Who decides someone is not a real person? Scholars investigate the Dred Scott v. Sandford court case which deals directly with slavery and citizenship. After viewing a short video clip, classmates work in pairs to assess and discuss the...

Students research emperor Justinian I in this lesson. They identify the contributions of Theodora to Justinian's rule, and the expansion of the Byzantine Empire during this time. They then analyze the contributions of Byzantine on...

Students investigate the Exclusionary Rule and other ways of to enforce the protections found in the Bill of Rights. They study how effective criminal control and public safety is carried out while citizens Constitutional rights are...

Learners participate in two unfair activities to explain the concept of fairness. Then they role-play different scenarios demonstrating the idea of fairness. They discuss reasons to make rules and complete a web chart on fairness.

Students, using Online sources, research and discuss modern ethics rules and general behavioral guidelines used in Congress.

The sovereignty of U.S. Native American nations is the focus of a resource that asks class members to compare the Right to Self-Determination in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples with a fact sheet that...

Learners examine life in Babylonia during the time of King Hammurabi. They read and discuss excerpts of the Code of Hammurabi, participate in a simulation of advisors to the king, complete an online interactive activity, answer...

How do new amendments become part of the US Constitution? AP government students explore, analyze, and use the US Constitution to develop a deep understanding of the interworkings of law and government while practicing synthesis and...

Students explore the the benefits and problems associated with a barter system in the Colonies and trace its relationship to the development of interdependence that this system creates. An experience of bartering is created in this lesson.

Students share their knowledge of England, then read a news article about Prince Charles's anticipated visit to the U.S. In this current events lesson plan (written prior to Prince Charles's visit), the teacher introduces the article...

A fabulous PowerPoint resource that thoroughly and accurately desicribes the Cherokee culture from the 1500's through the mid-1800's when they were forced to leave their homeland and march to Oklahoma in the famous, "Trail of Tears."...

Help your middle and high schoolers reflect on the responsibility of newspapers to act as a vehicle for 'everyday citizens' to voice their opinions. Then, using an article about the first day of the Senate impeachment trial of President...

Students analyze the Preamble of the Constitution and identify the historical context that led to its wording. They, in groups, interpret phrases from the Preamble, examine relevant court cases and create illustrations for their portion...

Young scholars complete a unit of lessons on the documents, symbols, and famous people involved in the founding of the U.S. government. They create a personal bill of rights, write a found poem, design a flag, conduct research, and...

Students explore the European Union Constitution and the impact on the various countries involved. They discuss the countries that have rejected the rules and the countries that have accepted them. They imagine they are the head of a...

Students learn about discrimination and the Jim Crow laws. In this discrimination lesson, students are presented with new classroom rules that discriminate against certain types of clothing. Students discuss the effects of the new rules...

Students study the concept of negligence. They recognize the difference between civil and criminal law and examine the factors that courts consider when considering if there is a duty and whether it has been breached. They argue either...

Learners examine the Declaration of Independence. For this Revolutionary War lesson, students use primary sources to analyze how the creation of the Declaration of Independence lead to the development of the United States as an...

Learners discuss laws and their importance. They discuss silly or unique laws and explore the process that must be followed to make a law.

Ninth graders consider the right of freedom of speech as it is outlined in the U.S. Constitution. They receive background information for the US Supreme Court, the Bill of Rights, and free speech. They discuss a series of actual cases...

Students examine the Second Amendment of the Constitution. They research and organize key arguments and other fundementals of gun control. They participate in a debate defending the wording of the Second Amendment.

Students explore the meaning of freedom.  In this U.S. History instructional activity, students research the Declaration of Independence and how it relates to American freedom by completing activities and a mock trial.

Help your students review constitutional acts in this review worksheet, which could also be used as a class quiz. Five matching questions and five multiple choice questions address checks and balances, the powers of the Senate and House,...

Ninth graders research the cultural implications of wedding celebrations around the world. They study wedding celebrations before creating world map on which they place an appropriately attired wedding couple on the country they studied....