National Constitution Center
The Bill of Rights
While the Founding Fathers drafted the Constitution to preserve liberty, not everyone was on board. The dissenters refused to sign on unless the Constitutional Convention added a Bill of Rights. Viewers explore these important civil...
National Constitution Center
The Executive Branch
While the president is perhaps the most famous politician, why did the Founding Fathers create the office? While it has evolved over time, the presidency has its roots in the American Revolution. A video resource—created for Constitution...
National Constitution Center
14th Amendment with Jeffrey Rosen
What makes the Fourteenth Amendment relevant to today's America? Jeffrey Rosen, president of the National Constitution Center, attempts to answer the question by walking through the clauses of the Reconstruction-era amendment. Due...
National Constitution Center
14th Amendment with Tomiko Brown-Nagin
What do marriage equality, protection from racial discrimination, and protection from gender-based discrimination have in common? According to Harvard professor Tomiko Brown-Nagin, the Fourteenth Amendment protects all Americans in these...
Crash Course
Constitutional Compromises: Crash Course Government and Politics #5
We the people deserve ... what exactly? Scholars analyze the creation of the United States Constitution using the fifth installment in a 50-part series covering government and politics. They research the lack of a strong government...
PBS
The Fourteenth Amendment - Part II
How did the Supreme Court and its interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment contribute to Jim Crow laws? Find out just how much Supreme Court interpretations can affect society by using an informative resource. Learners watch a video,...
Bill of Rights Institute
Andrew Jackson and The Bank Wars
Viewers examine the historical arguments for and against establishing a National Bank in the United States. They examine just how Andrew Jackson's debate continues to rage on, all the way to today's America.
Bill of Rights Institute
Interstate Commerce and the Constitution
Who had power over trade in the early days of the United States? Who has power now? Viewers investigate the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution. Using an AP Exam review video, learners examine issues surrounding authority...
Macat
An Introduction to Alexis De Tocqueville’s Democracy In America
Alexis de Tocqueville wanted to establish a successful democracy in France, so he turned to the newest example of democracy available in the early nineteenth century: the young American government. Learn more about the...
TED-Ed
How You Could Get Away with Murder in Yellowstone’s “Zone of Death"
Looking for loopholes in the Constitution? Watch a video that describes how one could get away with a crime in the "Zone of Death." Because Yellowstone National Park is considered to be federal land, and it is technically in three...
TED-Ed
Why Is the US Constitution so Hard to Amend?
Over 11,000 amendments have been proposed for the US Constitution, yet only 27 have peen ratified. This short video explains why.
TED-Ed
Why Wasn’t the Bill of Rights Originally in the US Constitution?
Did you know that the Bill of Rights was not added to the US Constitution until three years after the Constitution was adopted? This short video explains why these fundamental protections for individual liberties were added as the first...
Curated OER
Our Classroom Constitution
Develop a system of classroom rules created by the kids, for the kids with this three-part instructional activity series on the US Constitution. After learning about the structure of the Constitution and the government it...
Bill of Rights Institute
Constitutional Principles: Separation of Powers
Why is separation of powers within a government important for protecting freedom? How does the United States Constitution organize the nation's governing bodies in order to ensure powers are limited and balanced? This video illustrates...
Bill of Rights Institute
Constitutional Principles: The Rule of Law
Invite your young citizens to consider the depth, significance, and necessity of the rule of law. This video focuses particularly on the American commitment to rule of law since the nation's inception with the...
Bill of Rights Institute
Constitutional Principles: Consent of the Governed
A government of the people, by the people, and for the people! Invite your class to really analyze the concept of consent of the governed and why it is one of the foundational principles of the United States Constitution and of...
Curated OER
Constitution Lecture 5: Federalism vs. Nationalism
What is the difference between federalism and nationalism and how did those differences shape the US Constitution? This is the focus of lecture five in a series on understanding the US Constitution. Centralized powers, the role of the...
Curated OER
US Government Review Part 1 - 3 Branches of Government
A fun and interesting teacher describes the three branches of the US government. His lecture style and ability to explain with good examples could be a really big help to older students needing a tutorial or extra support in...
Curated OER
Constitution Lecture 6: Who is the Ultimate Arbiter?
Is there one ultimate arbiter who has the final say on issues or questions related to whether as act is constitutional or not? Lecture six discusses the powers each branch of the government has in making final judgments on constitutional...
TED-Ed
A 3-Minute Guide to the Bill of Rights
If you don't have the time to spend an entire class on the Bill of Rights, or you are looking for a simple overview, this video provides clear and illustrated descriptions of each of the first ten amendments to the Constitution. You may...
TED-Ed
The Making of the American Constitution
What a fun way to learn about the making of the American Constitution! This video does a great job of describing the circumstances that existed for the delegates in Philadelphia in 1787, where in a just a few days, they would effectively...
Curated OER
The US Government
This is an unusual video, but it contains some helpful tools that could be useful for teaching elementary aged children the basics of the US government. There is no narration to accompany this clip, but the slide show at the beginning is...
Curated OER
Brief Overview of All Types of Government!
A video for a high school government class defines five major forms of government (monarchy, anarchy, oligarchy, democracy, and republic) and compares them in terms of pros and cons for society. The video is good, but it does highlight...
Curated OER
Constitution Lectures 2: Interpreting the Constitution
Part two of this nine-part series on the US government continues questioning the intentions and validity of the US Constitution. This is a great lecture for more mature learners looking to understand the Constitution and its legitimacy.