Curated OER
Bill of Rights
Students analyze the U.S. Bill of Rights. They conduct research on an amendment of the Bill of Rights, complete a worksheet that matches scenarios to amendments of the Bill of Rights, and write a letter to their Congressperson.
PBS
Women's History: Parading Through History
Want to teach your pupils about debate, effective speech techniques, propaganda, and the women's movement? The first in a sequential series of three, scholars analyze real propaganda images from the the historic women's movement, view a...
Teaching Tolerance
Understanding the Prison Label
Break the chain. An engaging lesson plan examines why it is so hard to break free of the prison system in the US. Academics participate in a reader's theater, read primary sources, and discuss their thoughts. The lesson plan explains the...
EngageNY
Studying Author’s Craft: Carlotta’s Journey
The longest journey begins with a single step. Scholars analyze the details of Carlotta Walls LaNier's journey through the desegregation of schools in the United States. They continue reading the author's memoir, A Mighty Long Way and...
EngageNY
End of Unit Assessment: Making Connections between Song Lyrics and Texts
For the end-of-unit assessment, scholars engage in small group Socratic seminars to connect the lyrics of two songs to texts they read and studied. They discuss how the songs "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around" and "Lift Every Voice...
Judicial Branch of California
Planet Fourth Grade is Researching the U.S. Constitution
Using the Constitutional Convention as a model, learners create their own governments. Other activities to explore the American Constitution include creating posters to help explain the Bill of Rights.
PBS
Constitution Day
Travel back to 1787 as young scholars investigate the creation of the US Constitution. After first working in small groups to create sets of classroom rules, young scholars go on to read a summary of the Constitution and watch a short...
Curated OER
Just Say It
Learners explore the initial Supreme Court decision to regulate commercial speech, and then analyze the legal precedents and principles underlying a recent case contesting this regulation.
Curated OER
Recommended Reading?
Students examine and defend various positions in the argument over a book ban in the Miami-Dade school system and then write a letter to the Miami-Dade school board expressing their opinion about the issues raised in the debate.
Curated OER
Bill of Rights in the News: Election Issues 2008
Learners consider First Amendment rights. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students complete an activity guide regarding constitutional rights issues raised in the 2008 presidential election. Learners respond to discussion questions...
Madison Public Schools
Journalism
Whether you are teaching a newspaper unit in language arts, covering the First Amendment and censorship in social studies, or focusing on writing ethics in journalism, a unit based on the foundations of journalism would be an excellent...
Annenberg Foundation
Controversial Issues in Practice
Wow! This resource provides three related lessons on the First Amendment that challenge US government students to explore their personal opinion on the separation of church and state. Each lesson can be adjusted in length, but is...
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,...
Newspaper Association of America
By the Numbers: Mathematical Connections in Newspapers for Middle-Grade Students
A cross-curricular resource teaches and reinforces mathematical concepts with several activities that use parts of a newspaper. Scholars use scavenger hunts to find the different ways math is used in the paper along with using data...
EngageNY
Building Context for the Narrative: The Abolition Movement
That's history. Scholars work together to review the text Abolition and its accompanying text-dependent questions. They then determine what information to add to the Historical Context anchor chart. For homework, individuals think...
Illustrative Mathematics
Right Triangles Inscribed in Circles II
So many times the characteristics of triangles are presented as a vocabulary-type of lesson, but in this activity they are key to unraveling a proof. A unique attack on proving that an inscribed angle that subtends a diameter must be a...
Shmoop
Coordinate Proofs
How do you know you know? Prove it! The guide goes through several examples and includes a link to a video to teach learners how to work through coordinate proofs. The goal is to prove that different shapes are indeed that shape.
Curated OER
Revising The Constitution
Student review the Constitution using Dataviewer. Students discuss each Amendment in the Bill off rights and what each one means to individuals and their freedoms. Students break into groups and brainstorm about Amendments they think...
Curated OER
Lawyers, Guns and Meaning
Students examine why they either do or do not have guns in their own household and how guns affect their sense of safety. They explore the controversy surrounding how best to interpret the Second Amendment by reading and discussing the...
Curated OER
Supreme Court June 2010 Decisions Wrap-Up
Learners consider constitutional rights. In this Bill of Rights instructional activity, students complete an activity guide that requires learners to examine Bill of Rights-related cases of 2010. Students respond to discussion questions...
Curated OER
Keep It Academic
Learners study various methods to learn about religion in the classroom. In this religion study lesson, students read and visit links to learn about various ways of teaching religion in schools. Learners learn the model world religion...
Curated OER
Using Concept Maps to Teach Evolution
Young scholars encounter concept maps for reviewing evolution. Concept maps provides an alternative method of interacting with the information and a forum for asking questions about vocabulary, concepts and interrelationships. A quiz is...
Curated OER
Hiibel vs. Sixth Judicial District Court of Nevada
Did Hiibel's arrest and conviction for not telling a police officer his name violate his rights? Have your learners read a short description of the case and answer the comprehension questions that follow. Resource links and...
Curated OER
Religion and the First Amendment
Students examine the tenets of the First Amendment and how it applies to Islam. They observe a video about Islamic prayer and focus on rights, responsibility, and respect in relation to the religion. Students discuss the difference...