the First Amendment....
Read Works
Read Works: Battle Over the Pledge
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text debating whether or not the Pledge of Allegiance should be said in schools. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
PBS
Pbs News Hour Extra: Supreme Court Considers Free Speech and Protests
Hateful as these actions may seem to many people, do groups still have the right to protest under the First Amendment? Read about the case that the Supreme Court is considering involving protests at a military funeral.
Texas State Library and Archives Commission
Texas State Library and Archives Commission: The Battle Lost and Won: The Nineteenth Amendment
After the "Susan B. Anthony" amendment was passed by the Senate, suffragists stepped up in order to persuade the states to ratify it. Read how Texas suffragist Jane Y. McCallum was part of that cause and about the opposition she faced...
Thomson Reuters
Find Law: u.s. Supreme Court: Times Film Corp. V. City of Chicago (1961)
Read the majority opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court in Times Film Corp. v. City of Chicago, a 1961 case that focused on free speech and obscenity.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Democracy in America: Understanding Media: The Inside Story
This unit highlights the integral role that the media plays in American politics to communicate between the leaders and the public. Offers video, readings, web resources, and activities.
Boston College
Boston College: Schenck v. United States
Read the decision of this landmark Supreme Court decision involving the 1917 Espionage Act Schenck v. United States (1919).
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Censorship in the Classroom
Online instructional activity that challenges learners to examine the past and present practice of censorship in the classroom, in particular the "Banned books," from high school curriculums. Students research reasons for censorship and...