K20 LEARN
Electoral College: Does My Vote Count?
How can a candidate get the most votes, yet still lose the race for the presidency? This is has happened more than once in American history, including in the elections of 2000 and 2016. Using an activity for creating group notes, young...
Bismarck Public Schools
History & Math of the 1830s
Using this interdisciplinary instructional activity, your young historians will have the opportunity to practice their math skills while learning about the drastic population increase in the United States during the presidency of Andrew...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
George Washington: General, President, Slave Owner
Times change; behaviors that were once considered acceptable can be seen in a very different light. Middle schoolers revisit the legacy of George Washington in a three-day lesson plan that uses primary sources to reveal Washington as a...
Curated OER
Defending the Homeland--The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1789
Learners explore that there have been times during the history of the US when ,in response to real and perceived threats, both domestic and foreign, our country has responded by passing legislation. Students trace the fundamental rights...
Curated OER
The Perfect President
Students advertise for the perfect president. In this presidential duties lesson, students determine the attributes that the ideal president should have and then write job descriptions for the role.
National Park Service
Civil War to Civil Rights: From Pea Ridge to Central High
Explore how the Civil War impacted the Civil Rights Movement. Class members complete a series of projects for a unit that uses a layered curriculum approach to learning.
Curated OER
U.S. History Worksheet #73
Explore how the 14th Amendment changed the way the United States operated, both politicallay and socially. In this United States history activity, students utilize a word bank of 10 terms or phrases to answer 10 fill in the blank...
Curated OER
Let's Meet The Presidents
Create a digital movie documenting research about an American President. Using internet sources, students with special needs gather information about their chosen president. Working in groups, they use this information to create a...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Refugees From Vietnam and Cambodia
The United States may have pulled its troops from the Vietnam War in 1973, but the conflict was far from over for the citizens living in Asia at the time. An informative resource lets learners know about the wave of over 220,000...
Curated OER
The Philadelphia Convention/Constitutional Convention
Eleventh graders explore the major points covered during the Philadelphia Convention/Constitutional Convention. They discuss the Federalists and the Anti federalists. They discuss the Bill of Rights and the drafting of the Constitution....
Curated OER
Constitutional Convention
Eighth graders gain a greater understanding of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and the issues surrounding the development of our Constitution. They participate in an activity and listen to lecture on the Convention, then search...
Curated OER
Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
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,...
State Bar of Texas
Roe v. Wade
At what point does the right of privacy end and the government begin? Scholars research rights under the Ninth Amendment to the Constitution. Using the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case as a starting point, along with small group work...
Curated OER
American History Through the Len of the Supreme Court Decisions
Students examine the historical background of Supreme Court decisions and the basic principles behind legislation. As part of the activity, students discover legal concepts and terms and write sentences using the vocabulary they have...
Minnesota Courts
Inside Straight: the Third Branch
Learners use the worksheet as they view the film Inside Straight: the Third Branch. Multiple case studies and the history of the judicial branch of the US government are included via hyperlink and act as the topics of discussion...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Celebrating the 19th Amendment
Eighty-eight years after women earned the right to vote, a women ran for president. Young analysts consider the role women play in politics, how they are portrayed, the standards they are held to, and if they are still treated unfairly...
Curated OER
George Washington: The Precedent President
Students investigate precedents set during George Washington's term in office. They conduct Internet research, develop a list of the responsibilities of the President, match Washington's accomplishments with the list, and play a game.
Curated OER
The Federalist Defense of Diversity: Extending the Sphere
How did early Americans ensure expansion while also securing the rights of citizens? Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, two of our early leaders, considered the problem of faction to be the "mortal disease" that created unstable...
Curated OER
The Civil War
Although we currently focus on Abraham Lincoln's positive contributions in creating a more equal society, the truth is that Lincoln was actually a controversial character in his time! After studying the Civil War, give your high...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: The Bush and Clinton Years
Examine how the Bush and Clinton years are an example of political dynasties. This cartoon provides a way to explore the concept and activate critical thinking skills in order to better grasp U.S. Politics. A fun and educational way to...
Curated OER
Civil Liberties and 9/11
Fifth graders examine the effects of 9/11 on two guarantees in the Preamble of the Constitution, the preservation of liberty and the establishment of common security. They examine how our personal liberties been affected by the 9/11...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Runaway Slaves in Alabama: Individual Freedom Fighters in the 1800s
Class pairs examine eight runaway slave advertisements from the mid-1800s to develop an understanding of the conditions slaves faced and of race relations.
Curated OER
What Experiences Shaped the Founders' Thinking about Government?
Students study the ideas and experiences that shaped the founding fathers' perspective about government. In this the government lesson plan, students examine the Articles of Confederation as they relate to the power of government....
Deliberating in a Democracy
Marriage and the State
What defines marriage in society? Scholars investigate the moral and legal arguments of what defines marriage. They analyze different marriage traditions and social customs around the world along with Supreme Court decisions. Individuals...