Activity
University of Missouri

Exploring Constitutional Conflicts: Separation of Powers

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
When do the actions of one branch of the federal government unconstitutionally intrude upon the powers of another branch? This article surveys the history of this question in historic Supreme Court cases.
Activity
Read Works

Read Works: A Constitution for Kids

For Teachers 6th
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about a children's book that translates the Constitution for kids. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Website
US Government Publishing Office

Ben's Guide to u.s. Government: The Articles of Confederation, 1781

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Gives a nice history of the Articles and also a summary of what they were and the problems that developed with their adoption. Includes links to the actual document.
Unit Plan
Ducksters

Ducksters: Us Government for Kids: Constitution

For Students 3rd - 5th
Read about the history of the United States Constitution, then try the multiple-choice quiz. Includes an audio narration of the text and a link to a biography of James Madison, as well as links to other resources.
Unit Plan
CPALMS

Florida State University Cpalms: Florida Students: Comparing Constitutions: Florida vs. the u.s.

For Students 7th
The US Constitution and the Constitution of Florida are compared in this tutorial and how each incorporates the system of federalism. A PDF file of the tutorial is available.
Primary
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: Article I: Congressional Qualifications

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This site provides text of Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution. Section 2 of the article deals specifically with the qualifications needed to be a representative of the U.S. Congress. This site provides text as its worded in the...
Website
University of Groningen

American History: Outlines: Drafting the Constitution

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Essay covers from the Articles of Confederation and the problems of disunity of the new states after the Revolutionary War, internally as well as externally, to the Constitutional Convention, an attempt to address the Articles' problems....
Lesson Plan
iCivics

I Civics: Federalists & Anti Federalists

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Look at the debate and eventual compromise, between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists that occurred around the creation of the U.S. Constitution.
Handout
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: Article I: Habeas Corpus Suspension

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource discusses Article I of the U.S. Constitution and the suspension of Habeas Corpus during the Civil War. The links throughout the text lead to the footnotes at the bottom of the page.
Primary
US Government Publishing Office

U.s. Government Publishing Office: Core Documents of u.s.democracy

For Students 9th - 10th
Direct online access to the basic Federal Government documents that define our democratic society, a core group of current and historical Government publications.
Activity
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: u.s. Constitution: Article Iii: Annotations

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource discusses both the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the appellate jurisdiction of the lower federal courts. There are hypertext links to related materials.
Website
University of Virginia

Miller Center at Uva: u.s. Presidents: James Madison

For Students 9th - 10th
The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia provides an extensive biography on the life of James Madison. Provides information about his life before and after the presidency as well as his policies on foreign and domestic...
Primary
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Primary Source Set: Creating the Us Constitution

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A collection which uses primary sources to explore the creation of the US Constitution.
Lesson Plan
Library of Congress

Loc: The Constitution: Counter Revolution or National Salvation

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Using primary texts and prior study of Colonial America and the Revolution, students examine "what type of government would best represent the ideals of the American Revolution." Worksheets, discussions, and role-playing within this...
Activity
Read Works

Read Works: The Making of the United States Constitution

For Teachers 1st Standards
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the Constitution of the United States. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Primary
University of Chicago

The Founders' Constitution: Deficiencies of the Confederation

For Students 9th - 10th
The original text of a letter from Alexander Hamilton to Governor George Clinton of New York in 1778 complaining of inadequate material for the U.S. armed forces and perception of weakness by foreign powers.
Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Our Constitution

For Teachers 1st
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text giving facts about the Constitution of the United States. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Unit Plan
Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary From the Articles of Confederation

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
This site contains a list of 43 words from The Articles of Confederation. Teachers can digitally assign this list to their students to reinforce the spellings, pronunciations, and meanings of these words
Handout
Wikimedia

Wikipedia: Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution

For Students 9th - 10th
This encyclopedia article explains what it means to plead the Fifth, and provides an excerpt from the Fifth Amendment.
eBook
Other

Institute for American Liberty: The First Principles of the Constitution [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This article contains information about the principles used to create the Constitution of the United States.
Activity
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: Piracies, Felonies, and Offenses Against the Law

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource explains Clause 10 of Article I of the U.S. Constitution beginning with the origins of "Piracies, Felonies, and Offenses Against the Law of Nations." Further historical background as considered by the Constitutional...
Activity
Read Works

Read Works: u.s. Presidents James Madison

For Teachers 4th
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about James Madison, the fourth President of the United States. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Website
The Dirksen Congressional Center

Congress for Kids: The Articles of Confederation

For Students 3rd - 8th
At this site read a short synopsis of the Articles of Confederation, and then complete a short quiz by clicking on the "show what you know" link at the bottom.
eBook
US Army Center

U.s. Army Center of Military History: William Few

For Students 9th - 10th
This article provides background biographical information on William Few, one of the delegates from Georgia to the Constitutional Convention, and who later served as a United States Senator.