National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 4 James Madison: Internal Improvements Balancing Act—Federal/State and Executive/Legislative
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...
Curated OER
Understanding James Madison The Father of the Constitution
Students research James Madison and create a table of his strengths and weaknesses. In this James Madison lesson, students read Jean Fritz's, The Great Little Madison, while developing their research skills, vocabulary strategies, and...
Curated OER
James Madison: From Father of the Constitution to President
Students investigate reasons why James Madison is called the "Father of the Constitution." They discuss three events during his presidency that raised constitutional questions and look at Madison's opinions of those questions. They...
Curated OER
The Federalist Defense of Diversity: Extending the Sphere
How did early Americans ensure expansion while also securing the rights of citizens? Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, two of our early leaders, considered the problem of faction to be the "mortal disease" that created unstable...
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...
K12 Reader
The Greatest President
Who is the greatest US president? George Washington? Abraham Lincoln? FDR? Find out the opinions of your young historians with this cross-curricular writing prompt that engages them in researching the accomplishments of these influential...
Curated OER
President Madison's 1812 War Message: A Brief Overview
High schoolers investigate President Madison's War Message. Students read the message and discuss any information they may have misunderstood. High schoolers hypothesize about what kinds of documents might help them find answers to their...
Curated OER
President Madison's 1812 War Message: Answers Lead to More Questions
Students investigate President Madison's case for declaring war against Great Britain. Students assume the roles of newspaper reporters and cite key points in Madison's argument for declaring war, and hypothesize about primary documents...
Curated OER
Establishing the Presidency
Middle schoolers consider how George Washington influenced the presidency. In this presidential history worksheet, students discuss the precedents Washington set and analyze a letter that Washington sent to James Madison.
Curated OER
I'm Number One!
Fourth graders complete a unit of lessons on the first seven presidents of the U.S. They conduct research, write a four-paragraph essay, and create posters and speeches for a simulated campaign convention.
Curated OER
President Madison's 1812 War Message: A Documentary Review
Students analyze primary documents to determine why President Madison believed it was important for the US to declare war with Great Britain. Students research documents on the Internet to determine President Madison's argument for going...
Curated OER
The Monroe Doctrine: President Monroe and the Independence Movement in South America
Students identify conditions in Europe that relate to the independence movements in South America and list reasons why President Monroe gave for recognizing the independence movement in South America.
Curated OER
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
Students examine federalism and judicial review. In this Supreme Court lesson, students examine primary documents from Marbury v. Madison and discuss the implications of the decision.
Curated OER
Get to Know Your Bill of Rights
Sixth graders research and examine the first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America. They sequence events significant to this time period, read and discuss text, and in small groups prepare and present the...
Curated OER
Why a President? Why not a King?
Students research how and why a country elects to have an executive branch of the government. They study the office of the Presidency of the US.
Curated OER
TURNING POINT IN HISTORY:The War of 1812
Students act as investigative reporters and research battles or events of the War of 1812. They write an original article, which may include a map, drawing, or illustration.
Curated OER
New $1 Coins Honor U.S. Presidents
Elementary schoolers examine money, then read a news article about new coins being produced by the U.S. Mint. The teacher introduces the article with samples of American money and a vocabulary activity, then students read the news piece...
Curated OER
Portraits of Power: American Presidents
Ninth graders explore the presidency of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. In this US History lesson plan, 9th graders examine the life of Abraham Lincoln. students write an essay describing the presidency and the people's...
Curated OER
U.S. Constitution - Selecting the President
Students study how the electoral college works to select a U.S. President. In this history lesson, students examine the U.S. Elector College methods then answer questions and write an essay that relate to the state where they live.
Curated OER
Using Primary Sources: Letters from the Presidents
Students research the life of a president by reading personal letters on the American Presidents web site, and explore the ways that the character and personality of the president affected the ways they handled historical events.
Curated OER
Paths to the Presidency
Seventh graders investigate a timeline of the career paths that US presidents took before they became the president. They how these career choices prepared these men for the presidency.
Curated OER
Poetry and the American Presidents
Fifth graders choose a poetry activity in order to focus their research about American presidents.
Curated OER
How the Court Became Supreme
Students investigate how the Supreme Court changed under the leadership of John Marshall. In this Supreme Court lesson, students recognize the role of the Supreme Court as well as the significance of Marbury v. Madison. Students also...
Judicial Learning Center
The Power of Judicial Review
Marbury v. Madison is arguably the most important landmark case in the history of the Supreme Court. A fact-filled lesson provides background information about the case and two others related to the concept of judicial review. Scholars...