Curated OER
The Juvenile Death Penalty
Sensitive material is discussed in this lesson. Please review to ensure that the content is suitable for your class. The topic is the Eighth Amendment and how the U.S. Supreme Court makes determinations about what constitutes cruel and...
Curated OER
Presidential Powers
Students study and discuss the section of the Constitution that refers to the executive branch. They write a new section or clause describing a new duty for the president of the United States. Students define the word power and proposal.
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
War and International Law: A Brief History of the Law of War
Students investigate the history of the law of war. For this international law lesson, students listen to a lecture regarding the history of international law spanning from Pax Romana to Collective Security. Students respond to...
Curated OER
"Whispering Wires": Public Law vs. Individual Civil Liberties
High school student love discussing controversial issues like those brought up in this fourth amendment case study. They examine the 1928 Olmstead vs. U.S. prohibition court case, applying the fourth amendment to determine whether or not...
Curated OER
What Constitutes a State?
Students examine the differences between various state constitutions in the United States. Then, using their own
Curated OER
US Constitution
Think about the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence with your budding historians. They analyze the importance of historical documents by examining several famous documents, and then they complete activities that check...
Judicial Learning Center
Why Study Landmark Cases?
Why study landmark Supreme court cases? A helpful lesson offers a brief but valuable argument for the importance of these cases in the field of criminology. It introduces scholars to some key terms necessary for studying court cases and...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Chief Executives Compared: The Federalist Papers
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...
Administrative Office of the US Courts
Nomination Process
"I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States..." Scholars investigate the nomination process of Supreme Court justices when assuming office. Through examination of primary and secondary...
Curated OER
We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution
Robert Coles’ The Story of Ruby Bridges forms the basis of this powerful cross-curricular study of civic education and civic responsibility. Class members consider how the book presents authority, responsibility, justice, and privacy.....
Curated OER
Racism: Law and Attitude
Students examine discrimination laws. In this racism lesson, students compare and contrast de facto and de jure discrimination. Students also explore the Bill of Rights and determine what makes some acts and speech illegal.
Curated OER
US Government: The Constitution
Students 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
Should Your Hairstyle Be A Constitutional Right?
Students examine the 1st and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. In this U.S. government instructional activity, students read the Amendments and interpret them in order to respond to essential questions regarding constitutional...
Curated OER
Judges in the Classroom Lesson Plan Classifying Rights From Various Constitutions
Fourth graders compare the constitutions of five Pacific Rim countries. In this constitution comparison lesson, 4th graders work with a visiting judge to find similarities and differences in the constitutions of five countries. They...
Curated OER
What Does The Preamble of the U.S. Constitution Mean?
High schoolers begin the lesson by comparing and contrasting two state constitution's preambles. After identifying the themes in the state preambles, they compare the U.S. Constitution's preamble to the states. They work together to...
Curated OER
Why was the Constitutional Convention Necessary?
Eleventh graders explore the steps leading up to the Constitution. In this American Government lesson plan, 11th graders practice document based questions. Students create a letter that describes how a person felt during this time...
Curated OER
Social Studies: Segregation, Jim Crow Laws, Plessy vs. Ferguson
Students examine the concept of segregation. In this civil rights lesson, students discuss the separate but equal theory as well as the Plessy vs. Ferguson decision. Students also research women of the Civil Rights Movement and Jim Crow...
Heritage Foundation
Procedural Amendments: Amendments III, IV, and V
So many US Constitution clauses, so little time. The 17th installment in a 20-part series teaches pupils about the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments. Learning through activities such as group work, connecting to current events, and...
Curated OER
Makers of the Law, The Legislative Branch
Students, in teams, research the legislative branch and complete a "Legislative Information List." Teams research different parts of the list and jigsaw teach the other groups about each part. One group researches names of state officials.
Curated OER
Andrew Jackson and the Use of Martial Law and the Suspension of Habeas Corpus
Students explore the use of martial law at the Battle of New Orleans. In this Andrew Jackson lesson, students analyze primary documents pertaining to the move by Jackson to use martial law in the battle. Students then consider situations...
Curated OER
Environmental Law-Making
Learners go through the process of creating and passing a federal law. They select an environmental issue, research related policies for the issue, draft the bill, discuss it among committee members, bring it before the class and bring...
Judicial Learning Center
About Federal Judges
Not just anybody can do the job of a federal judge, but according to the United States Constitution just about anybody can be appointed. The lesson outlines the process and requirements for becoming a federal judge, focusing on the...
Media Smarts
Cyberbullying and the Law
Research, role-playing, and reflection are the three “R’s” that form the basis of an examination of Cyberbullying. Although based on the Criminal Code of Canada, the included scenarios and case studies provide valuable resources for a...