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...

Students hold a mock trial. In this Amistad case activity, students prepare for and participate in a mock trial regarding the Amistad case and determine the fate of the Africans recovered on the ship.

If you stop a student from expressing views that advocate drug use, are you violating their right to free speech? Use the 2007 Supreme Court case Morse v. Frederick to discuss a nuanced interpretation of the First Amendment....

In this speaking and listening worksheet, learners interview two teachers with twenty given questions and answer ten questions relating to the interview in a group. Students then take different roles in order to put the teachers on a...

Does the Westboro Baptist Church have the protection of the Constitution when protesting military funerals? High schoolers examine the 2011 Supreme Court case of Snyder v. Phelps before comparing the situation to a fictional...

Pupils conduct a mock trial focusing on environmental accountability of industrialized nations. As an example, they evaluate evidence provided on carbon dioxide emissions. They participate in a mock trial of industrialized nations by the...

Is it illegal to lie about military service? Discuss the ways the First Amendment affects the Stolen Valor Act with a lesson that focuses on the Supreme Court case U.S. v. Alvarez. As high schoolers learn more about the history of the...

Students identify the potential hazards to the water supply. In this ecology lesson plan, students role play a town hall meeting to discuss the proposal of a storage tank construction in their place. They present their...

Students share opinions about what constitutes fair use of copyright materials and participate in a mock trial arguing the case of The Authors Guild v. Google.

Students define freedom of the press in peace and war time. As a class, they identify the need for the public to be informed, but discuss where the line should be drawn to protect national security. They develop their arguments and...

High schoolers 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.

Students read the case briefs of Ritter v Stanton. They simulate the trial with classmates taking various parts such as appellant, appellee, bailiff, and justices. After conducting a mock argument, they write their own opinion for the case.

Students conduct a mock oral argument based on the briefs provided and further research as assigned by the instructor. They write an opinion for the case outlining why one legal argument prevailed over the other based on their own...

Young scholars list the role of the prosecutor and the role of defense counsel. They state the elements of robbery and defense of compulsion. Students conduct a mock hearing, following the sequence of steps in an adjudicatory hearing...

John Knowles' A Separate Peace is the subject of a literary crossword puzzle that asks readers to identify key events and characters in this coming-of-age story.

Pupils discuss two computerized options to change the current U.S. government. In this Constitutional Convention activity, students write a statement advocating for one of the choices and participate in a mock modern Constitutional...

High schoolers take a closer look at the death penalty. In this U.S. government lesson plan, students watch a Discovery video about capital punishment in the United States and then compose letters to the editors of newspapers about their...

In this online interactive literature worksheet, students respond to 10 short answer and essay questions about Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. Students may check some of their answers online.

For this online interactive reading comprehension worksheet, students respond to 25 multiple choice questions about Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. Students may submit their answers to be scored.

Students engage in a instructional activity that is concerned with the steps needed to put together a teaching portfolio. They collect artifacts to accompany the portfolio and then present them as a part of a cumulative project grade....

Students investigate reasons why people sought freedom to worship in the United States and some of the difficulties and issues facing them in their immigration. As immigrants, they write letters to family members in the old country.