Curated OER
The Bill of Rights and the News
Students examine current news stories and from them develop "BIG" questions related to individual and group rights. They then relate their questions to the U.S. Constitution and supreme court decisions.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Drawing Attention to Government Secrecy
How much do we know about our government? This engaging topic for teens is made especially interesting through analysis of 2 political cartoons. Background information on Sunshine Week makes the cartoons more accessible, and 3 talking...
Curated OER
Freedom from Oppression
Students investigate instances of genocide and role play as reporters writing news stories and editorials.
Curated OER
Freedom by the Fireside: The Legacy of FDR's "Four Freedoms" Speech
Students read and analyze Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 1941 State of the Union Address. They listen to recordings of speeches by F.D.R., answer discussion questions, and participate in a debate.
Heritage Foundation
Substantive Amendments: Amendments I and II
The First and Second Amendments remain some of the most famous, even to this day. Learners read about several clauses from the US Constitution through a variety of captivating activities including before and after reading, group work,...
Curated OER
The Alien and Sedition Acts: Defining American Freedom
Students analyze the Alien and Sedition Acts. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding the details of the Alien Act and the Sedition Acts. Students examine Supreme Court cases...
Curated OER
Qaddafi Is Dead in Libya
The New York Times posted an article titled, "Qaddafi Is Dead in Libya" back in 2011. Your class gets a chance to read that article to better understand current events and increase their reading comprehension. After reading the article,...
Curated OER
The World's Newest Nation
Reading comprehension can be fostered in many ways. Learners become informed as the read a New York Times article on the South Sudan, the world's newest nation. They read the article and then answer each of the 12 related questions.
Curated OER
The Emancipation Proclamation
Middle schoolers read one of the most important documents in our nation's history: The Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. After everyone reads the proclamation, they set out to write a "You Were There" type of report on it. They pretend...
Curated OER
The Bill of Rights Is in the News!
Students determine currency of the Bill of Rights by locating current newspaper articles or editorials that support or refute each of the 1st Ten Amendments.
Curated OER
The Bill Of Rights And The News
High schoolers investigate the concepts related to the Bill Of Rights. They conduct research using a variety of resources and focus upon the human rights provided in the legislation. Students read a news article and reflect the upon the...
Judicial Learning Center
The Constitution and Rights
What's the right way to teach young historians about the Bill of Rights? Many an instructor has asked this question when pondering lesson plans over the US Constitution. The Constitution and Rights is a nifty resource that provides a...
Curated OER
"Pressing" Issues In Zimbabwe
Students explore the nature of freedom of the press through examining a story about the capture and torture of journalists in Zimbabwe. They participate in a round-table discussion of the issues. They research an African country of their...
Curated OER
The Pentagon Papers
High schoolers examine national security issues. In this Vietnam instructional activity, students research the background and controversy surrounding the Pentagon Papers. High schoolers discuss press rights in light of maintaining...
Curated OER
US Policy Toward Egypt: A Dialogue
Students examine U.S. foreign policy concerning the 2011 Egyptian uprising. In this current events lesson, students discuss the uprising in Egypt and examine news reports related to it. Students then discuss their feelings about the...
Curated OER
Operation Iraqi freedom
Students explain the term "public agenda' and identify the characteristics and components of the media. They read newspapers, watch and listen to newscasts to determine the media's position on the war in Iraq.
US Institute of Peace
Governance, Corruption and Conflict Simulation on Nepal
Can your class help the people of Nepal? Scholars take an in-depth look into the social injustices and struggling economy of a country in turmoil during a multi-day role-playing exercise. After reviewing information on the problems...
Curated OER
Freedom of Press or Bulletproof Vests?
Students explore the extent to which a person go for his ideals, focusing on one man's pursuit of free speech in Thailand. They, in groups, respond to five questions related to the article and based on the theme of free speech.
Curated OER
The First Amendment: Freedom of Expression
Students explore First Amendment rights. In this U.S. Constitution activity, students examine the freedom of expression as they view a PowerPoint presentation and listen to the lecture that accompanies it.
Curated OER
Too Free, Or Not Too Free?
Students create a survey that examines what level of electronic surveillance might be acceptable to members of the school and community. They poll the community, and analyze the results in the form of graphs and a written news article.
Curated OER
Your Right to Know
Students read information about access open records and how to file a Freedom of Information request. They access links to investigative stories about open files. They discuss information available. They develop a list of investigative...
News Literacy Project
Democracy’s Watchdog
As part of a study of the importance of the First Amendment, expert groups research different historic case studies of investigative reporting, and then the experts share their findings with jigsaw groups. The case studies include Nellie...
Facing History and Ourselves
Laws and the National Community
When it comes to the law, is justice always served? Teach scholars about how law sometimes enables prejudice of entire groups of people with a unit on World War II that includes a warm-up activity, analysis of primary sources,...
Anti-Defamation League
Student Dress Codes: What's Fair?
The controversy over school dress codes continues. The debate involves questions like, why is there a policy? Who sets the policy? Who enforces the policy? What is a fair policy? Tweens and teens have an opportunity to engage in the...