Lesson Plan
James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation

Those "Other Rights:" The Constitution and Slavery

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Did the United States Constitution uphold the institution of slavery, or did it help to destroy it? Young historians study Article 4, Section 2, Clause 3 of the Constitution and evaluate the rights of slaveowners as they compared to...
Unit Plan
1
1
Echoes & Reflections

Perpetrators, Collaborators, and Bystanders

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
After the Holocaust, the world grappled with how to bring justice to the Nazis. But what to do with the thousands—if not millions—who allowed it to happen? Young historians consider the issues of guilt, collaboration, and responsibility...
Lesson Plan
Facing History and Ourselves

Laws and the National Community

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
When it comes to the law, is justice always served? Teach scholars about how law sometimes enables prejudice of entire groups of people with a unit on World War II that includes a warm-up activity, analysis of primary sources,...
Lesson Plan
Federal Judicial Center

Amistad and Dred Scott—a Comparative Activity

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
What do slaves fighting for their freedom on board a ship and a slave fighting for his freedom in a courtroom have in common? Budding historians investigate the two different cases of the Amistad slave revolt and the Dred Scott argument....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

New Supreme Court Justice Sworn In

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students react to a series of statements about the Supreme Court, then read a news article about the confirmation of Chief Justice John Roberts. In this current events instructional activity, the teacher introduces the article with a...
Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

The Hate U Give

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas became a quick hit in the young adult literature genre before its adaptation in the 2018 film of the same name. Use a thorough lesson, discussion guide, and series of activities to discuss the social...
Lesson Plan
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1
Teaching Tolerance

Dismantling Racial Caste

For Teachers 9th - 12th
It's time to end racism. The final installment of the series encourages scholars to consider what is needed to ended the racial caste system in the U.S. Young historians complete group discussion, written prompt, and a hands-on-activity...
Interactive
2
2
Judicial Learning Center

The U.S. Supreme Court

For Students 6th - 12th
How do Supreme Court justices determine which cases to consider? What happens when the Supreme Court decides not to take a case?  The lesson explores important questions and others in the field of criminology. It focuses on the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson 4: The Judiciary: A Brief Introduction to the Courts System

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Focusing on the judicial branch of government, the fourth lesson in this series explores the structure of the US courts system. Beginning with an engaging activity based on the short story The Lady or the Tiger, students go on...
Lesson Plan
Administrative Office of the US Courts

Nomination Process

For Students 7th - 12th Standards
"I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States..." Scholars investigate the nomination process of Supreme Court justices when assuming office. Through examination of primary and secondary...
Activity
Teaching Tolerance

Spotlight on Change Agents

For Teachers 6th - 12th
A thought-provoking resource guides learners as they interview agents of social change and share their findings. Scholars select an individual, create questions, conduct the interview, and create a profile of the person they selected....
Lesson Plan
1
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Learning for Justice

Change Agents in Our Own Lives

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Everyone has the power to change their own lives. Young historians learn how they can become agents for change in their own lives and the community. The lesson plan focuses on positive role models and what motivates individuals to...
Activity
Teaching Tolerance

Truth to Power: Writing Letters for Change

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Can letter writing really create social change? Pupils create and mail formal letters addressing a specific organization to promote social change they wish to see. Class members reflect on the process and responses they received in small...
Interactive
2
2
Judicial Learning Center

Getting Ready for Trial

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
A courtroom can be a scary place for the uninitiated. Get familiar with the process using a helpful overview of the activities that take place prior to both civil and criminal cases.  The lesson explains the differences between...
Lesson Plan
Teaching for Change

Stepping into Selma

For Teachers 6th - 12th
The 1964 Selma to Montgomery, Alabama voting rights marches are the focus of a lesson designed to introduce learners to people who took part in the Civil Rights Movement. Class members set into the role of one of the participants,...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Teaching Tolerance

Modern-Day Heroes: People Who Are Making a Difference

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Not all superheroes wear capes. An engaging lesson delves into the world of modern-day heroes and activists for change. Academics learn there are many different ways to be a hero as well as explore what makes a person a hero. The...
Lesson Plan
Facing History and Ourselves

After Charlottesville: Contested History and the Fight against Bigotry

For Teachers 9th - 12th
History doesn't always reflect all sides. Academics discover how the remembered history of the Civil War differs for White and African Americans. The lesson explores how Civil War monuments and celebrations have racist connotations for...
Lesson Plan
NPR

The History of America’s Weed Laws

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
To understand the laws regarding marijuana use in the United States, you can go all the way back to the 1800's to learn about farming hemp, or you can go back to 2018 when California became the sixth state to legalize recreational...
Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Timing is everything. Introduce young historians to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" with a resource that underscores the significance of the timing of the Good Friday Birmingham march, King's subsequent...
Activity
Tutor 2 U

Plan for the Murder Solving Lesson

For Teachers 8th - 12th
It's a classic case of whodunnit - with a forensic twist! Learners observe a crime scene and compile evidence, along with emergency phone calls, fingerprints, and interview statements to find the criminal and solve the crime.
Interactive
2
2
Judicial Learning Center

Judicial Independence

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Most people support the idea of an independent judiciary in theory until they hear about a court case that violates their principles. An informative resource explains why the concept is important. It also provides scholars of criminology...
Interactive
2
2
Judicial Learning Center

State Courts vs. Federal Courts

For Students 6th - 12th
Popular culture often portrays the Feds as the most fearsome of law enforcement agencies. Yet, someone charged with a crime is considerably more likely to end up in a state court. The lesson, one of six covering the Organization of the...
Lesson Plan
1
1
School Improvement in Maryland

Court Proceedings Civil Cases

For Teachers 9th - 12th
What's the difference between civil and criminal law? How do the court proceedings differ in these two types of trials? How do the standards of proof differ? Why do these differences exist? As part of their examination of the...
Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

Exercising Judicial Power

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
We should all do more exercising, but should the judicial branch as well? High schoolers develop their understanding of what powers the judicial branch carries because of the US Constitution, as well as where their limits lie in the...

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