How much power is too much power for the federal government? Scholars use primary documents and constitutional research in groups to analyze the creation of the Second National Bank under James Madison. This is the second lesson of a...

Young scholars study the Constitution and then in an interactive group activity create a "Second Constitutional Convention" specifically designed to evaluate and trim down the number of amendments.

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...

Students complete a unit of lessons on the documents, symbols, and famous people involved in the founding of the U.S. government. They create a personal bill of rights, write a found poem, design a flag, conduct research, and role-play...

High schoolers create their own HyperStudio cards which include scanned images of at least one member (designated reader) of each group. They add the text of a predetermined amendment. The designated reader then reads the selected...

Students examine the Bill of Rights. In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students write essays for perform plays that feature the importance of the first ten amendments. Students imagine the United States without 1 of the amendments that...

Eighth graders explore democratic values. In this U. S. Constitution lesson plan, 8th graders read the Bill of Rights and consider the significance of the amendments. Students design a governmental time capsule that includes their own...

Students explore what the United States would be like today if the Bill of Rights had never been written.  In this exploring the constitution lesson plan, students research Supreme Court cases that were heard in the early years of...

High schoolers learn about citizens who were actively involved in the civil rights movement, and the strategies they used to overcome the Jim Crow laws that were so prevalent in the 1960s. They investigate the voting amendments of the US...

Students analyze and discuss the 19th Amendment, and read the document, Why Women Want to Vote. Students illustrate statements from the handbill, then conduct a play about women's suffrage.

Learners examine the US Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Supreme Court cases in order to broaden their understanding of the US Judicial System. They research a variety of textual and Internet resources to create a tri-fold brochure,...

High schoolers study the Bill of Rights. As a class, they create a "School Bill of Rights," with amendments. Students discuss the difference between rights and responsibilities and examine Supreme Court decisions dealing with the first...

Students use both electronic and traditional resources to research information about U.S. Constitution, answer questions pertaining to Congress and the Presidency, and design HyperStudio presentation to display answers to research...

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...

Eleventh graders examine the First Amendment.  In this US Government lesson, 11th graders analyze the scope and meaning of the first amendment.  Students conduct a survey on First Amendment freedoms.  Student evaluate the...

Students investigate racism in the 20th century by exploring U.S. History. In this Civil Rights lesson, students review the history of slavery, the Civil War and the fight for equality in the mid 1900's. Students complete Civil Rights...

Students define rights, analyze and apply the U.S. Bill of Rights to hypothetical situations, and create an Intergalactic Bill of Rights.

Students create a set of rights that promote safety and tolerance at the school site. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students read the U.N. Declaration on Rights of the Child. Student presenters lead a discussion of these rights and have...

Students discuss the United States Preamble and Constitution. In this United States government lesson, students discuss the differences between rights and privileges and construct a chart that lists some of our rights as citizens....

Eighth graders explore the processes, purpose and components of a good and just constitution. They focus on the Constitution of the United States of America. Students discuss the purpose of a constitution and reasons why the Constitution...

Seventh graders conduct research on important background information regarding the role of religion in American public schools. In this Ethics lesson, 7th graders examine and become familiar with the First Amendment of the Bill of...

Students shoot Bill of Rights videos. In this Bill of Rights instructional activity, students film digital segment that illustrate the meaning of the first 10 amendments. Students integrate the video clips into PowerPoint presentations.

Students explore controversial current events. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students research selected issues and examine the issues from different perspectives. Students script and record news stories that feature their findings.

Students examine the Civil Rights Movements in the U.S., both current and historic. In small groups students investigate a specific civil rights group, create an illustrated timeline, noting key events, people, and state and federal laws.