Considering the expressed and implied powers of Congress, was it constitutional for the United States to establish the Second National Bank in the early nineteenth century? What is the constitutionality of the Federal Reserve...

Scholars demonstrate what they know about the separation of powers through role play. Two individuals act out a skit as the remaining class members discuss and decide whether the interaction they observed is an appropriate example...

A timeline can be a powerful learning tool because it reveals a pattern in events. While few would consider St. Augustine, Florida a hotbed of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, a selection of background information and a timeline of...

As part of a study of post Civil War era, young historians investigate the changes in voting rights during the Reconstruction Era (1863-1876), the fraud involved in the Hayes-Tilden presidential election of 1876, and efforts by Pap...

A neat Presidents Day activity, this lesson provides a culminating learning experience for upper elementary aged learners. After analyzing George Washington's, "A Display of the United States of America," your learners will conduct...

An attractive handout displays the periodic table of elements in full color. Each group has its own color, and each element is represented by its name, chemical symbol, atomic number, and atomic weight. What makes this periodic table...

In this worksheet of the preamble to the Constitution of the United States, students are given the 14 lines of text to read and evaluate.

What did abolitionists have in common with those working for women's rights? How has the Native American struggle for voting rights differed from the struggles of other groups? Class members examine the 15th, 19th, 23rd, 24th, and 26th...

Young scholars read about voting rights and compulsory voting in democracies. For this voting rights lesson plan, young scholars analyze the reasons for supporting and opposing compulsory voting and discuss whether compulsory voting is...

Explore the world of copyright law with a variety of activities to instill the importance of respecting creative property. Scholars watch an animated tale then take part in a grand conversation detailing the video's main idea, details,...

Students distinguish between the privileges of being a U.S. Citizen and privileges that are forfeited if not a U.S. Citizen.  For this history lesson, students analyze the rights of people in a democratic society through research,...

This resource contains an annotated look at the different topics covered within the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Click on any subtopic link for in-depth information about that part of the First Amendment.

This resource provides the 17th Amendment, which called for the direct election of Senators. The text is followed by a discussion of the Amendment.

A good biography on Pinckney and his role in the formation of the Constitution.

A compendium of primary resources that are valuable pieces of American history, as well as exhibitions, teaching resources, and bibliographies. Together, this site is a goldmine of materials for studying constitutional history.

Act establishing the organization of the U.S. federal court system, which had been sketched only in general terms in the U.S. Constitution. The act established a three-part judiciary-made up of district courts, circuit courts, and the...

This site provides the text of all the amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The first ten are the Bill of Rights.

An outline of the key points in a lecture that looks at the differences between the U.S. Constitution and the Texas Constitution.

Gives a history of states' rights from the beginning of the U.S. Constitution. Scroll down to "Secession and the Confederate Constitution" to read about the South's interpretation of states' rights just prior to the Civil War. From...

A brief biography of Oliver Ellsworth, the delegate from Connecticut to the Constitutional Convention. He also served as a senator and as a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

This resource provides the 19th Amendment and a short history of the women's suffrage movement state by state.

A brief biography of William Few, a delegate from Georgia to the Constitutional Convention, and a former member of the United States Senate.

A popular introductory guide for American citizens and those of other countries who seek a greater understanding of our heritage of democracy. The question-and-answer format covers a broad range of topics dealing with the legislative,...

Text and summary of the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Site includes a timeline as well as a link to a second timeline that has hyperlinks to additional information.