Curated OER
Religious Freedom
Sixth graders examine the religious issues of the early settlers in the New World and the current issue of separation of church and state. They discuss a list of colonial laws from the 1600s, participate in a class discussion, and in...
Curated OER
The Ongoing Debate: Crime Control v. Due Process Protection
Students investigate the Exclusionary Rule and other ways of to enforce the protections found in the Bill of Rights. They study how effective criminal control and public safety is carried out while citizens Constitutional rights are...
Curated OER
The Illustrated Bill of Rights
Pupils shoot Bill of Rights videos. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students film digital segment that illustrate the meaning of the first 10 amendments. Pupils integrate the video clips into PowerPoint presentations.
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Constitution Repatriation Simulation
Learners 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.
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Landmark Supreme Court Cases and the Constitution: Reynolds v. United States (1878)
Young scholars examine the impact of court decisions. In this Supreme Court lesson, students read the Reynolds v. United States (1878) case study regarding first election decided by the House of Representatives. Young scholars take...
Curated OER
We Are the Government
Students read primary documents to find the motivations of the founding fathers of the United States. In this primary documents lesson, students discuss the meaning of the Preamble to the Constitution, read parts of the Constitution...
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Who’s Got Rights? An Introduction to Human Rights and Human Rights Defenders
Students explore human rights issues. In this social justice instructional activity, students examine human rights as they read segments of the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights," discuss photographs with human rights implications,...
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Roaring Twenties: The Impact of High School on its Students Over Time
Eleventh graders compare the American high school experience of the 1920's to today. In this historical perspectives lesson, 11th graders examine surveys from 1924 high school students and then create their own surveys for today's high...
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The Role of Government and Citizens
High schoolers define term representative democracy, explain how the government responds to the needs of its citizens, describe the role of citizens in a representative democracy, and explain how citizens can influence public policy.
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Campaign Finance Reform and Public Opinion
Learners discuss the issue of finance reform in political campaigns. Using the internet, they identify the positives and negatives of finance reform and research the problems associated with campaign fund-raising. They share their...
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Bill of Rights
In this Amendments to the Constitution worksheet, students list the freedoms that each of the ten Bill of Rights guarantees. Students write ten short answers.
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Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1988)
Students explore the concept of student press rights. In this case study lesson, students read excerpts of Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier. Students then complete the provided worksheet activities and determine whether they agree with the outcome...
Broward County Schools
Women's Contributions to the United States
Betsy Ross, Toni Morrison, Sacajawea, Amelia Earhart, Maya Lin, Sally Ride, Judy Baca. No matter the subject area or the grade level you teach you will find much to value in a manual that focuses on the contributions U.S. women have...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Reward: Valuable Slaves
To gain insight into the American institution of slavery and how African Americans were viewed during this time, groups examine run-away slave ads and slave auction broadsides. Teams use the provided worksheet to record their impressions...
Curated OER
U.S. Constitutional Facts and Figures
In this Constitution worksheet, students fill in the blanks to sentences with facts about numbers in the Constitution. Students fill in 12 blanks.
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The Constitution and The Bill of Rights
Students explore the Constitution and The Bill of Rights including the process of the Convention throgh a variety of websites that examine the framers, venets leading up to and after the convention games and more.
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Introduction to Law I
Students identify four basic values (economic, social, moral, and political) protected by law, examine different definitions of values, and correlate laws to values they aim to protect.
Social Media Toolbox
Cyberbullying
What can we do to make our school community more aware of cyberbullying? From The Social Media Toolbox, lesson 10 of 16 takes on the tough topic of bullying. Learners research cyberbullying through online research, then create an...
Curated OER
Bill of Rights - Remember Me!
High schoolers participate in a unique and exciting method of memorizing the Bill of Rights using locations throughout the classroom and visual and auditory cues. They take a quiz they are guaranteed to pass!
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Texas v. Johnson
Students examine the freedom of speech. In this Supreme Court lesson plan, students analyze primary documents from Texas v. Johnson and discuss the implications of the decision regarding flag burning.
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Press-ing Freedom
Students consider how free speech applies to journalistic practices in light of a legal case involving two reporters. They participate in a fishbowl discussion about journalism codes of ethics and write response papers.
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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...
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Whose God?
Students investigate religious freedom in the U.S. They watch and discuss a Bill Moyers NOW video, take a Freedom of Religion quiz, write an essay, and participate in a mock trial and debate.
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Burning Hatred
Students examine the constitutionality of various forms of expression; they then take part in a mock trial on the issue of cross burning. Divide the class into three groups; Supreme Court Justices, and two groups that don't agree on this...