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Lesson Plan
Center for Civic Education

Historical Analysis of Constitutional Amendments

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Each of the 27 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution were adopted within specific economic, political, social or cultural, and international contexts. As part of their Constitution Day/Week studies, seniors investigate these factors for...
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Lesson Plan
Constitutional Rights Foundation

The Amendment Process

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Long revered as the "upper chamber," the US Senate was created to give the new nation a balance between large and small states. However, has the time for this institution passed? Using a reading on how the amendment process works,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The First Amendment: What's Fair in a Free Country

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students describe the contents of the First Amendment while telling about an example of speech that is protected by the Constitution and that which is not. They attempt to apply the First Amendment to situations that could occur in their...
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Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

Substantive Amendments: Amendments I and II

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The First and Second Amendments remain some of the most famous, even to this day. Learners read about several clauses from the US Constitution through a variety of captivating activities including before and after reading, group work,...
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Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

Procedural Amendments: Amendments III, IV, and V

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
So many US Constitution clauses, so little time. The 17th installment in a 20-part series teaches pupils about the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments. Learning through activities such as group work, connecting to current events, and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Constitutional Amendments And Gay Marriage

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Makes an Amendment?

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students investigate amendments to the Constitution. In this government lesson, students research how an amendment is made and amendments that have both passed and failed. They write their own amendment and attempt to have it pass by the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Constitutional Amendments and Gay Marriage

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers study the legal battles involving same-sex marriage. They examine primary sources and a video regarding the 14th amendment and its implications for gay marriage. They analyze a report of a California case that was sent to...
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Lesson Plan
Center for Civic Education

To Amend or Not to Amend, That's Been the Question...Many Times

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Looking for some ideas for how to celebrate September 17, Constitution Day? Check out a packet that focuses on the factors that are considered in the amendment process. Class members examine the amendment process and the types of...
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Unit Plan
Newspaper Association of America

Using the Newspaper to Teach the Five Freedoms of the First Amendment

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
Of all the amendments found in The Bill of Rights, the First Amendment contains some of the most important freedoms for American citizens. A unit plan on the First Amendment features interactive lesson plans designed to teach about those...
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Interactive
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Judicial Learning Center

Your 1st Amendment Rights

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
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...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

The Meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Fourteenth Amendment was extremely important to civil rights and is a crucial one to remember. The resource teaches about the Supreme Court decisions related to the amendment through writing exercises, reading, and working in small...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Bill of Rights: Debating the Amendments

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Provide your class with an opportunity to investigate an important historical document. Without identifying the document, distribute copies of the original Bill of Rights, as transcribed by John Beckley, Clerk of the House of...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons in the Classroom: Constitutional Amendments

For Students 11th - 12th
Upper graders use this learning exercise to hone their analysis skills and gain a deeper understanding of various constitutional amendments. There are two cartoons to analyze, background information, additional resource links, and three...
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Activity
Digital Public Library of America

The Fifteenth Amendment

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Fifteen primary sources provide a context for a study of the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The packet captures the excitement for the changes promised by the amendment as well as the backlash against it.
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Lesson Plan
Newseum

Battle for the Bill of Rights: Ultimate Survivor Amendment Game

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
To understand the importance of the wording of the articles of the First Amendment (freedom of religion, freedom of speech and the press, and freedom to assembly and petition), teams argue before a jury for draft amendments of one...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Short, Short Lesson on the Fourth Amendment

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students read text of Fourth Amendment together as class, discuss necessity of Constitutional right to be free of unreasonable searches, and analyze landmark Supreme Court cases dealing with Fourth Amendment rights.
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Interactive
News Literacy Project

So, What’s the First Amendment?

For Students 7th - 12th
The First Amendment to the US Constitution protects people's rights to speech, the press, and religion. Using the resource, scholars discover how. They take a brief online quiz to determine how well they understand the First Amendment. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Double Jeopardy Clause: A Fifth Amendment Constitution Trivia Game

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Here is a wonderful way to introduce your learners to the Fifth Amendment of the Bill of Rights. There are 16 questions designed to generate thinking and discussion questions about the Fifth Amendment. This lesson is extremely...
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Activity
National Constitution Center

Thirteenth Amendment Poster

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
President Lincoln believed in the Thirteenth Amendment so strongly that he signed 14 copies of it, but died before he could see it passed on December 18, 1965. Explore the text that forever abolished slavery in America with a document...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Supreme Court and the Fourteenth Amendment

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment. In this Reconstruction Era activity, students read and analyze 4 Supreme Court decisions regarding the Fourteenth Amendment and determine how the decisions impacted...
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Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

The Amendment Process and the Bill of Rights

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Did you know that lawmakers have proposed more than 5,000 bills to amend the US Constitution in Congress? Your class learns intriguing facts about the process of choosing amendments. A variety of activities including before and after...
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Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

Procedural Rights: Amendments VI, VII, and VIII

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Even in court, your class members have procedural rights provided by the amendments. Teach high schoolers this important lesson by using the 18th installment of a 20-part unit exploring the US Constitution. The resource provides several...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Helping to Move On? An Analysis of the Reconstruction Amendments

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Reconstruction amendments: a helping hand or another form of slavery? An inquisitive lesson plan compares the Reconstruction legislation that ended slavery, granted citizenship, and protected voting right for African American men....

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