Curated OER
Thomas Jefferson on the Sedition Act
Students research and cite arguments Jefferson used in objecting to the Sedition Act. They discuss Jefferson's opinion on how constitutional questions about the Sedition Act could be resolved.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 2: The Debate in Congress on the Sedition Act
Pupils research and discuss the provisions in the Constitution that supported the arguments for and against the Sedition Act. They articulate objections to and arguments in favor of the Sedition Act.
Curated OER
Latinos and the Fourteenth Amendment: A Primary Document Activity
Students explore Latinos and the Fourteenth Amendment. In this government and law instructional activity, students analyze the ruling in Hernandez v. Texas. Students predict how the United States would be different if the court had made...
Curated OER
Voices from Little Rock: Understanding the Civil Rights Movement through Primary Sources
As part of a study of the Civil Rights Movement, class members examine documents associated with the Little Rock Nine, the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, the 14th and 15th Amendments to the US Constitution, and chapters from Melba...
Curated OER
Afghanistan Today: Civil War and Human Rights
Students examine the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. They analyze the role of religion and cultural identity in shaping governments. They also examine the United States foreign policy.
Curated OER
Black Kentuckians and the Civil War
Young scholars demonstrate how the American Civil War affected black Kentuckians socially and politically. They identify and discuss the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which forced the end of slavery in Kentucky months after...
Curated OER
Secession: A Southern Perspective
Eighth graders determine how secession impacted South Carolina as well as the United States. In this American Civil War lesson, 8th graders examine selected primary and secondary sources in order to study the state's sovereignty and the...
Curated OER
Building a Human Rights Document
Students identify the issue of basic human rights, examine the importance of the UDHR, and compare it to United States Bill of Rights. They create a definition of human rights as a class. Students are divided into groups of four and...
Curated OER
The Rights of the Child
Students create a set of rights that promote safety and tolerance at the school site. In this Bill of Rights instructional activity, students read the U.N. Declaration on Rights of the Child. Student presenters lead a discussion of these...
Curated OER
George Washington: First in War, First in Peace, and First in the Hearts of His Countrymen
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this George Washington lesson, students research the details of Washington's military successes, his role at the Constitutional Convention, and his...
Curated OER
George Washington - A Graphic Novel
Students write and illustrate their own graphic novels. In this George Washington lesson plan, students collaborate to research Washington's life as surveyor, his involvement in the French and Indian War as well as the American...
Curated OER
Decoding Strategies
Young readers apply decoding strategies to identify unknown words. In this reading activity, they read the Preamble and practice using decoding strategies. Small groups rotate to five charts that have questions regarding the Constitution...
Curated OER
Congress: The House of Representatives
This simple worksheet could accompany a text (as it indicates a chapter and section), but could also be given as a guide to independent research. Basic concepts of Congress are prompted through matching and multiple choice. This could be...
Judicial Learning Center
Why Study Landmark Cases?
Why study landmark Supreme court cases? A helpful lesson offers a brief but valuable argument for the importance of these cases in the field of criminology. It introduces scholars to some key terms necessary for studying court cases and...
Curated OER
United States v. Thomas Cooper --
Learners compare the Alien and Sedition Act to the First Amendment. They read and analyze a primary document and write a synopsis. They brainstorm challenges to the Government or President of the US.
Administrative Office of the US Courts
Morse v. Frederick
If you stop a student from expressing views that advocate drug use, are you violating their right to free speech? Use the 2007 Supreme Court case Morse v. Frederick to discuss a nuanced interpretation of the First Amendment....
National Constitution Center
Voting Rights since the Fifteenth Amendment
What does it mean to have the right to vote? To what extent have interpretations of the Fifteenth Amendment changed over time? Young historians examine and analyze primary source documents, an interactive website, and historical analysis...
Curated OER
Constitution Repatriation Simulation
Learners work cooperatively in groups to present the specific needs of an assigned territory to a mock meeting of government officials in an attempt to amend an existing law.
Curated OER
Law Day: Constitutional Law Outline
Students receive information about laws. Some of the categories include powers of the federal government, federal powers vs. state powers, and the Bill of Rights. It is in an outline form that looks like the student follows along with...
National Woman's History Museum
Women's Suffrage Movement
The National Women's History Museum offers a 20-slide presentation that details the history of the Women's Suffrage Movement from its creation in the 1830s through the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920.
PBS
Ken Burns: Jackie Robinson - A Journey Back to Separate but Equal Conditions
Baseball great Jackie Robinson fought for social justice. His efforts to push for equal access are detailed in an episode from from the Ken Burns: The Jackie Robinson Collection. After viewing the clip, class members engage in a...
Judicial Learning Center
Do You Know Your Bill of Rights?
The Bill of Rights is much more than an important piece of paper! The rights cover everything from freedom of speech to the right to remain silent if arrested. Scholars find out their own rights by answering the questions in the form of...
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Declaration of Independence in Six Parts
Everyone knows that the Declaration of Independence is important, but what does it actually say? Members of American history classes analyze the Founding Fathers' arguments against British tyranny and for a more perfect union with a...
Anti-Defamation League
The Road to Brown
As part of the study of segregation in U.S. schools, scholars research and create a timeline of events that led to the historic Supreme Court case, Brown V. Board of Education. Groups research a topic or event that led to the decision,...