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Worksheet
Digital History

The New Nation

For Students 9th - 12th
George Washington and the new nation of the United States of America faced many problems in their inaugural years. Use this worksheet as a straightforward approach to learning about the reasons the country was experiencing a lack of...
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Lesson Plan
Judicial Branch of California

A “Commemorative” Bill of Rights

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
It's 1943, and Jewish people in Denmark are in hiding from the Nazis. What protection can the United States offer them? By examining the Constitution, specifically the Bill of Rights, scholars consider the protections afforded to those...
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Lesson Plan
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Constitutional Rights Foundation

270 Votes to Win: The Electoral College in the United States

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What exactly is the Electoral College and how does it work? The lesson plan is part of a larger series on government that explains what the Electoral College is and how it helps determine an election winner. Academics participate in...
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Lesson Plan
1
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National Endowment for the Humanities

The Road to the Constitutional Convention

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
After defeating the most powerful nation in the world, the United States had to deal with its own weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation. Activities in the lesson include analyzing primary sources from the Founding Fathers to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson 3: Branches of Government

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Young historians climb through the three branches of the US government in the third activity of this five-part series. While reading the first three Articles of the Constitution in small groups, children write facts on paper leaves that...
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Lesson Plan
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

The Articles of Confederation

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Have you ever started a project only to realize you need to scrap it and start over? Scholars analyze the issues leading to the fall of the Articles of Confederation. A group investigation into Articles II, III, and VIII unveil the...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Slavery in the Constitution

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Young historians may be surprised to learn that the Constitution of the United States includes provisions that protect the institution of slavery. Groups examine four clauses of the Constitution, as well as other primary sources, and...
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Worksheet
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Elections, Money, and the First Amendment

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Those who spend the most, win.  Academics read informational text, participate in group discussion, and defend campaign reforms to understand the correlation between money, the First Amendment, and election results. The resource explains...
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Lesson Plan
2
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Judicial Learning Center

Understanding the Types of Cases

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Most young scholars are aware of the criminal courts system, but the United States Constitution allows for a much broader role. What other roles do courts play in settling other questions? A case study and WebQuest-style activities...
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Lesson Plan
Literacy Design Collaborative

American Dream: Reality, Promise or Illusion?

For Students 10th - 11th Standards
Dream or nightmare? Class members craft a synthesis essay with textual to determine to what extent the United States has fulfilled the ideas embodied in the America Dream.
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Lesson Plan
1
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C-SPAN

Choice Board: Expressed and Implied Powers

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution expressly lists powers given to Congress. Over the years, lawmakers have expanded the enumerated powers to include powers implied by the list. To better understand the significance...
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Interactive
2
2
Judicial Learning Center

About Federal Judges

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
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...
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Lesson Plan
iCivics

You've Got Rights!

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
If aliens invaders nearly destroy the world in the distant future and leaders must decide on a pamphlet of protections to preserve individual rights, what should they include? Introduce the Bill of Rights and the struggle between the...
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Interactive
2
2
Judicial Learning Center

Law and the Rule of Law

For Students 6th - 12th
We hear a lot about the importance of the rule of law, but most people do not really know what those words mean. The lesson is a webpage that defines the rule of law, explains why it is important in a democratic society and provides...
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Lesson Plan
1
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C-SPAN

How A Bill Becomes A Law

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Seven steps are required for a bill to become a United States law. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) is used as a model for the process of how a bill becomes a law.  Class members work independently through a Google...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Museum of Tolerance

Disenfranchised People of the New Nation

For Teachers 8th
Why are some immigrant groups in the United States embraced while others become disenfranchised? To answer this question, teams investigate why groups emigrated to the US, why some of these these peoples were disenfranchised, and their...
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Lesson Plan
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Advocates for Human Rights

Human Rights Defined

For Students 8th - Higher Ed Standards
Class members continue their investigation of the factors that influence migration with a lesson on human rights. As they examine the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and selected US Constitutional Amendments, learners compare the...
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Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

The New Nation

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The conclusion of the American Revolution brought about a new conflict—choosing the stye of government for the newly formed United States. Using the views of both Federalists and Anti-Federalists, learners work in pairs and groups to...
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

Alabama's Secession in 1861: Embraced with Joy and Great Confidence. Why?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
From December 20, 1860 to June 8, 1861, eleven states seceded from the Union. Alabama seceded on January 11, 1861. Why did so many white Alabamians want to secede? Why did they believe the South could win the war? These are the essential...
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Interactive
Reporters Without Borders

2017 World Press Freedom Index

For Students 6th - 12th
Freedom of the press was seen as a right so important that the Founding Fathers listed it as part of the first amendment to the United States Constitution. Americans pride themselves on this freedom, but just how free are American...
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Lesson Plan
1
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University of Arkansas

Human Rights

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What basic rights are guaranteed to all Americans? Do citizens, legal aliens, illegal aliens, and minors all have the same rights? Should individuals all over the world enjoy the same rights? Class members read the Declaration of...
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Interactive
Ashbrook Center at Ashland University

Bill of Rights

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Do citizens need protection from the federal government? Scholars investigate why the framers of the Constitution created the first 10 amendments and what these amendments mean to citizens of the United States more than 200 years later....
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Determining Central Ideas: The 14th Amendment

For Teachers 8th Standards
What is the central idea of the Fourteenth Amendment? Scholars attempt to answer the question as they read and discuss the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees all citizens equal protection of the...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Facing History and Ourselves

The Importance of a Free Press

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
"Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;. . ." Why is this guarantee of free speech and a free press the First Amendment to the US Constitution? Why are these rights so essential to a democracy?...

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