Did you know that the United States Constitution was adopted after many state constitutions were already in place? Young scholars examine facts about the influence of states through an informative and interesting resource. Groups then...

Fourth graders write new rules of their school. In this rules and U.S. Constitution lesson, 4th graders discuss why we celebrate the fourth of July and examine the U.S. Constitution. Students discuss the differences between people now...

All of the details of American history fall into place with a clever crossword puzzle. Nearly 100 clues prompt middle and high schoolers to fit the correct answers to topics including the American Revolution, the Civil War, and...

What do Boston Harbor, the Electoral College, and Chief Powhatan have in common? They all represent vital moments in American history—and they are all clues in a thorough and challenging crossword puzzle about the United States...

Just how alike are some historical documents? Discover the similarities between the Magna Carta and the United States Bill of Rights in a fast-paced activity. Historians learn the importance of both documents and the lasting impact they...

Students explore the U.S. plan for federal government. In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students investigate a chart on the responsibilities of the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative Branches of governments. Students complete a...

Ratifying the Constitution was no simple task. Using primary sources, such as classic writings from the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, young scholars examine the arguments for and against the Constitution. They then decide: Would they...

Much like the methods of group work, the writers of the Federalist Papers worked together to advocate for their viewpoints against the anti-federalists. The resource enables learners to break into small groups and conduct research before...

Students explore the purpose of the Lecompton Constitution.  In this United States History lesson, students read several articles then complete several activities to reinforce their reading, such as a cause and effect worksheet,...

Ninth graders examine the major events and significance of the Korean War, including U.S. involvement in the war. In this World History lesson plan, 9th graders read primary source materials to understand the political, social,...

Fourth graders explore the information of the index of the Constitution. In this Constitution and Bill of Rights lesson, 4th graders complete a worksheet by locating keywords in the index. Students understand the importance of using an...

Students examine the historical background of Supreme Court decisions and the basic principles behind legislation. As part of the lesson, students discover legal concepts and terms and write sentences using the vocabulary they have...

Second graders explore the Louisiana Purchase. For this U.S. history lesson, 2nd graders examine the purchase of the Louisiana territory by the United States as they read text, take notes, complete homework, and take a quiz.

Students explore the U.S. political system by completing several worksheets. For this government election lesson, students define and describe the two main political parties in detail to one another. Students read a piece written by a...

Students investigate American citizenship. In this civics lesson, students consider the basic knowledge of U. S. government new citizens are required to have. Students also examine the 14th amendment that describes U. S. citizenship.

Learners become familiar with the concepts of human rights and constitutional rights. They have an increased awareness of the historical record as to the cessation of these rights, especially in regards to children during WWII. It is...

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...

Students explain how a history of slavery distinguishes American society from other societies. They study posters and documents from different eras in our history which document the practice of slavery, and civil rights violations.

Ninth graders investigate specific individuals involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom and working backward to stories from World War II.  In this US History lesson, 9th graders read documents that depict the conflicts faced by...

Eleventh graders examine the presidency of Lincoln.  In this American History lesson, 11th graders watch various videos on Lincoln and the Civil War.  Students read and answer questions. 

Explore the origin of political parties in the United States. Learners work in groups to read and analyze copies of the "Report on Manufactures" written by Alexander Hamilton. Then, they complete a worksheet comparing the Federalists to...

The process of nominating and confirming federal judges can sound like a lot of bureaucratic hoops, but a resource breaks down the steps of the Supreme Court nominations in a simpler manner. Learners participate in four activities that...

In this everyday editing worksheet, students correct grammatical mistakes in a short paragraph about suffrage. The errors range from punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and spelling.

A passage about the Magna Carta provides readers with an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to identify the main idea and supporting ideas in an article.