Curated OER
Who or What is Un-American?
Students explore concepts about civil liberties, research the history of sedition-related legislation in the U.S. and create a position paper on the topic.
National Endowment for the Humanities
James Madison: Madison Was There
Madison was there! Scholars go on a journey to discover the person behind the founding father label as they explore James Madison's role in the formation of the United States government. The culmination is a writing assignment and...
Curated OER
Checks on Presidential Power
Students examine presidential powers. For this checks and balances lesson, students identify the constitutional and informal restraints of the president and consider the reasons for the limitations.
Curated OER
THE JUDICIAL BRANCH
Students create a series of drawings to show the process of how the Supreme Court does its work. The drawings may be in strip cartoon form or a series of separate illustrations.
Curated OER
Rollin' on the River: The McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System
Middle schoolers take a close look at the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation system. They study how the Army Corps of Engineers built and monitor the system. Learners discover how a lock and a dam work, and study three benefits of...
Administrative Office of the US Courts
Nomination Process
"I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States..." Scholars investigate the nomination process of Supreme Court justices when assuming office. Through examination of primary and secondary...
Curated OER
A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION: A SIMULATION
Learners discuss two computerized options to change the current U.S. government. In this Constitutional Convention lesson, students write a statement advocating for one of the choices and participate in a mock modern Constitutional...
Curated OER
What is Congress?
In this Congress worksheet, students read a passage about the U.S. Congress, then complete 4 multiple choice questions. An answer key is included.
Curated OER
How government Works
Students read to understand the process of lawmaking. In this lawmaking lesson, students define vocabulary and create an organizer showing the law making process. Students role play the various people involved in the lawmaking process.
Curated OER
New Citizen Exam is Democracy 101
Students read a USA Today article about U.S. democracy and then complete questions about the topic. In this democracy lesson, students read the article 'New Citizen Exam is Democracy 101.' Students learn about the test for U.S....
Judicial Learning Center
Article III and the Courts
What's the best way to make sense of the Constitution? A helpful lesson contains both the text of Article III and annotation of each of its sections, breaking it down into easy-to-understand parts. It also includes links to a glossary...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 2 James Madison: The Second National Bank—Powers Not Specified in the Constitution
How much power is too much power for the federal government? Scholars use primary documents and constitutional research in groups to analyze the creation of the Second National Bank under James Madison. This is the second instructional...
Curated OER
James Madison: From Father of the Constitution to President
Students investigate reasons why James Madison is called the "Father of the Constitution." They discuss three events during his presidency that raised constitutional questions and look at Madison's opinions of those questions. They...
Curated OER
Taking From the Giving Tree
Learners explore the ways in which various American cities negotiate the protection of their "green infrastructure," gaining a broader understanding of proposed and enacted legislation as it relates to preserving and planting trees in...
Curated OER
Citizen Me
Fifth graders examine what it means to be a citizen. Using the Constitution, they discover the functions and purpose of government. They compare and contrast the difference between a democracy and a monarchy. As a class, they discuss...
Curated OER
The Federal Legislative Process
Students investigate the concept of the Federal Legislative Process. This is done through the use of research on approved class websites. The lesson gives the option of developing other resources for students to use for the teacher to...
Curated OER
Just how broken is the Senate?
Twelfth graders examine the role of the Senate in the United States. In this American Government lesson, 12th graders read various articles and answer questions to these articles. Students write a letter to their Senator on a specific...
Curated OER
Create Your Own Constitution
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...
Curated OER
Constitution of the United States: Crossword Puzzle
In this United States history worksheet, students use the 16 clues in order to fill in the crossword puzzle with the appropriate answers pertaining to the Constitution of the United States.
Curated OER
Fractured Facts for Civics
In this fractured facts for civics worksheet, 9th graders correct 24 sentences by replacing certain phrases if they are incorrect, but not all need to be corrected, answers are included.
Ohio Center For Law-Related Education
Four Activities: Thurgood Marshall and the Nomination and Confirmation of Federal Judges
The process of nominating and confirming federal judges can sound like a lot of bureaucratic hoops, but a resource breaks down the steps of the Supreme Court nominations in a simpler manner. Learners participate in four activities that...
Judicial Learning Center
The Constitution
Supreme Court justices debate the meaning of the US Constitution, but we expect teachers to explain it to scholars with far less training and experience. A daunting task for sure, but it's not insurmountable with resources that simplify...
Judicial Learning Center
Your 1st Amendment Rights
Why should classes care about the First Amendment? An engaging lesson serves as a powerful tool for answering just that. As all four cases in the lesson relate directly to freedom of expression in schools, young scholars explore the...