Students study how the electoral college works to select a U.S. President.  In this history lesson, students examine the U.S. Elector College methods then answer questions and write an essay that relate to the state where they live.

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...

Your pupils are all citizens of your classroom. Provide some more instruction on how people can be citizens with the reading passage included here. After reading, learners answer the five related questions.

Teach kindergartners about the First Thanksgiving with a series of lessons about the Pilgrims' journey to the New World. As they practice handwriting, CVC words, reading comprehension, and fun Thanksgiving songs, they learn about what...

The college that directly affects young citizens' lives is not the university they're applying to. Learn about the Electoral College in a town hall activity in which class members debate the merits of the current system versus electing a...

The events of the French Revolution from 1789 to 1815 contributed to a drastic change in French leadership, as well as the country's attitude toward wealth and the working man. A timeline lists the main events of the 26-year period and...

Primary historical sources can be a challenge for some readers, so these seven guided-reading questions will be very useful to US History or Government classes studying The Articles of Confederation. Each question has multiple parts and...

Learners study the goals set out for the Constitution. They examine the resolutions arrived at to resolve three major conflicts which arose during the writing of the Constitution. They discuss or write down a one-sentence summary of...

Students debate the constitutional principles of the United States. In this U.S. government lesson, students examine the meaning of the text of the U.S. Constitution and analyze other primary documents of the era. Students prepare for...

Students explain the function of the six bodies of the U.N. and their main functions.

Young scholars make their own Statue of Liberty. In this Statue of Liberty lesson plan, students research the symbol of the United States, create a KWL chart for it, and cut and paste their own Statue of Liberty.

Students take a closer look at historical relations between the United States and Mexico. In this Texas annexation lesson plan, students examine primary documents authored by Zachary Taylor, James Polk, and Abraham Lincoln to consider...

A thorough examination of Andrew Jackson's presidency and politics, these slides contain important facts and pictures of the growing United States. Events such as the Trail of Tears and the Tariff Battles of the early 19th century are on...

Although we currently focus on Abraham Lincoln's positive contributions in creating a more equal society, the truth is that Lincoln was actually a controversial character in his time! After studying the Civil War, give your high...

Students examine political cartoons to gain an understanding of the political issues that George Washington faced. In this historical perspectives lesson, students analyze political cartoons about the National Bank, the title presidents,...

Upper graders put their knowledge of the U.S. Constitution to the test when they are asked to mark which of several statements are from either the Constitution or the Communist Manifesto. A class discussion follows. Use this resource as...

Young scholars discuss key phrases from the Preamble of the Constitution, find ways to relate the values stated in the Preamble to their daily lives, and explore possible changes needed in the Constitution by future generations of citizens.

Students examine both the Preamble of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They work in small groups to connect the two documents and analyze how the documents are important to their lives today. They create a poster that visually...

Sixth graders discover details about the 3 branches of government. In this primary source analysis lesson, 6th graders examine documents and images from the Library of Congress to investigate the structure of the U.S. government.

Students study the concept of separation of powers. They recognize how the Constitution provides for separation of powers and categorize public officials into one of three branches of government. Students do a role play and see if...

Eleventh graders study the impact of the Nationalization of the Bill of Rights upon criminal law. They analyze opposition to expansionist viewpoints that could possibly create more checks and balances on the state courts and analyze...

Tenth graders compare and contrast the immigration reform policies of Presidents Reagan and Bush. In this immigration lesson, 10th graders examine primary documents related to each president's policy for immigration reform. Students...

Students explore the debates over American slavery and the power of the American federal government for the first half of the 19th century and how the regional economies and political events produced a widening split between the states.