The language of the Constitution can feel quite ominous to young learners, but there are a variety of strategies you can utilize to help your class grasp the important concepts and ideals in our nation's founding document. This lesson...

Even the most inspiring documents in American history had to go through a few drafts before they were ready for publication. Reinforce the importance of the writing process, as well as the collaborative nature of democracy, with an...

What's the best way to make sense of the Constitution?  A helpful lesson contains both the text of Article III and annotation of each of its sections, breaking it down into easy-to-understand parts. It also includes links to a...

Fair or unfair? To begin a study of the American Revolution, class members review the treatment of the people of the American Colonies by the King of England and decide which were fair and which were unfair. Class members then annotate a...

Public policy is important to understand because it affects everyone. The resource tells middle schoolers how the government uses policy to accomplish goals in the administration. It includes a reading, true or false worksheet, a...

If your school requires a senior research paper or if you are considering one for your class, then this resource is for you. The 43-page packet includes everything from a sample letter to parents to requirements, from topic suggestions...

Should the United States Supreme Court have the power of judicial review? Instructors guide class members through a review of Marbury v. Madison and assist class members in writing a brief of the case. As independent practice,...

Convert a table to probabilities. Pupils set up the winning rules for the sums of two dice. Using the rules, the applet fills out a table showing the winners for each combination. Learners determine the probabilities of winning for each...

If you're searching for a way to keep your class informed of current psychology news, this ongoing assignment is both educational and engaging. Class members locate and read a psychology article of interest, write a psychological...

New to the socratic seminar format? Check out a resource that not only provides the rationale for the procedure and step-by-step directions, but also provides a list of suggested topics, rules and model statements.

When researchers write a paper, they become curators of information. It's their job to determine the best sources of information on a topic and use those sources to inform their writing. As part of a larger series, a handout on annotated...

Students learn what it was like to be a gold miner. In this California gold rush lesson, students watch a movie about the California gold rush and discuss what they learned. Students use the Internet to examine the gold nugget that...

Fourth graders complete activities related to the California gold rush. In this gold rush lesson, 4th graders go to an Internet website video that discusses the gold rush. They complete discuss miner's experiences, sing a gold rush song,...

Students create a virtual exhibit. In this gold rush lesson plan, students watch a movie about the California gold rush, view a virtual image of the gold nugget that started the gold rush and examine the sources. Students research and...

learners about the organization of our nation's government. They are introduced to the three branches of American government and the responsibilities of each. They discuss the requirements for becoming President.

Young scholars are assigned a landmark Supreme Court case to research. They construct a one-page newsletter on the case which include a summary of the case, two pictures and a short biography on one of the justices on the Court at that...

This resource provides the annotation of Article 1 of the Constitution and the powers held by Congress. Focuses are on the implied, enumerated, inherent, and resulting powers of Congress. At the bottom of the page footnotes are provided.

This resource summarizes the meanings of the words naturalization and citizenship, using excerpts and references from the U.S. Constitution, and explains the power held by the U.S. Congress in granting citizenship.

This particular page of annotations on the Eighth Amendment discusses the background and intended meaning of the phrase "cruel and unsual punishment".

This resource provides the annotation on Section 2, Clause 1 of the United States Constitution., which outlines the President's responsibilities as Commander-in-Chief.

This resource gives the text of the Fifteenth Amendment with annotations. The paragraph on literacy tests includes information on Alabama's amendment which was clearly aimed at African Americans.

This resource explains the phrase "double jeopardy," including a look at its development through history.

This resource offers a discussion of the Fourth Amendment, and what has become known as the Exclusionary Rule. Provided on the bottom of the page are footnotes which can be reached by clicking on the links throughout the body of the text.

This article uses specific court cases to show how the right to counsel at trial was developed into the present day standard.