Curated OER
The U.S. Constitution:Continuity and Change in the Governing of the United States
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this U.S. Constitution instructional activity, students examine and analyze primary sources regarding the plan for U.S....
Curated OER
What are the 13th,14th, and 15th Amendments?
The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments are outlined in this PowerPoint. Each amendment is noted on its own slide, with a summary of its purpose and important sections of the actual document. Tip: Have students choose an amendment and write...
Constitution Facts
U.S. Constitution Crossword Puzzles: Basic #1
Reinforce U.S. Constitution facts with a crossword puzzle. Scholars show what they know by completing the 53 prompts.
Curated OER
Lesson 3: Branches of Government
Young historians climb through the three branches of the US government in the third lesson plan of this five-part series. While reading the first three Articles of the Constitution in small groups, children write facts on paper...
Curated OER
Constitutional Amendments And Gay Marriage
Upper graders critically examine the history and process of amending the U.S. Constitution in light of the current issue facing the courts on legalizing gay marriage. They read a variety of articles, watch news clips, and develop a...
PBS
Constitution Day
September 17, Constitution Day so named because that was the day in 1787, that 39 men signed the Constitution, is the focus of a series of activities designed to simulate a Constitutional convention and open a study of the US Constitution.
Digital History
The Age of Constitution Writing
Was the United States significantly more democratic in their governing structures and laws after the overthrow of British authorities? Compare and contrast summaries of the country's constitutions under British rule and after...
Curated OER
Lesson 1: The Importance of Rules in Our Country and in Our Classroom
Explore the importance of rules in a community with the engaging first lesson of this series on the US government. To begin, children play a paper clip game that requires them to make up their own rules as they go, after which the...
Law Focused Education
Federalist — Anti-Federalist
Deciding how to rule a nation is no easy task. Scholars use an online quiz to test their knowledge of Federalist and Anti-Federalist positions, ideas on the Articles of Confederation, and finish with questions on the United States...
iCivics
Immigration Nation
If citizens are living abroad, can their children still be considered citizens? How long does citizenship last for someone who has been permitted to work in the country? Here is a fun online interactive game that will help your learners...
Library of Virginia
Emancipation and the Thirteenth Amendment
Why didn't the Emancipation Proclamation free all slaves? Young historians study primary source documents including Lincoln's proclamation and the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Groups also investigate the three...
Judicial Learning Center
The Judge and the Jury
Unless you are a lawyer, you might not understand just how unrealistic Law and Order and other legal dramas actually are. Here's a great resource to help scholars of criminology gain a more realistic perspective. The lesson outlines the...
Heritage Foundation
The Constitution, Federalism, and the States
The divide between federal and state government is responsible for much of tension that continues to this day, partly because of the US Constitution. The activities in the 14th lesson in a series of 20 are designed to help learners...
Heritage Foundation
Congress's Territorial Powers, Implied Powers, Citizenship, and the Bureaucracy
An informative resource gives scholars a look into why the US Constitution placed certain federal powers over that of the state. A variety of activities about constitutional clauses helps to create meaningful learning.
Curated OER
Keep Your Eye On the Prize
High schoolers learn about citizens who were actively involved in the civil rights movement, and the strategies they used to overcome the Jim Crow laws that were so prevalent in the 1960s. They investigate the voting amendments of the US...
Center for Literacy and Disability Studies
The Bill of Rights
Explore the Bill of Rights in-depth with this resource packet that includes the complete text of the document, scenarios and discussion questions for each amendment, role-playing activities, exercises, questions for a Socratic seminar, a...
Facing History and Ourselves
The Importance of a Free Press
"Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;. . ." Why is this guarantee of free speech and a free press the First Amendment to the US Constitution? Why are these rights so essential to a...
Judicial Branch of California
A “Commemorative” Bill of Rights
It's 1943, and Jewish people in Denmark are in hiding from the Nazis. What protection can the United States offer them? By examining the Constitution, specifically the Bill of Rights, scholars consider the protections afforded to those...
Curated OER
The Evolution of the Preamble
Reading and comprehending informational text is vital in all subject areas. Upper graders use primary sources and worksheets to better comprehend the historical importance of the Preamble of the US Constitution. Web links, handouts, and...
Curated OER
The Brief American Pageant: The Confederation and the Constitution
Four maps cover the tumultuous period during and after the American Revolution. Especially interesting is the first map, which details the land cessions to the United States after 1782. Think about incorporating these pictures into your...
Curated OER
Understanding the United States Constitution
Students discuss the United States Preamble and Constitution. In this United States government lesson, students discuss the differences between rights and privileges and construct a chart that lists some of our rights as citizens....
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Educating About Immigration The DREAM Act
Group members role play state legislators, supporters of and opponents to the The DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors). After listening to the arguments put forth for and against the immigration...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Arizona v. United States — States and Immigration Law
As part of a study of immigration law, class members read a summary of the Supreme Court case, Arizona v. United States. They then examine a series of examples and acting as federal court judges, must determine if the scenarios...
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum
The Constitution
Three activities focus on the need to have rules. Young historians are first challenged to suggest rules for their classroom and then to create their own constitution that balances the need for freedoms and protections. The third...