High schoolers consider colonial rights. For this Bill of Rights lesson, students complete an activity guide that requires high schoolers to analyze taxation without representation. Students respond to discussion questions pertaining to...

Students examine the freedoms and rights guaranteed by the First Amendment. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students review court cases and create a collage that require them to consider the right they are guaranteed by the First Amendment.

Seventh graders conduct research on important background information regarding the role of religion in American public schools. In this Ethics instructional activity, 7th graders examine and become familiar with the First Amendment of...

Students investigate the right to petition and assemble. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students read the First Amendment and discuss the rights guaranteed by the amendment. Students research selected groups and movements that have...

Twelfth graders discuss the creation of the United States, the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution. Through a class debate, role-playing Federalists and Anti-federalists, they identify the reasons for and against ratification...

The American Government was founded on several major principles which led to the US Constitution, Federal System, and Bill of Rights. This presentation follows Colonial America on its journey from colony, to freedom fighter, to...

Did Hiibel's arrest and conviction for not telling a police officer his name violate his rights? Have your learners read a short description of the case and answer the comprehension questions that follow. Resource links and...

Students examine current news stories and from them develop "BIG" questions related to individual and group rights. They then relate their questions to the U.S. Constitution and supreme court decisions.

Students become aware of the basic liberties of speech, press, religion, assembly and petition through study of Supreme Court cases. Student groups analyae some cases heard by the Supreme Court to further their understanding of the First...

Eighth graders look critically at the 26 amendments to the United States Constitution.

Twelfth graders work together in groups to examine the discrimation Japanese Americans felt after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Using primary source documents, they analyze and discuss the case of Fred Korematsu who was placed in an...

Studnets learn about The Constitution and The Bill of Rights through a series on Internet pages that include such things as the framers, court cases and games.

Fourth graders complete a unit of lessons on the development of the U.S. government. They examine the main ideas of the Declaration of Independence, develop a class translation of the preamble to the Constitution, create a flow chart,...

Students read excerpts from several Freedom Documents, evaluate amount of freedom guaranteed by each document, and rank documents on scale to determine which grant greatest and least amount of personal freedom.

Students examine Sir Thomas More's Utopian vision. In this philosophy lesson, students read Utopia and determine the pros and cons of Utopian societies. Students 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...

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...

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,...

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...

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 lesson, students listen to their instructor lecture on antidiscrimination laws and gay rights. Students respond to questions about the Romer v. Evans case.

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.

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...