High schoolers examine Sir Thomas More's Utopian vision. For this philosophy lesson, students read Utopia and determine the pros and cons of Utopian societies. High schoolers then create and present monologues of residents of the Utopia.

Students explore First Amendment rights and responsibilities.

Students explore the concept of individual rights. In this McCarthyism lesson, students determine how government may affect the rights of individuals as they examine the Constitution, participate in class discussions, and research the...

Learners get the chance to act as representatives to the Constitution Convention, and must decide whether or not to recommend your state ratify the new framework. After examining the Constitution line-by-line, they consider their...

What do hula hoops and the American system of government have in common? Using hands-on station activities, pupils consider the roles of the three branches of government. A script for teachers and writing prompts help round out a...

A short video introduces viewers to the political struggles involved in passing the First Amendment and the many challenges it has faced since its passage.  Viewers then discuss how to balance issues of freedom of the press,...

Effective or ineffective? As part of a study of post Civil War America, young historians analyze a series of primary sources to evaluate the effectiveness of the Freedmen's Bureau in addressing the challenges faced by the slaves freed by...

Students explore discrimination issues in America. In this homosexual rights instructional activity, students listen to their instructor lecture on antidiscrimination laws and gay rights. Students respond to questions about the Romer v....

Does a Christmas display on government property violate the Constitution? Learners study the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and learn about the landmark Supreme Court case Lynch v. Donnelly through watching a...

Students examine children's rights and how laws can affect their education and daily life. Through the investigation of various cases, they assess how the best interests of children are either upheld or ignored and how the Constitution...

Students act as newspaper reporters from 1787 and interview some of the signers of the Constitution. They study the contributions of these Founding Fathers: Washington, Franklin, Madison, Hamilton and discuss the purpose of the U.S....

Learners read and analyze three major documents in European history related to articulation of human rights, noting key principles, identify significant similarities and new concepts, and discuss application to contemporary issues in...

Students explore First Amendment rights. In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students examine the freedom of expression as they view a PowerPoint presentation and listen to the lecture that accompanies it.

Eighth graders identify how to be responsible citizens. In this civics lesson, 8th graders review websites of congressional members and then create questionnaires about the responsibilities of citizens.

How important are symbols and symbolic gestures in society? Middle schoolers have an opportunity to analyze the importance of symbols on American currency with a lesson that investigates the controversies surrounding redesigning the $5,...

Is your class studying civil rights? Consider taking a look at President Lyndon B. Johnson's voting rights speech. This resource includes an abridged version and three related questions. Pupils consider Johnson's use of language and the...

Discuss life in the 1930s in relation to the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, then do a cross-media analysis. Here you'll find background information on film maker John Ford, writer John Steinbeck, and 1930s America. You can compare the...

Was Puritan society governed as more of a theocracy or democracy? After comparing and contrasting a series of primary source documents, middle and high schoolers form small groups and debate the question.

Taking on the roles of a fiery Boston patriot, a Philadelphia merchant's wife, and a prominent abolitionist, your young historians will consider the reactions of these early Americans to the creation of the Declaration of...

Students compare rights from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with those in the United States Bill of Rights and Amendments. They explore reasons for the presence or absence of certain rights.

Students participate in activities examining the Bill of Rights. They discover the different articles and Amendments.

Students explain five rights guaranteed to them by the Bill of Rights. They describe their own views on the right to limit some of our guaranteed rights. They finally describe the role of a nonprofit organization and how they promote our...

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.

Students examine and analyze various excerpts from documents of freedom such as Magna Carta and Virginia Declaration of Rights, identify how documents influenced each other, and discuss ideas and rights necessary to build representative...