Curated OER
Search & Seizure Opinion Poll
Students examine federal and state constitutional law relating to search and seizure. They analyze various scenarios, participate in an opinion poll, and discuss difficulties in balancing individual privacy rights with the need to fight...
Curated OER
Susan B. Anthony and the 19th Amendment
Students take a closer look at the Women's Suffrage Movement in America. In this women's rights lesson, students research suffrage leaders and write papers about them. Students then read and discuss information about Susan B....
Curated OER
The Women's Suffrage Movement Signature Debacle
Students examine the Women's Suffrage Movement in Nebraska. In this women's rights lesson, students explore primary and secondary sources regarding suffrage in the state and obstacles that women in the state faced when it came to casting...
Curated OER
Women’s Suffrage
Young scholars examine several aspects of the Women's Suffrage Movement. In this women's rights lesson, students explore several primary and secondary sources regarding the events of the movement, opposition to the movement, and the...
Curated OER
Latinos and the Fourteenth Amendment: A Primary Source Document Activity
Eighth graders explore the effect of the Fourteenth Amendment. In this US History lesson, 8th graders read and analyze primary source documents. Students write a three minute paper demonstrating their understanding of the...
Curated OER
What Is the Role of the President in the American Constitutional Government?
Young scholars read about the role of the president. In this US government instructional activity, students read about the role of the president as stated in the US Constitution. Young scholars examine issues of presidential power and...
Curated OER
Lesson on Federalism
Eleventh graders study Federalism and delegated, reserved, and concurrent powers. They participate in a simulation in which they role-play Federalists and Anti-federalists debating which powers should be categorized as delegated,...
Curated OER
A Constitution for Alaska
Pupils read sections cited from the Governing Alaska unit. They discuss factors that made Alaskans push for statehood. They view video A Constitution for Alaska.
Curated OER
Judges in the Classroom
Young scholars examine the classification categories of rights including liberty, security, cultural, and group rights. They identify and analyze the various similarities and differences among five countries and their constitutions.
Judicial Branch of California
Separate But Equal - Is It Black or White?
The story of Ruby Bridges and the case of Brown vs. The Board of Education are fantastic tools for discussing the concept of separate but equal. Kids tackle some big questions about what is fair, what is civil, and what rights or laws...
Media Smarts
You Be the Editor
Look at different case studies to discuss the ethics of journalism. Twelve real-life events are written up and your learners get to be the editors. Encourage your class to think about the implications of publishing decisions. After each...
iCivics
A Trip Around the World
How do the rights of citizens in other countries, such as India, Germany, Brazil, and Iran, compare to those of Americans? Take a closer look at the provisions of various foreign constitutions, and compare and contrast the protections...
Minnesota Center for Community Legal Education
Minnesota v. Hershberger
Freedom of religion has been a controversial, yet fundamental, tenet of the United States since even before the nation's birth. In a well-constructed lesson, the class compares the Minnesota Constitution to the US Constitution as a means...
Curated OER
Breaking Barriers
Determine how African-Americans have broken barriers in this history lesson. Middle schoolers discuss the 15th Amendment and the American civil rights movement prior to analyzing Barack Obama's speech "A More Perfect Union," taking care...
Curated OER
Case Studies on the Sixth Amendment
Students trace the historical background of the sixth Amendment to the Constitution. They identify the legal issues and legal arguments in the cases studied, and evaluate the court's decisions.
Curated OER
What Experiences Shaped the Founders' Thinking about Government?
Students study the ideas and experiences that shaped the founding fathers' perspective about government. For this the government lesson plan, students examine the Articles of Confederation as they relate to the power of government....
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Alabama's Steps to Statehood
To demonstrate their understanding of the steps Alabama took to become a state, groups create a poster that identifies what the United States Constitution and the Northwest Ordinance required of a territory to become a state.
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 lesson, students discover legal concepts and terms and write sentences using the vocabulary they have...
Curated OER
The Embodied Presidency
Tenth graders compare and contrast the immigration reform policies of Presidents Reagan and Bush. For this immigration lesson, 10th graders examine primary documents related to each president's policy for immigration reform. Students...
iCivics
You've Got Rights!
If aliens invaders nearly destroy the world in the distant future and leaders must decide on a pamphlet of protections to preserve individual rights, what should they include? Introduce the Bill of Rights and the struggle between the...
National Constitution Center
Fourth of July (Grades 3-5)
Bring history to life for your young scholars with a Fourth of July lesson series. After a class reading of the Declaration of Independence, students translate this pivotal document into layman's terms before working in small...
Curated OER
The Juvenile Death Penalty
Sensitive material is discussed in this lesson. Please review to ensure that the content is suitable for your class. The topic is the Eighth Amendment and how the U.S. Supreme Court makes determinations about what constitutes cruel and...
Curated OER
Patriotic Symbols of the United States
Young historians take a close look at the most famous patriotic symbols of the United States and determine what they actually stand for. Symbols such as Uncle Sam, The Statue of Liberty, The Bald Eagle, and The Liberty Bell are studied....
Curated OER
The Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan: Student Worksheet
These guided reading questions accompany several websites on the development of the US Constitution. While some of the links have changed, they are still accessible. History or government classes benefit from reading primary source...