Curated OER
Progressives and the Era of Trustbusting
Young scholars investigate the free-market system and anti-trust laws. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture on the details of monopolies and the progressive reform movement to...
Curated OER
Reporter Rights vs. Legal Access...
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...
Curated OER
History Lesson 10: Plyler v. Doe: Can States Deny Public Benefits to Illegal Immigrants?
Students consider the rights of illegal immigrants. For this illegal immigration lesson, students analyze the Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe and determine whether illegal immigrants should have access to public benefits. Students...
National First Ladies' Library
Government: Defending the Bill of Rights
Pupils examine the proposition of a country without the Bill of Rights. In a role-playing activity, teams of learners gather information to build a case for retaining the Bill of Rights and present it before their congressperson.
Curated OER
Constitution Web-lesson
Learners examine multiple sources like america's founders, court cases, headilnes and more to learn about the Constitutional Convention of 1787
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Founding Documents
Teach the class about the predecessor to Declaration of Independence—the Virginia Declaration of Rights. Using the foundational documents, scholars examine the two writings to consider how they are similar and how they are different. A...
Curated OER
Newspapers in the Digital Age
Is journalism more or less reliable with the influx of Internet sources? Learners investigate the issues of freedom of speech, journalistic ethics, and social responsibility in the age of Twitter and Facebook. After examining the...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Plyler v. Doe: Can States Deny Public Benefits to Illegal Immigrants?
Illegal immigration is an ever-changing source of consistent controversy. A reading passage about the rights of undocumented workers and illegal immigrants—and the lack thereof—guides high schoolers into a mock trial activity. Three...
Albert Shanker Institute
Economic Causes of the March on Washington
Money can't buy happiness, but it can put food on the table and pay the bills. The first of a five-lesson unit teaches pupils about the unemployment rate in 1963 and its relationship with the March on Washington. They learn how to create...
Curated OER
A Right to Bear Arms - One Patriot's View
High schoolers research Samuel Adams' role in the crafting of the Second Amendment. They consider how Adams' views evolved with time and write a one-page response linking their research to current events.
Curated OER
Right on the Money
Young scholars are introduced to coins and bills in American currency. After watching a video, they practice making the same amount of money out of different combinations of coins and bills. Using the internet, they discover how much...
Curated OER
Social Studies: Human Rights Then and Now
Young scholars examine past and present human rights issues in U.S. history. In reflection journals, they document both justices and injustices perpetrated on groups and individuals. Finally, students implement an action plan designed...
Curated OER
U.S. History: Our Constitutional Amendments
Eighth graders conduct Internet research about Constitutional Amendments and present oral reports on their findings. Their reports also include visual representations depicting their chosen amendment's focal point. Students discuss the...
Curated OER
VA Statute for Religious Freedom, II. Matching Activity
Students read and analyze primary source documents. In this matching lesson, students read sections of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. Students match the document sections with paraphrased sections and discuss the accuracy of...
EngageNY
Building Background Knowledge: Jigsaw to Build and Share Expertise about the 2010 Haiti Earthquake, Part 1
Using the Jigsaw protocol, scholars study chunks of text from a speech given by former US presidents following a devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. As they read the speech in small groups, they build background knowledge and share...
National Constitution Center
Federalism, the Commerce Clause, and the Tenth Amendment
How do the state and federal governments relate to each other? The Constitution has a lot to say about that! Using an interactive online tool, pupils explore the Tenth Amendment. They apply their knowledge to political cartoons and news...
Curated OER
Do You Agree?
Young scholars recognize bias in a political cartoon, evaluate how the media uses both positive and/or negative political cartoons, and assess the influence a political cartoon can have on a person.
Curated OER
Judicial Review
Pupils are introduced to the concept of judicial review. They read an article about this topic and the Bill of Rights. They answer discussion questions and review as a class.
Curated OER
Follow a Bill!
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.
Curated OER
How a Bill Becomes a Law
Students make a chart on what they learned about how a bill becomes a law. In this law making lesson plan, students research the authority and restrictions placed on Congress on how they make a bill into a law and then present their...
Curated OER
Lesson Two: The Federalist Papers
Young scholars 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...
Curated OER
Foreign War and Domestic Freedom: A Delicate Balancing Act
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.
Curated OER
The Right Choice
Young scholars examine the leadership role of George Washington in the American Revolution. In this George Washington lesson, students read selections titled "Generalship," and "Candidate for Commander-in-Chief." After young scholars...
Curated OER
South Carolina Voices: Lessons from the Holocaust
Students read and summarize two different articles that are based on anit-Semitism. In this Holocaust lesson, students discuss if events in the articles could happen in today's society or not.