Students research James Madison and create a table of his strengths and weaknesses. In this James Madison lesson, students read Jean Fritz's, The Great Little Madison, while developing their research skills, vocabulary strategies, and...

Students examine historic examples of authority during wartime. They interpret the Fifth Amendment. They debate the merits of the Patriot Act.

Fifth graders read the biographies of seven colonists and determine their position on the freedom of religion. They conduct a panel discussion of seven personalities and debate the religious freedom in America.

High schoolers read and analyze primary source documents. In this matching lesson, students read sections of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. High schoolers match the document sections with paraphrased sections and discuss the...

Learners identify Articles of Confederation and explain why it failed, explain argument over need for Bill of Rights in Constitution and James Madison's role in securing it's adoption, and compare and contrast ideas of Federalists and...

High schoolers explore human rights issues. In this social justice lesson plan, students examine human rights as they read segments of the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights," discuss photographs with human rights implications, and...

Namely through discussion, get your opinionated scholars examining the roles of government- is it even necessary? They analyze the quote: "To be free, one must be chained," writing what it represents and then sharing. Consider...

Students discover how a bill becomes a law. In this Legislative Branch lesson, students watch C-Span coverage of a bill making its way through the House and the Senate. Students use the provided worksheet to chart the progress of the bill.

Studnets explore the procedure that makes bills into laws, through research and class discussion. They conduct public opinion and media research surveys and discuss the impact they have on deliberations conducted during the passage of a...

Students explore cases that have occurred in the past in which reporters refuse to reveal their confidential conversations with government sources and investigate the status of the current bills in Congress. Students use this information...

Should refugees fleeing poverty be allowed the same entrance into the United States as those fleeing persecution? High schoolers read about US foreign policy in the late 20th century regarding refugees from Cuba and Haiti, and engage in...

Students describe the contents of the First Amendment while telling about an example of speech that is protected by the Constitution and that which is not. They attempt to apply the First Amendment to situations that could occur in their...

Students examine executive power. In this Indian Removal lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding the "Trail of Tears". Students respond to discussion questions regarding the lecture.

Students analyze the career of Ulysses S. Grant. In this Grant presidency lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding the details of Grant's presidency. Students respond to discussion questions regarding the...

Learners in a special education class examine the United States Constitution. Using the text, they answer five research questions and discuss the amendments that concern medicine, ethics and law of the right to die issue. They develop...

Students consider how women gained the right to vote in America. In this suffrage lesson, students investigate major events of the suffrage movement and conduct research. Students also role play petitioning to President Wilson to...

Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution takes center stage in a instructional activity that asks class members to assume the role of state senators, debate a resolution to amend the U. S. Constitution to permit naturalized...

Learners investigate religious freedom in the U.S. They watch and discuss a Bill Moyers NOW video, take a Freedom of Religion quiz, write an essay, and participate in a mock trial and debate.

Students investigate civil liberties in the U.S. They watch and discuss a PowerPoint presentation, conduct research on an event from a timeline, complete a worksheet, take an ideology quiz, and conduct a debate.

Students explore the controversy over a bill giving pilots the option to become armed federal law enforcement officers. They brainstorm other possible security measures for airplanes and airports.

The United States Immigration Policy is incredibly complex. To gain a deeper understanding of the criteria, quotas, preferences, and categories of immigrants admitted to the US, class members engage in a role playing activity that...

Every president of the United States must be a natural-born citizen, but the definition of natural-born is not as straightforward as it seems. Secondary scholars examine two points of view surrounding the constitutional requirement...

Students debate the Federalist and Anti-federal Papers after using the Internet as a research tool.

Young scholars compare George Washington's foreign policy to the policies of presidents who followed him. In this primary source analysis instructional activity, students compare Washington's Farewell Address to the Roosevelt Corollary,...