Curated OER
Bill Of Rights
Students examine Supreme Court cases. In this U.S. government lesson, students watch a video about the Bill of Rights and then research 4 Supreme Court cases using the noted web site. Students analyze the presented information and write...
Curated OER
Reflections on Judicial Power - Part I
Students research the Constitutional provision for the Judicial branch of government. They examine different U.S. founder's positions on the relative strength of the judicial branch and act as a review court for Marbury vs. Madison.
Curated OER
Comparing/Contrasting Northern Life to Southern Life
Students compare and contrast the lives of African Americans who moved North vs. those who stayed in the South during the era of Jim Crow Laws.
Deliberating in a Democracy
Cyberbullying—Alternate Lesson Plan
Should schools be permitted to punish young scholars for off-campus cyberbullying? After reading a passage that details statistics about cyberbullying and Supreme Court rulings about schools' ability to limit student speech,...
Curated OER
Constitution Repatriation Simulation
Students work cooperatively in groups to present the specific needs of an assigned territory to a mock meeting of government officials in an attempt to amend an existing law.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Magna Carta: Cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution
High schoolers use the Internet to read a brief description of Magna Carta (link provided). They "walk through" the document with the teacher, identifying four major themes. Young scholars read and discuss "The Rhetoric of Rights:...
Curated OER
Ideas for Activities and Discussions About the U.S. Constitution
Incorporating lessons about the foundation of the U.S. Constitution can invigorate the minds of students.
Curated OER
The Constitution
A study of the Constitution can lead students into an exploration of civil rights, laws, and history.
Curated OER
Current Events and the Constitution
Understanding the Constitution is critical to helping students become valuable and engaged members of society.
Curated OER
Immigrants and the U.S. Constitution
This lesson plan will help students learn more about current immigrant experience, nvestigate U.S. immigration and labor laws, consider the meaning of citizenship, gain knowledge about the economics of poverty, practice research skills...
Curated OER
Lesson 2: The First Inaugural Address (1861)—Defending the American Union
High schoolers explore the content of Abraham Lincoln's First Inaugural Address. For this Abraham Lincoln lesson, students analyze the text of the speech to determine how Lincoln sought to preserve the Union from secession attempts.
Curated OER
Latinos and the Fourteenth Amendment: A Primary Document Activity
Students explore Latinos and the Fourteenth Amendment. In this government and law lesson, students analyze the ruling in Hernandez v. Texas. Students predict how the United States would be different if the court had made an alternated...
Curated OER
Family Law - Child Abuse
Young scholars identify and examine children's protective rights provided by law, discuss difficulties of determining whether child is abused or neglected, identify types of child abuse and neglect, analyze hypothetical situations to...
Curated OER
The Supreme Court: The Judicial Power of the United States
Students investigate some basic facts about the Supreme Court by examining the United States Constitution and one of the landmark cases decided by that court. The operation of the Supreme Court forms the focus of the lesson.
Deliberating in a Democracy
National Service
Uncle Sam wants you to serve! Scholars investigate the role of mandatory national service in an open democracy. They research, watch a video, and hold a debate surrounding the issue of requiring one year of service to gain a better...
Teaching Tolerance
Parallels Between Mass Incarceration and Jim Crow
Is history repeating itself? A riveting lesson examines the parallels between mass incarceration in the U.S. and the Jim Crow Laws of the past. Academics review Jim Crow Laws and compare them to mass incarcerations of African Americans....
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Elections, Money, and the First Amendment
Those who spend the most, win. Academics read informational text, participate in group discussion, and defend campaign reforms to understand the correlation between money, the First Amendment, and election results. The resource...
Curated OER
The Origins of Islamic Law
Ninth graders examine Islamic Law. In this Law lesson, 9th graders read documents on the origins of Islamic Law. Students create answers to questions based on Islamic Law.
College Board
Balance of Power Between Congress and the President
Three branches of government help create a system of checks and balances. A helpful resource provides a series of articles regarding the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches of government. Historians answer...
Teaching Tolerance
Using Photographs to Teach Social Justice | Legal Action: The Supreme Court
A social justice lesson focuses on the Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia which struck down laws that prohibited marriages between African Americans and white Americans. The lesson begins with class members examining a photograph of...
State Bar of Texas
Marbury v. Madison
Who has the final say in matters dealing with the rules under the United States Constitution? The case Marbury v. Madison brings to light the issue of judicial review. Learners investigate the Supreme Court's opinion in the case with a...
NPR
Civil Rights of Japanese-American Internees
Prompted by a viewing of Emiko and Chizu Omori’s Rabbit in the Moon, a documentary about the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, high schoolers examine a series of documents, including the Bill of Rights and the UN’s...
Facing History and Ourselves
The Importance of a Free Press
"Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;. . ." Why is this guarantee of free speech and a free press the First Amendment to the US Constitution? Why are these rights so essential to a...
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...