Curated OER
Public Demonstrations - Lesson Plan
Students examine various handouts to determine the value, necessity and potential limitations of assembly and public demonstrations. They then select a side and debate pre-provided questions.
Curated OER
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
Students examine Miranda v. Arizona. In this court decisions lesson, students analyze the self incrimination case and read other supplemental articles about police procedures and due process. Students discuss the Supreme Court decision...
Curated OER
Teaching With Documents: U.S. Constitution Workshop
What does it mean to be American? Explore the constitution and what it really means to be a citizen here. First, learners of all ages will investigate different primary source documents. Then, they establish each document's...
Curated OER
Marching For Freedom
Students appreciate the sacrifices that people from across the country made to ensure that all citizens could exercise their constitutional right to vote. They access excellent websites and documents imbedded in this plan to guide their...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Liberty vs. Security
In this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about civil liberties and respond to 3 talking point questions.
Administrative Office of the US Courts
Elonis v. U.S.
With the explosion of social media sites, with online threats and cyber bullying, issues of freedom of speech have taken on a whole new aspect. Elonis v. U.S. represents the first time the Supreme Court has considered whether or not...
Newspaper Association of America
Press Ahead!
Give class members some great news! A media unit teaches individuals about ethics, parts of a newspaper, business writing, photojournalism, and more topics that have to do with the press. Full of material for a variety of learners,...
Curated OER
Banned Book Week: Tips for Teaching Censorship
Consider how book censorship erodes our right to free speech and intellectual freedom.
Independence Hall Association
American History: From Pre-Columbian to the New Millennium
Need an online resource to supplement the paper textbook in your classroom? An all-encompassing website covers historical events throughout the last half of the second millenium, leading right up to the third. From the pre-Columbian...
C-SPAN
Presidential Veto and Congressional Override
One of the key powers of the executive branch is the president's ability to pass or veto legislation proposed by Congress. Congress, the legislative branch, on the other hand, can override a president's veto. Five film clips show how the...
Curated OER
John Gary Evans and the Politics of Race
Young scholars read letters written by Evans and Gunton regarding race relations. For this Progressive Movement lesson, students interpret the intentions and tone of the letters to understand contemporary racial beliefs. Young scholars...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: The Right to Know vs. Government Secrecy
In this current events worksheet, students analyze political cartoons about government secrecy and respond to 3 talking point questions.
Curated OER
US Patriot Act: Security vs. Privacy
High schoolers use readings, worksheets and discussion to explore the ramifications of the US Patriot Act which was passed by Congress shortly after September 11th. They review Constitutional Amendments and consider how they relate to...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Why is Freedom of Speech a Burning Issue?
For this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about the freedom of speech and respond to three short answer questions
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Guest-Worker Program
The U.S. Guest-Worker Program and the H-2A visa are the focus of a social studies activity. First, class members assume the role of advisors who must present the president with four proposals that would amend the visas given to...
Feminist
Women's History Teacher's Guide
The origins, goals, and struggles of the women's movement are the focus of a five-day series of lessons about the accomplishments of the movement and the continuing struggle for women's rights.
Curated OER
Random Statistics
Seventh and eighth graders solve and complete 20 various types of short answer problems. First, they write a brief description of themselves including those as stated. Then, learners categorize the type of sampling used in various...
Curated OER
Bill O'Rights
Young scholars discuss and identify the first ten amendments to the Constitution and apply their understanding of the material to how they currently affect their lives. They discover the rights and responsibilities of being a citizen,...
Curated OER
Divided We Fall
Students investigate the consequences of eliminating one or more of the amendments to the Bill of Rights.
Curated OER
With Liberty and Justice for All
Fifth graders identify and define in their own words the first ten amendments to the Constitution. They are assigned a CDV or amendment from the Bill of Rights and create and present a one-minute skit demonstrating it.
Curated OER
Government: War Powers Limitations
Students examine historic examples of authority during wartime. They interpret the Fifth Amendment. They debate the merits of the Patriot Act.
Curated OER
Which Freedom?
Fourth graders choose on the freedoms in the Bill of Rights and research it on the internet. They answer specific questions using their research and produce a written document using a computer.
Curated OER
The Eiserloh Story
Students read "The Eiserloh Story" and evaluate decisions made by the government in time of war. They determine if the government violated the rights of innocent civilians. They identify the Bill of Rights and analyze each Right.
Curated OER
Breaking Barriers
Students investigate racism in the 20th century by exploring U.S. History. In this Civil Rights lesson, students review the history of slavery, the Civil War and the fight for equality in the mid 1900's. Students complete Civil Rights...