Learners examine the Second Amendment of the Constitution. They research and organize key arguments and other fundementals of gun control. They participate in a debate defending the wording of the Second Amendment.

Students analyze conditions under which sections of United States Constitution are superceded, research history of Native Americans, African Americans, and Japanese Americans, and debate policy of reparations for various minority groups...

Eleventh graders examine the issue of Cherokee removal from the perspectives of Andrew Jackson, members of Congress, and members of the Cherokee nation. They adopt the perspectives and engage in debate over the issue of Cherokee removal.

Students explore the role of judges in Britain. In this current events activity, students visit selected websites to discover the responsibilities of judges and the justice reform in Britain.

Students perform research in the wake of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, a debate has begun over augmented security and surveillance, versus safeguards for personal freedoms. This debate is certain to occupy our...

Students examine the impact of the assassination of President Lincoln. After researching the Republican positions on Reconstruction and analyzing documents related to the Reconstruction, students take a position and explain their...

Students investigate the socioeconomic and environmental issues associated with radon. They examine the laws that exist in New Jersey that pertain to real estate. They work in groups to design new legislation that addresses associated...

Eleventh graders examine the road to the American Revolution. In this American Revolution lesson, 11th graders read Thomas Paine's works and identify the issues that the colonists had with the British government.

High schoolers explore how recent immigration and migration patterns impact social and political issues. They apply affective learning techniques

Lesson from the National Humanities Center explores the doubts, concerns, and misgivings surrounding the development of the Bill of Rights. Primary or secondary sources, text analysis and Close reading strategies, background notes, and...

Help students grasp the idea of making amendments with this lesson on the debates of the amendments to the US Constitution. Use primary sources to have the students choose their own amendments, give them opportunity to analyze the...

In the debate over the Constitution, the Bill of Rights was a deal-breaker. In this lesson, learners learn why the federalists thought the Constitution didn't need a bill of rights and why the anti-federalists refused to accept the...

Lesson in which students read the history of welfare in the United States, answer questions for discussion and writing, and debate who should be responsible for the welfare of others. Small group, individual and whole class work.

This unit includes four lessons using primary sources to examine continuity and change in the governing of the United States. Lessons one and two are focused on a study of the Constitution and Bill of Rights and provide access to primary...

In this lesson, students examine and debate the issue of same sex marriage by studying background information, news articles, legal arguments and the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. They then draft an amendment of their own to...

In this lesson, 11th graders examine the events and political philosophy that laid the foundations of the American government, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. They also look at what role religion played in shaping American...

The ratification debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists gives us insight into the ideas behind both sides and a better understanding of how our government developed in its early years.

In this set of activities, students learn what George Mason's objections were to the U.S. Constitution. They then evaluate them through a class discussion and divide into groups to hold a debate about the disagreement between the...

Using the Civil Rights Bill of 1964 as an example, students will understand the congressional procedures of cloture and filibuster. An in-depth article on how a filibuster was used during debate on this bill, the actual signed cloture...

These lessons address constitutional principles and contemporary issues involving the First Amendment. They intend to have explore how freedoms began and how they operate in today's world. Students will discuss just how far individual...

Lesson on public policy, history and public debate over welfare and the Welfare Reform Act. Includes informative text with background and historical information, questions for writing and discussion, and guidelines for class debate.

Look at the debate and eventual compromise, between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists that occurred around the creation of the U.S. Constitution.

Government classes usually focus on the workings of the United States Government alone. In this unit of study, students will compare the United States government with that of pre-Nazi Germany. This unit will demonstrate to students how...

The Dirksen Congressional Center provides abundant lesson plans on all aspects of the US Congress and the US Constitution. All lessons contain time frames, objectives, and links to material, and are built around Bloom's taxonomy.