Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

Substantive Amendments: Amendments I and II

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The First and Second Amendments remain some of the most famous, even to this day. Learners read about several clauses from the US Constitution through a variety of captivating activities including before and after reading, group work,...
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.
Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

Slavery and the Constitution

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
It's hard to believe the abolition movement was once seen as scandalous. Help learners understand how the US Constitution changed everything. A variety of activities such as corresponding reading activities, group work ideas, and...
Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

The Amendment Process and the Bill of Rights

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Did you know that lawmakers have proposed more than 5,000 bills to amend the US Constitution in Congress? Your class learns intriguing facts about the process of choosing amendments. A variety of activities including before and after...
Unit Plan
7
7
Online Publications

Become a Journalist

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Explore the newspaper as a unique entity with a detailed and extended unit. The unit requires learners to consider the newspaper's role in democracy, think about ethics, practice writing and interviewing, and examine advertising and news...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Scholastic

Women's Suffrage for Grades 6–8

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Learners study the decisions and solutions involved in winning the right to vote. After reading background information on the fight for women's suffrage, including one woman's story, and its eventual success in the United States and...
Interactive
iCivics

Supreme Decision

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Is the right to wear a band t-shirt included in our freedom of speech? Budding historians consider the question by using a video game. After a brief animated video, users drop in and listen to Supreme Court justices as they debate the...
Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

America's History in the Making: Classroom Applications Four

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The final installment of a 22-part American history series examines the many faces that make up the country's story. From Henry Ford to Tulio Serrano, scholars use biographical evidence and Internet research to uncover the people behind...
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

The Creation of the Bill of Rights: “Retouching the Canvas”

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
While the Constitutional Convention lay the foundation of the new government for the United States, the protections given under the Bill of Rights were controversial. Using documents, such as James Madison's and Thomas Jefferson's...
Lesson Plan
2
2
PBS

Women's History: Parading Through History

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Want to teach your pupils about debate, effective speech techniques, propaganda, and the women's movement? The first in a sequential series of three, scholars analyze real propaganda images from the the historic women's movement, view a...
Activity
iCivics

Drafting Board: Interest Groups

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Does the influence of interest groups harm a political system? Your class members will analyze the role of interest groups in American politics, as well as consider the effect of perspective, bias, loyalty, and the...
Worksheet
Constitution Facts

U.S. Constitution Crossword Puzzles: Basic #1

For Students 5th - 6th
Reinforce U.S. Constitution facts with a crossword puzzle. Scholars show what they know by completing the 53 prompts. 
Worksheet
Constitution Facts

U.S. Constitution Crossword Puzzles: Basic #2

For Students 5th - 6th
Fifty prompts make up a crossword puzzle that challenges scholars to show what they know about the U.S. Constitution. 
Assessment
New York State Education Department

US History and Government Examination: January 2016

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Looking for an exam that uses primary sources to test young historians' analytical muscles? Check out a standardized test that asks learners to answer multiple-choice and essay questions to demonstrate their understanding of American...
Activity
Education World

Every Day Edit - Women Get the Vote

For Students 3rd - 8th
In this everyday editing worksheet, students correct grammatical mistakes in a short paragraph about suffrage. The errors range from punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and spelling.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Right to Privacy?

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students listen to a teacher reading of the freedoms included in the First Amendment. They, in small groups, read two editorials about privacy, and compare and contrast the two.
Interactive
DocsTeach

To What Extent was Reconstruction a Revolution? (Part 1)

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Some scholars consider the Civil War and Reconstruction a second American Revolution. Class members weigh in after examining primary sources, including a Congressional resolution calling for the Fifteenth Amendment and the credentials of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

State of the Union Bingo

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students participate in a history game. In this State of the Union lesson, students follow the provided instructions and use the provided materials to play a Bingo game based in the President's annual address to Congress.
Unit Plan
American Press Institute

Introductory News Literacy

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Aspiring journalists learn about media literacy, journalism, and the press. Units come complete with handouts, assignment rubrics, notes, and extension suggestions. Each unit also comes with a list of vocabulary words and learning...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Judges in the Classroom

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students study the history of the Bill of Rights and discuss the first ten amendments. The class is put into groups and each group is responsible for knowing 5 statements from the history of the Bill of Rights. Then the class plays a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Philanthropic Movements in the United States To 1900: The Bill of Rights

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students translate the meanings of and draw illustrations depicting the Bill of Rights amendments. They discuss how philanthropy is enabled by the Bill of Rights.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rights in Conflict

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners study situations where rights are in conflict. In this conflict in rights lesson plan, students review a conflict situation and the Supreme Court ruling for the issue. Learners review the Bill of Rights and then receive their...