Center for Civic Education
The Power of Nonviolence: Rosa Parks: A Quest for Equal Protection Under the Law
Teach young historians about the historical legacy of Rosa Parks with a multi-faceted lesson plan. Pupils follow stations and use journals to explore prominent events, analyze primary resource documents, and engage in interesting...
Curated OER
Equal Protection of the Law: Fact or Fiction
High schoolers focus on the 14th Amendment of the Bill of Rights to decide whether or not racism denies citizens of their rights under the amendment. They watch a movie, Every Two Seconds and complete a worksheet (included in the plan)...
Curated OER
Racial Inequality: Remnants of a Troubled Time
Students watch the Discovery program "Racial Inequality: Remnants of a Troubled Time" then examine the ratification of the 14th Amendment and the Plessy v. Ferguson decision. They research one of three events that tested Brown v. Board...
Curated OER
Due Process
Students explore the concept of due process. In this American law lesson, students view a 9-slide PowerPoint presentation on the topic and then respond to 3 discussion questions about the 5th and 14th amendments.
Curated OER
A More Perfect Union: Barack Obama's Race Speech at the National Constitution Center
Eleventh graders explore the process of perfecting the Union through changes made to the Constitution, and through the powers delegated to each branch of government. In this American Government lesson, 11th graders research various...
Curated OER
Separate But Equal Video
Eighth graders watch the video "Separate But Equal." They choose an incident or event from the video that is interesting or meaningful to them and write an objective news article and an editorial.
Curated OER
Racial Discrimination and the Death Penalty
Available on RTF file. Students study race and its relationship to the death penalty. Students also review court cases and constitutional amendments related to racial discrimination.
Curated OER
Civil Rights and the ADA
Students examine and discuss the 14th and 15th amentments, and evaluate the agendas of Americans from underrepresented groups in the quest for civil rights. They conduct Internet research and create essays or posters regarding Civil Rights.
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Citizens: African American Identity: 1865 1917
Discusses the efforts of African Americans to be recognized as equal citizens after the Civil War, and the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. Includes links to supplemental information.
Curated OER
History Matters: Separate but Equal: The Plessy v. Ferguson Case
Read the judgment of Supreme Court justice, Henry Billings Brown, who wrote for the majority in the Plessy v Ferguson decision that codified the idea of "separate but equal" in the American justice system until it was overturned by Brown...
Cosmo Learning
Cosmo Learning: The Truth About American History
Consisting of ten video lectures taught by Professor Thomas Woods, this virtual course attempts to cover the material in his books but also fill in many details that defend the Jeffersonian-Rothbardian perspective. Here is the cutting...
University of Groningen
American History: Documents: Slaughter House Cases 1873
Review background information about the Slaughter-House Cases then read the complete text of the majority opinion of the court and also the dissenting votes.
Digital History
Digital History: Chapter 7: Affirmative Action and the Case of Alan Bakke [Pdf]
Article presents an overview of the history behind the birth of 'affirmative action'. Includes a discussion of the Supreme Court case of Alan Bakke v. the University of California and student exercises that test comprehension of the topic.
Mount Holyoke College
Mt. Holyoke: Reconstruction Timeline
Here's a concise timeline that highlights the important facets of reconstruction from the announcement of Abraham Lincoln's reconstruction plans to the end of reconstruction at the election of Rutherford B. Hayes.
US National Archives
Nara: Presidential Election Laws: Presidential Election Laws
Check out this site from the National Archives and Records Administration on the US Constitution and the United States Code for laws and provisions regarding presidential elections.
iCivics
I Civics: Games: Do I Have a Right?
Play this game from iCivics that requires an understanding and application of the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution, and a few other amendments to argue and win cases the clients bring into the law firm. There...
Other
University of Western Georgia: Reconstruction in the South
An excellent distillation of the many issues addressed in the Reconstruction period in the South in the twelve years after the end of the Civil War.
Cornell University
Cornell University: Law School: Equal Protection Overview
A brief overview of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Includes a link to the full text of the amendment. Discusses equal protection.
US National Archives
National Archives: From Dred Scott to the Civil Rights Act of 1875
The Dred Scott case decided that African Americans were not citizens of the United States. However, 18 years later they would have citizenship and many other rights. Students will examine the following documents to understand how and why...
Virginia Historical Society
Virginia Historical Society: Massive Resistance
A chilling account of the ways Virginia lawmakers attempted to subvert the Supreme Court decision in Brown v Board of Education in 1958. Read about the Southern Manifesto, and the group of laws known as Massive Resistance.
Thomson Reuters
Find Law: u.s. Supreme Court: Powell v. Alabama (1932)
Features the full text of the opinion delivered by Justice Sutherland of the Supreme Court. This case involved the issue of due process of law.
Thomson Reuters
Find Law: u.s. Supreme Court: Gitlow v. New York (1925)
This Supreme Court case involved the subject of criminal anarchy. Read the complete text of the opinion delivered by Justice Sanford of the Supreme Court.
Thomson Reuters
Find Law: u.s. Supreme Court: Mapp v. Ohio (1961)
Detailed account of the Supreme Court case of Mapp v. Ohio with the ruling that states are required to exclude evidence seized by illegal search and seizure in violation of the 4th Amendment.
Thomson Reuters
Find Law: u.s. Supreme Court: Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)
This Supreme Court case dealt with the issue of contraception. View the the Supreme Court opinion as delivered by Justice Douglas.