Lesson Plan
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Cartogram of the Great Compromise

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students create cartograms of populations during 1790.
Lesson Plan
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Compare/Contrast: The United States and Alaska Constitutions

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students compare and contrast the United States and Alaska Constitution. After reading each preamble, they identify the reasons for each constitution to be drafted and discuss what they reveal about citizens responsiblity in government....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION: A SIMULATION

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students discuss two computerized options to change the current U.S. government. In this Constitutional Convention instructional activity, students write a statement advocating for one of the choices and participate in a mock modern...
Lesson Plan
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The False Parliamentarism of 1791 (3rd Canadian constitution)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students gain an understanding of the concept of false parliamentarism after the Constitutional Act. They, in groups, represent different members of government as they draft, debate and try to pass a bill into law.
Lesson Plan
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How a Bill Becomes a Law

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students examine Article I, Sections 1, 7, and 8, of the U.S. Constitution and discuss the authority and restrictions placed on the Congress in making laws.
Lesson Plan
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Federalist 47

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students will analyze and evaluate political propaganda. In this instructional activity on the Federalist movement, students will examine the Federalist papers and analyze the Anti-Federalist argument mage against constitutional...
Lesson Plan
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Documents and Symbols and American Freedom

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students 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 role-play...
Lesson Plan
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Bill of Rights: Rights and Responsibilities

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore the meaning of freedom.  In this U.S. History lesson, students research the Declaration of Independence and how it relates to American freedom by completing activities and a mock trial.
Lesson Plan
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The Terminology of Governance

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore the parts of Canada's federal system of government. They construct a concept web using the terms related to government and the institutions of Canada. They make lists that relate to Canadian and American government.
Lesson Plan
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Fairy Tails Can Show Due:It can happen for you, If you play your part.,

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students view a Reader's Theater focusing on the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The story is used as a springboard into a videotaped mock trial of Gold E. Locks developed by the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). They...
Lesson Plan
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Citizen Journalism

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine the role of citizen journalism, freedom of the press, and the First Amendment. They analyze the results of an Internet survey, discuss the ethics of downloading copyrighted material on the Internet, and write a news story.
Lesson Plan
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President Who? Forgotten Founders and Their Capitols

For Teachers 7th - 11th
Students explore the beginning of the United Colonies that were formed in 1774.  In this history lesson, students discuss the Articles of Confederation and then answer questions about the events surrounding the development of the...
Lesson Plan
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Immigrants and the U.S. Constitution

For Teachers All
This lesson will help students learn more about current immigrant experience, nvestigate U.S. immigration and labor laws, consider the meaning of citizenship, gain knowledge about the economics of poverty, practice research skills and...
Lesson Plan
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Is the Internet Igniting Violence?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explain how various issues regarding restrictions on the Internet are impacted by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, particularly in light of the recent school shooting and bombing in Littleton, Colorado.
Lesson Plan
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Political Cartoons Illustrating Progressivism and the Election of 1912

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers study a current political cartoon to introduce the ideas of symbolism, humor, exaggeration, and caricature in editorial cartoons. They study cartoons from the past to gain an understanding of the culture of 1912.
Lesson Plan
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"The Big Bridge Scheme": The Building and Impact of the Brooklyn Bridge

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students watch a video and examine archival newspaper articles to study the different points of view about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. They examine the impact the bridge had on those living in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Lesson Planet Article
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Fall Lesson Plans

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Fall lesson plans can combine science, history, and writing into an enticing combination.
Lesson Plan
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Lena Horne: Race and the American Artist

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine how race played a critical role in Lena Horne's life. They conduct Internet research, participate in a class debate, write a letter, and create a presentation based on their Internet research.
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Marcus Garvey and the Rise of Black Nationalism

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore the differing beliefs of African American activists. In this American history lesson, 4th graders examine the views of racism resistance that Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, and Marcus Garvey held.
Lesson Plan
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The Role of Affirmative Action in the Civil Rights Movement

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students debate Affirmative Action. In this Civil Rights lesson plan students examine the development of affirmative action. Students discuss whether affirmative action is advancing equality and civil rights or not.
Lesson Plan
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The Bill of Rights And Japanese Internment

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students review the Bill of Rights. They interpret how the American Government violated these rights with regard to Japanese Americans during World War II. They write down the violations of the Bill of Rights during Japanese ...
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Colonizing the Bay

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders review the goals of John Winthrop.  In this American History lesson, 11th graders read Winthrop's speech and summarize his key points.  Students predict the possibilities for success and failure in the...
Lesson Plan
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JFK, LBJ, and the Fight for Equal Opportunity in the 1960s

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the presidencies and John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. In this American history lesson, students specifically analyze the civil rights support of the 2 presidents and their support of civil rights legislation....
Lesson Plan
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The Game of Life

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students explore the game of life which refers to what happens to a species when most of the population is gone.  For this endangered species lesson, students describe what it means for a marine animal to be endangered. Students...