Curated OER
Bill of Rights
Students research, list, define and discuss all the aspects to the United States Bill of Rights. They assess their foundations by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson and reflect on all the conditions happening at the time period of...
Curated OER
Freedom for All? The Contradictions of Slavery and Freedom in the Maryland
Pupils are be able to analyze the contrast between the rights and privileges referenced in the Declaration of Independence and the Maryland State Constitution in comparison to the rights and privileges of slaves. They are be able to...
Curated OER
Philanthropic Movements in the United States To 1900: The Bill of Rights
Middle schoolers translate the meanings of and draw illustrations depicting the Bill of Rights amendments. They discuss how philanthropy is enabled by the Bill of Rights.
Curated OER
Comparison of Political Ideologies in the Context of Constitutional Preambles
High schoolers examine the various philosophies that form the foundations of political systems of major world countries.
Curated OER
Constitutional Change During the Progressive Era
Students analyze the passage of the 16th through 19th amendments during the Progressive Era around the turn of the century. Using research skills, they write papers and create portfolios supporting and opposing the adoption of each...
Curated OER
Selecting a Chief Justice For The United States Supreme Court: The Senate Confirmation Hearings of Judge John Roberts, Jr.
Students review the procedures for selecting a new Supreme Court Justice. In groups, they determine which questions the nominee should be asked and practice asking the questions with a classmate. They watch the confirmation hearings...
Curated OER
The Constitution on Trial: The Internment of the Japanese During World War II
Eleventh graders analyze primary source documents during the Second World War. Students recall statements of Japanese-Americans who were placed into internment camps during the war.
Curated OER
Private Matters
Students examine the intersection between an individual's right to privacy versus the public's right to know, through the lens of the relationship between public figure Gary Condit and missing intern Chandra Levy.
Curated OER
The Constitution and Our Republic: Political Parties and the Election Process
Students discuss the role of political parties in the election process. In this election process lesson, students work in groups to examine the major functions of political parties and the role political parties play in the election...
Curated OER
Landmark Supreme Court Cases and the Constitution: National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie (1977)
Young scholars examine the impact of court decisions. In this Supreme Court lesson, students read the National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie (1977) case study regarding First Amendment Rights. Young scholars take notes...
Curated OER
Introduction to "Julius Caesar"
Students discuss American form of government. They read the play Julius Caesar.
Curated OER
Should Voting in the United States be Mandatory? Research Activity
Eighth graders research how many voters actually vote in the U.S. and nine other nations. They create a spreadsheet using this information and write a persuasive essay.
Teaching Tolerance
Human Rights
High schoolers investigate the concept of human rights by focusing on the Vietnamese people. They conduct research about the South Vietnamese prisoners and how they have been treated during the conflict and in modern times. A research...
Curated OER
Local and Global Sustainability Unit
Students examine the characteristics that define a sustainable community at the local and global level. They create and prioritize a list of traits, read and discuss a magazine article, and create a poster.
Curated OER
Chapter 6 and 7 Unit Test
In this Progressive Era and Big Business test worksheet, students respond to 15 matching, 3 multiple choice, and 4 short answer questions.
Curated OER
The Right to Vote
In this voting worksheet, students identify and discuss changes in voting rights throughout American history.
Then, they identify why voting is an important right for Americans. Finally, students create voting bookmarks instead of or in...
National Constitution Center
Abraham Lincoln's Crossroads
History enthusiasts participate in an interactive website that brings Abraham Lincoln to life as he shares his personal experiences between 1854-1864. Scholars listen and read carefully to form their own opinions and discover if they...
Judicial Learning Center
Levels of the Federal Courts
The Supreme Court gets all the glory, but very few federal cases make it to the highest court. An interesting lesson explores the structure of the lower levels of the federal court system. In addition to outlining the organization of...
City University of New York
Electoral College
A presidential election is a lot like the 2004 World Series, and it's also a lot like choosing an orange in a paper bag. Apply the process of the electoral college to these two analogies with a set of lessons about government...
School Improvement in Maryland
Dividing the Powers of Government
Who does what? To develop an understanding of the balance of power between the US federal and state governments, class members research responsibilities in terms of legal systems, security issues, economic activities, lawmaking, and...
Judicial Learning Center
The Power of Judicial Review
Marbury v. Madison is arguably the most important landmark case in the history of the Supreme Court. A fact-filled lesson provides background information about the case and two others related to the concept of judicial review. Scholars...
Judicial Learning Center
The U.S. Supreme Court
How do Supreme Court justices determine which cases to consider? What happens when the Supreme Court decides not to take a case? The lesson explores important questions and others in the field of criminology. It focuses on the appeals...
National Endowment for the Humanities
George Washington: The Precedent President
Everyone knows that George Washington was the first president, but do your scholars know why that was so important? The lesson plan, the third in a sequence of three, allows learners to understand how George Washington set a precedent...
Curated OER
Jefferson vs. Franklin: Revolutionary Philosophers
Students examine the contributions of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson to American Independence. In small groups, they conduct Internet research, read and discuss primary source documents, and complete a chart.