Lesson Plan
Curated OER

After: A Study of Individual Rights

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Use the dystopian novel After by Francine Prose to spark discussion about individual and student rights. Learners read the novel, evaluating how far a school can go to control its attendees. As they read, scholars...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

ONE VOTE

For Teachers 5th
In order to understand the political process and the importance of voting, pupils will construct a class time line. They will group up and research a specific era, creating a time line of political events where one vote made a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Federal Court Systems and Court Cases

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders investigate the basis for the Common Law Tradition. They examine the organization of the Federal Court System and students identify the various sources of the American Law.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Compromise, Our Constitution

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders explore, analyze and study our constitutional government and become aware of the purpose of our government. They assess the basic rights that are protected by the United States Constitution through graphic organizers and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Constitution Repatriation Simulation

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Students work cooperatively in groups to present the specific needs of an assigned territory to a mock meeting of government officials in an attempt to amend an existing law.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

US & Iroquois Constitution Parallels

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers engage in a lesson that is concerned with the concepts related to comparing the United States and Iroquois Indians while focusing upon the foundations of the ruling documents like the US Constitution. They conduct research...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rights and Responsibility

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students identify the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation and explain how these shortcomings lead to the creation of the Constitution. They explain why the Bill of Rights was added to the constitution and identify six freedoms...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Government Lesson Plan 11

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students apply United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the United States Constitution to contemporary situations, and predict possible United Nations responses to violations of the UDHR.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Landmark Supreme Court Cases and the Constitution: Reynolds v. United States (1878)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the impact of court decisions. In this Supreme Court instructional activity, students read the Reynolds v. United States (1878) case study regarding first election decided by the House of Representatives. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Explicit and Implicit Language - Interpreting the Meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students write an essay analyzing the language of the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution.  In this US History lesson, students review the difference between implicit and explicit meanings. Students watch a video on the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Constitution and Our Republic: Political Parties and the Election Process

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students discuss the role of political parties in the election process. In this election process lesson, students work in groups to examine the major functions of political parties and the role political parties play in the election...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Presidents and the Constitution: George W. Bush and the Case of Bush v. Gore (2000)

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students examine the impact of court decisions. In this Supreme Court lesson, students read the Bush v. Gore case study regarding the presidential election of 2000. Students take notes on the case and respond to discussion questions...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Justice in America

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders analyze primary sources for evidence of intent and purpose. In this American government instructional activity, 11th graders compose a one-page response explaining their understanding of "justice." Students read and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Landmark Supreme Court Cases and the Constitution: National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie (1977)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the impact of court decisions. In this Supreme Court lesson, students read the National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie (1977) case study regarding First Amendment Rights. Students take notes on the case...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding Plagiarism Workshop Lesson Plan

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students define the term plagiarism, they recognize plagiarism and are able to explain what constitutes appropriate use of others' words and ideas. Pupils are explained the notion of plagiarism such as: taking another's ideas is taking...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Presidents and the Constitution: Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison and the Barbary Pirates

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the Barbary Pirates of the Mediterranean. In this American history lesson, students read a narrative regarding the conflict between the Barbary Pirates and the United States under the leadership of Washington, Adams,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Create Your Own Constitution

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explore the processes, purpose and components of a good and just constitution. They focus on the Constitution of the United States of America. Students discuss the purpose of a constitution and reasons why the Constitution...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rights and the Wyandotte Constitution

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the fundamental civil rights granted to people under the Wyandotte Constitution. They use the worksheet Reading the Wyandotte Constitution to identify what rights Kansans were guaranteed under the state constitution of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reconstruction and the 1868 South Carolina Constitution

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students, through lecture and group discussion, explore the American Civil War Reconstruction and how it affected the development of the 1868 Constitution of South Carolina. They discuss its impact on South Carolina even today.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Michigan Constitution and the Legislative Branch

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students explore online resources to compare and contrast the different constitutions the state of Michigan has had. They continue their exploration of various websites, focusing on the legistlative branch and the homepage of their local...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The U.S. Constitution: Practical Application of the Amendments

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers create their own HyperStudio cards which include scanned images of at least one member (designated reader) of each group. They add the text of a predetermined amendment. The designated reader then reads the selected...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bill of Rights

For Teachers 8th - 10th
US history classes explore constitutional rights as they relate to court cases involving teens. Your class must already be familiar with the Bill of Rights before beginning this series of exercises. In preparation for a debate-style...
Lesson Plan
Deliberating in a Democracy

Global Climate Change

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine an environmental issue. In this global studies lesson plan, students read an article entitled, "Global Climate Change," and respond to the discussion questions that accompany it.
Lesson Plan
Deliberating in a Democracy

Freedom of Expression

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Should democracies include hate speech as a protected right? Scholars analyze the rights found under the First Amendment to the Constitution through researching evidence. Freedom of expression becomes the focal point of the...