Why study landmark Supreme court cases? A helpful lesson offers a brief but valuable argument for the importance of these cases in the field of criminology. It introduces scholars to some key terms necessary for studying court cases and...

Which right does the Constitution weigh more heavily: the sanctity of the American flag as a symbol of national unity, or the right to burn the flag in protest? The 1989 Supreme Court case of Texas v. Johnson explores a...

The city of Los Angeles' 1979 Special Order 40 states: "LAPD officers shall not initiate police action with the objective of discovering the alien status of a person." After reading a fact sheet that details the history of Special Order...

Students read and discuss background material on several key decisions that played a role in the Civil War including the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Dredd Scott Decision. They create a timeline and write an essay.

So many people fought for Civil Rights in the United States. Read about the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and discuss what the act guarantees. Then pass out a slew of magazines and encourage them to observe how often minorities appear in...

The battle over same-sex marriage is a prevalent issue in the United States, and a valuable topic to be discussed in your social studies classroom. Here is a basic outline of introductory questions, focus questions, vocabulary, and media...

The "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day" law requires schools receiving any federal funding to provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution. The lesson plans, materials, videos, questions, and activities...

How did the United States Congress determine how the new president and vice president would be named when the nation was first established? Who would provide money for the government, and how would the executive branch be organized? 

Learners examine the elements of various court cases and how state and federal laws affect them. They participate in mock trials.

Have your class examine the issues surrounding same-sex marriage, civil rights, and proposition 8. They read a New York Times article entitled "Proposition 8 Struck Down" and then answer 10 who, what, when, where, and why questions....

In this review of United States government worksheet, 5th graders recall facts and answer multiple choice questions. Students answer 25 questions.

Students explore the role of state government. In this civics lesson, students play an online game that requires them to consider the needs of state residents and the structure of state government.

In September we celebrate Constitution Day. Begin the celebration with a grand conversation about the US Constitution. Follow up the in-depth discussion with a learning game in which scholars match terms to images such as...

Learners examine state rights and the commerce clause. In this Supreme Court lesson, students examine primary documents from Gibbons v. Ogden and discuss the implications of the decision.

Understanding the US government's role proves very important in the American economy, especially for consumers. Scholars learn about how varying government agencies help them when facing an issue. The third and final resource in the...

It's never too early to practice smart voting! Gain practice voting in a general election using a booklet compiled of an assortment of activities including a word search, maze, graphing, and more!         

Students examine equal protection. In this Supreme Court lesson, students  examine primary documents from Korematsu v. United States and discuss the implications of the decision with regards to Japanese internment.

Students are assign a particular Federal or State Court. They are asked to make a poster of the court they have been assigned. Students are told that the poster should include a list of the types of cases that particular court hears. ...

High schoolers are assigned a landmark Supreme Court case to research. They construct a one-page newsletter on the case which include a summary of the case, two pictures and a short biography on one of the justices on the Court at that...

Students complete a unit of lessons on the documents, symbols, and famous people involved in the founding of the U.S. government. They create a personal bill of rights, write a found poem, design a flag, conduct research, and role-play...

In this U. S. government worksheet, learners respond to 19 short answer questions about the responsibilities of Supreme Court members in the United States.

Students 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. Students take notes on...

Students consider constitutional rights. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students complete an activity guide that requires students to examine Bill of Rights-related cases of 2010. Students respond to discussion questions pertaining to...

Students research the qualifications necessary to be the president of the United States. They create a want-ad for this position using what they have learned about the qualifications.