Curated OER
Foundations of the U.S. Constitution
Eighth graders use information found in their textbooks to create flip charts containing information about Articles of Confederation, U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, English Bill of Rights, House of Burgesses, Magna Carta, and...
Curated OER
Winter at Valley Forge
Learners assess the events leading up to the American Revolution. In this United States History instructional activity, students read "Crossing the Delaware: George Washington Fights in the Battle of Trenton," then discuss the highlights...
Curated OER
The U.S. Constitution
Students examine the people and events associated with the United States Constitution. Using the Articles of Confederation, they discuss its shortcomings and the significance of the Bill of Rights. They listen and sing songs that...
Curated OER
United States Constitution Framers
Eighth graders discover details about delegates to the American Constitutional Convention. In this U.S. Constitution lesson, 8th graders research information about 9 delegates to the convention and then write paragraphs about the most...
Curated OER
Early American Government: Cause and Effect
Learners explore cause and effect. In this early American government instructional activity, students research the series of events that led to the revolution, confederation, and constitution. Learners use cause and effect examples to...
Curated OER
Worksheet #49 - Constitution
In this historical quiz learning exercise, students test their knowledge on multiple historical references about the Constitution as they answer the ten fill in the blank questions.
Curated OER
American Indians
In this American Indians activity, students read a 2 page article on American Indians, answer 6 statements as true or false and fill in 8 blanks in 8 facts referring back to American Indians.
Curated OER
Newspaper Time
Eighth graders complete a newspaper article as a part of their exam review for the Revolutionary War. Using information gathered over the course of the unit, 8th graders create their own newspaper reflecting the facts and ideas of the...
Curated OER
US Constitution And Amendments
Students become familiar with the US Constitution and consider how it affects their lives. They research the Preamble to articulate the purposes of government, compile collages, and research the separation of powers within each branch of...
Heritage Foundation
The Office of the Executive
An executive is not just a leader of a company; you can also use the term to describe the president of the United States. The ninth part of a 20-part unit teaches high schoolers about the importance of the executive branch and the...
Curated OER
The American Revolution: 1775 - 1783
Track the ins and outs and wartime strategies used by both the British and the Americans during the Revolutionary War. Multiple comparisons are made between both factions, maps, statistical data, images, and light text is used throughout...
Heritage Foundation
How to Read the Constitution
Even lawyers can find the US Constitution to be very wordy! Help learners create a foundation for understanding the Constitution with several analysis essays. Multiple activities complement the reading and allow for active and meaningful...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
How the First State Constitutions Helped Build the U.S. Constitution
Did you know that the United States Constitution was adopted after many state constitutions were already in place? Young scholars examine facts about the influence of states through an informative and interesting resource. Groups then...
Curated OER
Before and Beyond the Constitution: What Should a President Do?
Students discuss the powers and responsibilities of the President, list some precedents established during Washington's presidency, and match presidential actions with the type of Executive power it is.
Heritage Foundation
The Purpose of the Constitution
What does the Constitution have to do with my life? This is a question teachers hear on a day-to-day basis. Teach high schoolers just how relevant the US Constitution is to them today with essays, real-life connection activities, and more.
Curated OER
The Happy Progress of Our Affairs: George Washington and the U.S. Constitution
Students engage in a lesson which uses Washington's own words to illustrate the events leading to the establishment of our national government, and the crucial roles he played throughout that process.
National Endowment for the Humanities
George Washington: The Precedent President
Everyone knows that George Washington was the first president, but do your scholars know why that was so important? The lesson plan, the third in a sequence of three, allows learners to understand how George Washington set a precedent...
Curated OER
George Washington: The Precedent President
Students investigate precedents set during George Washington's term in office. They conduct Internet research, develop a list of the responsibilities of the President, match Washington's accomplishments with the list, and play a game.
Curated OER
U.S. Constitution and Amendments
Learners explore the framework of government and examine the Constitution to see its impact on their lives.
Curated OER
The Supreme Court: The Judicial Power of the United States
Middle schoolers investigate some basic facts about the Supreme Court by examining the United States Constitution and one of the landmark cases decided by that court. The operation of the Supreme Court forms the focus of the lesson.
Digital History
Representation: By State or by Population
Should representation in the new United States government be based on population? This worksheet illustrates the details of this important quandary through an adaptation of speeches on the topic given at the Constitutional Convention....
Judicial Learning Center
The Ratification Debate
Most Americans profess their love for the US Constitution, but this was not always the case. An informative lesson overviews the debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists by summarizing the main arguments of each side. It...
Curated OER
Why A Bill of Rights?
Examine conflicting viewpoints in this lesson, in which middle schoolers write their own proposal for including a Bill of Rights in the Constitution. As a class, they discover how the Bill of Rights was not a planned document to be...
iCivics
Hey, King: Get Off Our Backs!
Young historians explore the reason American colonists were unhappy under British rule. Class members complete hands-on activities and participate in a group discussions to understand why colonists drafted the Declaration of Independence.