Lesson Plan
Curated OER

1856-1865: Abolitionists and the Civil War

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this abolition lesson, students watch "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and discuss the philanthropic acts they witnessed in the film. Students also complete an activity that requires them to determine...
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Cultural Change

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
High schoolers research the passage of the 19th Amendment as an illustration of the mutual influence between political ideas and cultural attitudes. They also read the Seneca Falls Declaration and explore the cultural shifts it both...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

US Constitution

For Teachers 7th - 11th
Think about the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence with your budding historians. They analyze the importance of historical documents by examining several famous documents, and then they complete activities that check...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Informal Amendment

For Students 10th - 12th
Informal Constitutional amendments are the focus of this review worksheet, which covers the circumstances and methods by which Congress may informally amend the Constitution. The format of this worksheet would lend well to a homework...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Bill of Rights and Your Life

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students review the contents of the Constitution by taking a trivia quiz and brainstorm the rights contained in the Bill of Rights. After discussing the Bill of Rights, students categorize and outline its content. Given a worksheet,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Small Country Constitution

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers pretend they live in a very small country with a Constitution, and Bill of Rights, like that of the US. People from another planet conquer the country, but allow them to retain five rights. They choose the five rights they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding the Twenty-Seven Amendments

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students use the Internet to learn about the Constitution.  In this Constitutional Amendments lesson, students read and discuss the twenty seven amendments and work in groups to rewrite the amendments in their own words. ...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Bill of Rights

For Students 4th - 6th
In this Amendments to the Constitution worksheet, students list the freedoms that each of the ten Bill of Rights guarantees. Students write ten short answers.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Congress and the Creation of the Bill of Rights

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students participate in inquiry activities to explore powers outlined in the Bill of Rights. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students creation of a class Bill of Rights, evaluate  and propose amendments, and analyze primary source...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Black Kentuckians and the Civil War

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young scholars demonstrate how the American Civil War affected black Kentuckians socially and politically. They identify and discuss the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which forced the end of slavery in Kentucky months after...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Taking to the Airwaves

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students consider the purpose of talk radio and examine its importance in the new democratic Iraq. They enact mock talk shows based on current events and reflect on the value of free speech and the role audience members play in radio...
Activity
Administrative Office of the US Courts

US v. Alvarez

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Is it illegal to lie about military service? Discuss the ways the First Amendment affects the Stolen Valor Act with a lesson that focuses on the Supreme Court case U.S. v. Alvarez. As high schoolers learn more about the history of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Why A Bill of Rights?

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Examine conflicting viewpoints in this lesson, in which middle schoolers write their own proposal for including a Bill of Rights in the Constitution. As a class, they discover how the Bill of Rights was not a planned document to be...
Lesson Plan
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Constitutional Rights Foundation

Options for Affecting Public Policy

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Letter-writing, e-mail and telephone campaigns, petitions, marches, meetings, with lawmakers. Options for influencing elected representatives are the focus of resource that details how to craft each of these approaches to influencing...
Lesson Plan
Carolina K-12

The Rule of Law

For Teachers 8th Standards
What functions do laws serve in our society? Your learners will be guided through several interactive activities to address this question, and to consider the impact of rule of law in American society.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Second Amendment and the Right to Bear Arms

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers interpret the Second Amendment. In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students examine the right to bear arms as they compare 2 Michigan Supreme Court cases and discuss their personal interpretations of the amendment.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Constitution Day

For Students 5th - 6th
In this crossword puzzle worksheet, students find 20 terms related to the Constitution by reading the clues and complete the puzzle.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Naturalized Citizens and the Presidency

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students consider the presidential requirements. For this U.S. Constitution lesson, students participate in a role play that requires them to act as senators and debate an amendment to allow naturalized citizens to run for the presidency.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Letter Read 'Round the World

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners examine primary document to examine the concept of free assembly, and analyze Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's letter to the clergy to explain the rationale for this tactic to advance civil rights.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Justice in America

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students use the Preamble to the Constitution as the central resource, to consider the concept of justice in the United States, from past times to the present. Thoughtful questions are posed and helpful hand-outs provided.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Bill of Rights and the Supreme Court

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore what the United States would be like today if the Bill of Rights had never been written.  For this exploring the constitution lesson, students research Supreme Court cases that were heard in the early years of the...
App
Clint Bagwell Consulting

Constitution

For Students 8th - 11th
US history classes will enjoy this handy tool for reading the Constitution. Broken down by article and amendment, it also includes brief biographies of each signer and a detailed description of one painting. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Free to Speak and Free to Post?

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students research on the Web and in books with city statutes or call city officials to find out the local ordinance on posting signs on utility poles. If illegal, students explore what has happened elsewhere when citizens decided to...
Lesson Plan
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Mrs. Hodges' Social Studies Classes

I Have Rights?!

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Do young people have rights in the United States? Your pupils will not only learn the answer to this important question, but will also build vocabulary through cloze activities and gain a thorough introduction to the Bill of Rights.