Curated OER
Our Classroom Constitution
Develop a system of classroom rules created by the kids, for the kids with this three-part lesson series on the US Constitution. After learning about the structure of the Constitution and the government it established, young scholars...
PBS
Constitution Day
Travel back to 1787 as young scholars investigate the creation of the US Constitution. After first working in small groups to create sets of classroom rules, students go on to read a summary of the Constitution and watch a short video...
Curated OER
Teaching With Documents: U.S. Constitution Workshop
What does it mean to be American? Explore the constitution and what it really means to be a citizen here. First, learners of all ages will investigate different primary source documents. Then, they establish each document's...
PBS
Constitution Day
September 17, Constitution Day so named because that was the day in 1787, that 39 men signed the Constitution, is the focus of a series of activities designed to simulate a Constitutional convention and open a study of the US Constitution.
City University of New York
The 15th and 19th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution
Who gets to vote? Learn more about struggles for suffrage throughout United States history with a instructional activity based on primary source documents. Middle schoolers debate the importance of women's suffrage and African American...
PBS
Evolution of the Presidency: Theodore Roosevelt to Franklin D. Roosevelt
How much power should a president be allowed to exert? Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt exercised their power according to their interpretations of the United States Constitution, and these interpretations affected the...
EngageNY
Studying Conflicting Interpretations: Perspectives on Plessy v. Ferguson: Part 3
Scholars closely read Justice John Marshall Harlan's dissenting opinion in the Plessy v. Ferguson case, seeking to understand why he disagreed with the court's decision that racial segregation laws for public spaces were constitutional....
Scholastic
Women's Suffrage for Grades 6–8
Learners study the decisions and solutions involved in winning the right to vote. After reading background information on the fight for women's suffrage, including one woman's story, and its eventual success in the United States and...
Curated OER
US Government: The Constitution
Learners explore the branches of government. In this U. S. Constitution lesson, students examine the system of checks and balances in the U.S. plan of government as they read the document and define vocabulary words.
Curated OER
Constitutional Convention
Students engage in a role-playing situation to illustrate the kinds of compromised that were made a teh Constitutional Convention. They write three short 1-2 paragraph arguments and then present their arguments to the class at the...
Curated OER
Paving the Road to the Constitution
Eighth graders argue for or against the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. In this U.S. government instructional activity, 8th graders complete four activities that encourage them to examine the strengths and weaknesses of the...
Curated OER
Our Constitutional Amendments
Students analyze how the Bill of Rights affected people. For this U.S. History lesson, students research specific Amendments then prepare an oral report and visual presentation on one amendment to share with the class.
Curated OER
Double Jeopardy Clause: A Fifth Amendment Constitution Trivia Game
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...
Curated OER
Get To Know The Constitution
Students search the Constitution for specific information. In this Constitution lesson plan, students read the Constitution and search for the branches of government, specific Amendments, and more, in groups.
Curated OER
The Bill of Rights is for US Today
The first ten Amendments of the U.S. Constitution are vital for young people to understand. Provide the foundation of the laws that govern our country with this junior high school lesson. Groups use the newspaper to identify rights...
Curated OER
Vocab Grabbing the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution
Learners identify concrete and abstract nouns in the preamble to the Constitution, and complete Frayer Model graphic organizers using history and current events as examples of American values. In this preamble lesson plan, students use...
Redefining Progress
Have and Have-Not
Is there a correlation between a country's wealth and the extent of its ecological footprint? What exactly constitutes an ecological footprint, and how does one country stack up against the rest? This is a unique lesson to incorporate...
Curated OER
The Constitution
Eighth graders watch as their teacher presents information on the Constitution, government and laws through a PowerPoint presentation. In groups, they discuss the importance of government and laws and identify the main ideas in the...
Curated OER
U.S. History: Our Constitutional Amendments
Eighth graders conduct Internet research about Constitutional Amendments and present oral reports on their findings. Their reports also include visual representations depicting their chosen amendment's focal point. Students discuss the...
Curated OER
Arguments Against Ratifying the Constitution
Students define federalism, Federalist, and Anti-Federalist, debate issue of ratification in classroom convention, and take vote on whether to add bill of rights. Three lessons on one page.
Curated OER
Constitutional Convention
Eighth graders gain a greater understanding of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and the issues surrounding the development of our Constitution. They participate in an activity and listen to lecture on the Convention, then search...
Curated OER
Judges in the Classroom Lesson Plan History Of The Bill Of Rights
Learners study the US Constitution, The Bill of Rights, and other amendments. They investigate the people who obtained the Bill of Rights and play a game based on their studies.
Curated OER
Constitutional Convention
Eighth graders investigate Constitutional Convention debates. In this early American history lesson, 8th graders analyze speeches delivered by Benjamin Franklin at the convention and then research Franklin's life. Students also define...
Curated OER
Lesson 2: The Tired King
Learners are introduced to the three functions of government (legislative, judicial, and executive). They read and discuss a story about an overworked king who must handle all the tasks of government. Students give a description of the...