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Interactive
2
2
Judicial Learning Center

The Constitution and Rights

For Students 6th - 12th
What's the right way to teach young historians about the Bill of Rights? Many an instructor has asked this question when pondering lesson plans over the US Constitution. The Constitution and Rights is a nifty resource that provides a...
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Interactive
2
2
Judicial Learning Center

Law and the Rule of Law

For Students 6th - 12th
We hear a lot about the importance of the rule of law, but most people do not really know what those words mean. The lesson is a webpage that defines the rule of law, explains why it is important in a democratic society and provides...
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Interactive
2
2
Judicial Learning Center

The Ratification Debate

For Students 6th - 12th
Most Americans profess their love for the US Constitution, but this was not always the case. An informative lesson overviews the debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists by summarizing the main arguments of each side. It...
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AP Test Prep
College Board

2015 AP® United States History Free-Response Questions

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
How do preservationists and conservationists differ? How did the Founding Fathers come to understand the American Revolution? Learners explore the queries and more using authentic College Board materials to prep for upcoming exams. 
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AP Test Prep
College Board

2016 AP® United States History Free-Response Questions

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
The British and Spanish both had footholds in the New World, yet they had different approaches. Scholars explore the dynamics, along with the reasons behind immigration to the United States and business practices of the Gilded Age in a...
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AP Test Prep
College Board

2018 AP® United States History Free-Response Questions

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
Learners explore the the Age of Imperialism using primary sources and an authentic College Board documents-based question. Other prompts explore the economic changes brought about by the American Civil War, technology, mercantilism, and...
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AP Test Prep
College Board

2017 AP® United States History Free-Response Questions

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
Were unfair taxes really the cause of the American Revolution? Learners explore the complicated historiography behind the revolutionary period using authentic College Board prompts. The free-response questions from the exam feature...
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Lesson Plan
North Carolina Consortium for Middle East Studies

Missing Pieces of the Puzzle: African Americans in Revolutionary Times

For Students 5th - 11th
What's missing from most studies of the American Revolutionary War is information about the role African Americans played in the conflict. To correct this oversight, middle schoolers research groups like the Black Loyalists and  Black...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Ken Burns: Jackie Robinson Taking the Measure of a Man

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
During his first few games as the first black player in Major League Baseball, Jackie Robinson proved that he could withstand the wily curveball of Johnny Sain as well as the racial epithets shouted from opposing teams' dugouts. A short...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Judicial Learning Center

Your Day in Court: Criminal Justice

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
When a person goes on trial for a crime, what options does a court have to render justice? Who are the key players in the legal system? Interested legal scholars answer the inquiries and more using an Internet-based activity, chart, and...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Judicial Learning Center

The Judge and the Jury: Trial by Jury

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Why is it so important to have a trial by jury in the American judicial system? This right is one of the hallmarks of American democracy, but it also comes with the responsibility of serving on a jury if called. Young legal scholars...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Judicial Learning Center

Judicial Independence: What’s Wrong with This Court?

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Why is it important for judges to operate independently of politics or other branches of government? Scholars ponder the question as they examine video clips, case studies, excerpts of the US Constitution, and an interactive computer...
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Judicial Learning Center

Understanding the Types of Cases

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Most young scholars are aware of the criminal courts system, but the United States Constitution allows for a much broader role. What other roles do courts play in settling other questions? A case study and WebQuest-style activities...
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Interactive
National Constitution Center

Explore Rights Around the World

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
How has the American Bill of Rights influenced the rest of the world? An interactive web activity helps individuals see the similarities between countries' bills of rights. A text-to-text tool compares the American Bill of Rights to...
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Lesson Plan
National Constitution Center

The Development and Application of the First Amendment

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What are the limits on freedom of speech? While a cherished right in the Constitution, it is not unbridled. Budding historians consider what checks should exist on this liberty using news stories, court cases, and College Board prompts.
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Lesson Plan
National Constitution Center

Federalism, the Commerce Clause, and the Tenth Amendment

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
How do the state and federal governments relate to each other? The Constitution has a lot to say about that! Using an interactive online tool, pupils explore the Tenth Amendment. They apply their knowledge to political cartoons and news...
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Lesson Plan
National Constitution Center

Voting Rights since the Fifteenth Amendment

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
What does it mean to have the right to vote? To what extent have interpretations of the Fifteenth Amendment changed over time? Young historians examine and analyze primary source documents, an interactive website, and historical analysis...
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Lesson Plan
National Constitution Center

Civil Liberties and Rights Worldwide

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How do governments differ in how they protect human rights? While the United States prides itself on its Bill of Rights, other countries have their own ways of protecting citizens' liberties. An interactive website, paired with...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Judicial Learning Center

About Federal Judges: Qualifications of Judges

For Students 4th - 12th Standards
"Help Wanted: A Supreme Court Justice." What should be included in the ad? Learners ponder the question during a lively activity that asks them to examine the qualifications for various federal offices and then create job postings....
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Interactive
National Constitution Center

American Treasures

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
Just how long did it take the framers to write the Constitution? What role did the drafting process play? Scholars examine various drafts from the Constitutional Convention to gain a better understanding of its formation. Interactive...
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Lesson Plan
National Constitution Center

Art of the American Soldier: Stories from the Soldiers

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The impact of war is deep and profound. Moving paintings, along with brief narrations from veteran artists and other former soldiers, show scholars how the cost of war is paid for years to come. Individuals dive deeper into the artwork...
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Graphic
USA.gov

How The Supreme Court Works

For Students 7th - 12th Standards
Just how does a case come before the highest court in the land? A graphic flow chart unpacks how plaintiffs come before the Supreme Court. Graphics include background on the nine justices and just how many cases they actually hear each...
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Lesson Plan
Adult Fiction by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Ghost Boys: Educator Guide

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The spirit of the Civil Rights Movement lives on in a more literal than figurative way in Ghost Boys. A focused lesson plan features Jewell Parker Rhodes' novel about ghosts of slain black teenagers, including the main character, Jerome,...
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Lesson Plan
Free Library of Philadelphia

Resources for Ghost Boys

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Jewell Parker Rhodes, the author of Ghost Boys, wanted to bring the historical legacy of Emmett Till and the current topic of racial prejudice into today's young readers' mindsets. Use a reading guide and set of discussion questions to...