US House of Representatives
Kids in the House: How a Bill Becomes a Law
Interactive website in which students build a bill and journey through the process of how a bill becomes law. With links to significant material, glossary, and resources for teachers.
Library of Congress
Loc: congress.gov: Contrasting Procedures of the Senate and House
Clearly contrasts the two houses in the US Legislative Branch. It details the commonalities in the making of a law.
Library of Congress
Loc: How Our Laws Are Made
This page provides links to every step in the legislative process, from sources of legislation through publication.
Library of Congress
Loc: The u.s. Congress: Resources a to Z
Start your research of the U.S. Congress here! Superb links to any information you may need on history, current profile of Congress, and many other sites.
University of Houston
University of Houston: Extra! Extra! What's the Big Idea?!
Get the feel of running a newspaper by selecting articles and pictures. If you are interested in checking out real newspapers, there is a clickable list of online newspapers for younger readers.
Library of Congress
Loc: History Firsthand: Primary Source Research
History Firsthand has been designed to provide elementary children with experiences which enable them to begin understanding primary sources. Students move from personal artifacts to the vast American Memory collections and learn how...
Other
Newsela
[Free Registration/Login Required] Newsela offers new current events articles daily in areas ranging from the arts to war and peace. Each article is available at five different reading levels; grade level and word count are displayed for...
CPALMS
Florida State University Cpalms: Florida Students: How Are Laws Made?
A tutorial that explains the process that must be followed in order for a new law to be made. A PDF file of the tutorial is available.
Georgetown University
Legal Research Guides: Secondary Sources Research Guide
This tutorial discusses how to perform legal research in a library--from locating relevant cases, statutes, and regulation to using secondary sources that include Periodical Indexes, Treatises, Legal Encyclopedias, and Annotated Law...
Teaching American History
Teaching American History: The Politics of the Bill of Rights: Part Iii
Investigate what the politics were leading to the creation of the Bill of Rights. Identify how the debates in the first congress led to the stages of approval and ultimately the adoption of the ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
US Senate
U.s. Senate: Oath of Office
At the start of each new Congress, certain members of Congress perform the constitutional rite of take the Oath of Office. Here is the history of this ritual.
US Senate
The United States Senate
The official site of the United States Senate. Offers many resources for study of current and historical legislation. Also provides forms to contact your senator.
US Senate
Explore the Senate's Past
Covers the workings of the Senate and how it evolved, and includes exhibits of historical photos and paintings. The Oral History section has interviews with people who worked in the Senate, where they discuss their careers and the...
Other
History of the Federal Judiciary
Incredibly in-depth site regarding the history of the federal judiciary. Well organized, easy to navigate, and crisply arranged, this site can be used for many lessons. The accuracy of the information is very reliable since its author...
Utah Education Network
Uen: Newspaper Lesson Plan
This lesson engages students developing a newspaper. Students will demonstrate their understanding of the term "revolution" as they create their newspaper.
US House of Representatives
History, Art, and Archives: Oral History of the House of Representatives
Through interviews with House officers, aides, committee staff, former Representatives, and others, a rich heritage has been preserved. Audio, video, and transcripts provide a look into legislative processes and procedures, personal and...
Other
University of Washington Libraries: Starting Research
If you need help knowing where to start your research, or if you're a teacher looking for a way to help students understand the research process, this resource is terrific. Interactive tutorials on a number of topics offer review quizzes...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Interactives: Historical and Cultural Contexts
This interesting interactive website explains kinds of primary sources and gives you the chance to identify them in some games.
Duke University
Duke University Libraries: Finding Primary Sources
Finding primary sources can be difficult and confusing at times. This site provides a list of history databases, rare books and manuscripts, and research guides for those looking for primary resources such as diaries, letters,...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Summarize Informational/expository Text
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] You will learn how to summarize main ideas, supporting details, and relationships among ideas within expository text.
Other
Project Vote Smart: How a Bill Becomes a Law
Project Vote Smart provides a detailed guide to the process of making a bill become a law. Content also includes links for more explanation on certain topics.
CommonLit
Common Lit: Reconstruction
CommonLit.org is a wonderful resource to use in a Language Arts classroom. Each text is accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. In addition, students can click on words to see the...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Egyptian Social Structure
CommonLit.org is a wonderful resource to use in a Language Arts classroom. Each story or article is accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. In addition, students can click on words to see...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Empowering the Black Power Movement
CommonLit.org is a wonderful resource to use in a Language Arts classroom. Each story or article is accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. In addition, students can click on words to see...