High school seniors investigate what national, state and local rules say about voting. After examining the Constitution's articles, clauses, and amendments, researchers look at videos, listen to podcasts, and read articles to gather...

To war! To war! Every nation in the history of the world has had to deal with warfare on some level. Scholars go through a series of activities and discussions surrounding the development of the Constitution to help them better...

Where did the cherished ideals enshrined in the Bill of Rights originate? While history gives the Founding Fathers much of the credit, laws in colonial America influenced the Bill of Rights. An interactive web-based activity allows...

Delve into the responsibilities of the president by looking at President Hamilton's opinion of the presidential office in his own words. The second in a three-part series, the resource also offers an interesting compare-and-contrast...

Madison was there! Scholars go on a journey to discover the person behind the founding father label as they explore James Madison's role in the formation of the United States government. The culmination is a writing assignment and...

Students explore political parties by researching world history in class. In this Australian government lesson, students identify the term "federation" and discuss the elements of Australian politics. Students analyze a map of Australia...

Who has the power? The founding fathers asked the same question when the United States was formed. Learners explore issues that arose during Madison’s presidency that raised constitutional questions. Through discovery, discussion, and...

Students get an in-depth look at how our checks and balances system helps maintain the separating of powers between the three branches of government. They use current event head lines and insert them into he appropriate space on the...

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...

Here are three interconnected lessons intended to build an understanding of life in Mexico prior to and after contact with Spain. Learners take a "trip" to Tenochtitlan through a series of images, read The Evil of Tezcatilipoca and The...

Students explore the process of writing our Constitution through an interactive program. They are to put themselves in the place of the statesmen and predict how they felt at the time. They compare the founding fathers.

Students analyze an unknown primary source document to determine its origin. In this Constitution lesson, students read primary source documents and contrast and compare the evolution of the drafts of the Constitution. Students analyze...

Students explore U.S. history by completing a quiz about civics. In this Benjamin Franklin lesson, students read assigned text about Franklin's role in the development of the Constitution and the creation of a new society. Students...

Learners explore U.S. history by participating in a government activity. In this Constitution instructional activity, students identify the role government plays in our society and the differences the British colonies had in the early...

How did major historical figures, such as Henry David Thoreau, Susan B. Anthony, and Mohandas K. Gandhi, explain and defend their beliefs in nonviolence? Your learners will begin by studying the backgrounds of these individuals, and then...

Students explore the Constitution and The Bill of Rights including the process of the Convention throgh a variety of websites that examine the framers, venets leading up to and after the convention games and more.

Why are some so resistant to change? The status quo is often to blame for a lack of forward movement in society. Following the events of World War I, women in America suddenly had a voice—and were going to use it. Scholars use the...

High schoolers research the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, as well as other primary source documents, to determine Reconstruction's impact on the North and South. The 34-page inquiry-based lesson includes a staging question and...

The topic of gun control is vast, controversial, and difficult to introduce to students. This gem of a resource covers both sides of the issue and provides topic background, various multimedia and print resources, analysis questions, and...

Students receive an overview of the role and purpose of taxes in American history. They identify different types of taxes implemented by the US government and explain the origin of the federal income tax.

Students work in groups to research and examine Constitutions from various countries. In this government and public interests lesson, students analyze primary and secondary documents to make a comparison between constitutional documents...

Students explore U.S. history by reading biographical material in class. In this Benjamin Franklin lesson plan, students identify the life of Franklin and the events that led him to become one of America's first heroes. Students complete...

"How did the slavery system undermine the United States' democratic principles?" This question launches a study of how the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, and Article IV,...

Learners examine the Declaration of Independence. For this Revolutionary War lesson, students use primary sources to analyze how the creation of the Declaration of Independence lead to the development of the United States as an...