Explore the structure and content of the US Constitution in the second instructional activity of this five-part social studies series. A collection of activities, games, and videos complement a class reading of a document summarizing the...

In September we celebrate Constitution Day. Begin the celebration with a grand conversation about the US Constitution. Follow up the in-depth discussion with a learning game in which scholars match terms to images such as...

Here is a wonderful way to introduce your learners to the Fifth Amendment of the Bill of Rights. There are 16 questions designed to generate thinking and discussion questions about the Fifth Amendment. This lesson is extremely...

Explore the importance of rules in a community with the engaging first lesson of this series on the US government. To begin, children play a paper clip game that requires them to make up their own rules as they go, after which the...

High schoolers examine violence in video games. In this American history instructional activity, learners read an article on the link between video games and violence. High schoolers respond to discussion questions and debate the topic.

Students explore rights of their clients. In this constitutional law lesson, students play an online game that requires them to review individual cases in order to determine the rights their clients have.

Why is it important for judges to operate independently of politics or other branches of government? Scholars ponder the question as they examine video clips, case studies, excerpts of the US Constitution, and an interactive computer...

Fourth graders write new rules of their school. In this rules and U.S. Constitution lesson, 4th graders discuss why we celebrate the fourth of July and examine the U.S. Constitution. Students discuss the differences between people now...

Eighth graders watch as their teacher presents information on the Constitution, government and laws through a PowerPoint presentation. In groups, they discuss the importance of government and laws and identify the main ideas in the...

Pupils review the first three articles of the United States Constitution. In groups, they examine the three branches of government and their function. They follow the path of a bill until it becomes law and discuss Congress' role.

Students work together to write a Constitution for their classroom. As a class, they discuss the need for laws and how the concept of compromise is important. In groups, they compare the process they used for writing the Constitution...

Students study the powers and limitations of the three branches of the American government. They explain how the system of "checks and balances" protects the individual citizens. They explain how the amendments to the Constitution...

Studnets explore the events and issues surrounding the Constitutional Convenetion and the Bill of Rights through web-sites interacting with such topics as the framers, court cases, games and more.

Students explore the Constitution, the convention and the Bill of Rights with a wide variety of on-line activities including the framers, primary sources, court cases and games.

Most young scholars are aware of the criminal courts system, but the United States Constitution allows for a much broader role. What other roles do courts play in settling other questions? A case study and WebQuest-style activities...

Young scholars read primary documents to find the motivations of the founding fathers of the United States. For this primary documents lesson, students discuss the meaning of the Preamble to the Constitution, read parts of the...

Fourth graders study the three branches of government and the process of how a bill becomes a law. They watch the School House Rock video "I'm Just a Bill" and sing the song after viewing the video. They answer question regarding a bill...

Students examine animal cruelty laws in Great Britain. In this health activity, students visit selected websites to research animal cruelty laws as they consider animal rights and hunting rights.

Middle schoolers investigate precedents set during George Washington's term in office. They conduct Internet research, develop a list of the responsibilities of the President, match Washington's accomplishments with the list, and play a...

Students study the individual rights enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. They determine where these rights come from, and why we value them as we do. They consider that our individual rights are not absolute, and may be limited by other...

Students identify the constitutional amendments and major federal laws that have shaped suffrage in the United States.

Students play a Bingo game to review the facts and concepts of the Canadian System of Government.

Young scholars explore the role of state government. In this civics lesson, students play an online game that requires them to consider the needs of state residents and the structure of state government.

Students use the Internet to gather historical facts about the county in which they live. Using the information, they discover how to check it for accuracy and present their findings to the class. They write an essay about the history of...