Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Differences and Settlement in Framing the United States Constitution

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students identify the principles of democracy when framing the United States Constitution. In groups, they analyze the differences that were settled before anyone signed the document. They role play their own activity in which they...
Organizer
Curated OER

U.S. Constitution: KWL

For Students 5th - 6th
In this United States Constitution worksheet, students complete the what I know, what I want to know, and what I have learned chart with information about the U.S. Constitution.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Democratic Ideas of the 1776 Maryland Constitution

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students analyze primary source documents. They evaluate how well the requirements for voting and holding office in the 1776 Maryland Constitution reflect democratic values.
Handout
Curated OER

U.S. CONSTITUTION: PREAMBLE

For Students 5th - 6th
In this worksheet of the preamble to the Constitution of the United States, students are given the 14 lines of text to read and evaluate.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fair Housing Lesson 4: Constitutional Hearing

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students investigate fair housing issues in the United States. In this government lesson, students watch "No Place Like Home," and then prepare to participate in a classroom simulation that requires them to act as state legislators and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding James Madison The Father of the Constitution

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students research James Madison and create a table of his strengths and weaknesses. For this James Madison lesson, students read Jean Fritz's, The Great Little Madison, while developing their research skills, vocabulary strategies, and...
Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Chief Executives Compared: The Federalist Papers

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Delve into the responsibilities of the president by looking at President Hamilton's opinion of the presidential office in his own words. The second in a three-part series, the resource also offers an interesting compare-and-contrast...
Lesson Plan
North Carolina Consortium for Middle East Studies

Federalists v. Anti‐Federalists

For Teachers 8th Standards
Here is a solid lesson plan to support your instruction on the Continental Congress and the Articles of Confederation. It includes close analysis of primary source images, a guided notes template and answer key, and many key...
Lesson Plan
Center for Civic Education

What Is Authority?

For Teachers 1st - 5th Standards
Young scholars examine the concepts of power and authority as they begin learning about government in this elementary social studies lesson. Through a series of readings, discussions, and problem solving activities, children...
Lesson Plan
American Bar Association

What Is Separation of Powers?

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Who has the power? Scholars investigate the creation of the three branches of government in the United States Constitution. They analyze just why the framers created the branches the way they did.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Powers of Congress

For Students 11th - 12th
Have your class fill out this comprehension sheet while reading about the powers of Congress. There are ten multiple choice questions focused on the rights, powers, and limitations of Congressional law.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Blasphemy! Salman Rushdie and Freedom of Expression

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explore the concepts of blasphemy, censorship and freedom of expression through the lens of Salman Rushdie. They also consider how these issues have been reflected in US history.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Liberty for All: Voices from the Revolution

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Did the Declaration of Independence really intend to grant liberty for all? Get your class thinking about historical perspective with documents relaying the experiences of women, white men, and African-Americans during the Revolutionary...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Called Themselves the K.K.K.; The Birth of an American Terrorist Group

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
How did Ku Klux Klan develop and flourish in the US? How did the government respond to acts of terrorism conducted by the KKK following the Civil War? How does the government respond to acts of terrorism today? This resource...
Lesson Plan
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Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary

Benjamin Franklin, Elder Statesman

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Ben Franklin was the only American to sign The Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Alliance with France, the Treaty of Paris, and the US Constitution. An interesting resource explores his role in the latter by comparing the US...
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

The Importance of Inauguration Day

For Teachers 5th - 9th
As Inauguration Day approaches, prepare your learners by researching the protocol of years past.
Activity
Constitutional Rights Foundation

The Troubled Elections of 1796 and 1800

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Congress does more than create new laws. Political scientists delve into the elections of 1796 and 1800 to understand how political parties, the Electoral College, and personal agendas affected the election process. The resource also...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lincoln's Spot Resolutions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers take a closer look at historical relations between the United States and Mexico. In this Texas annexation lesson plan, students examine primary documents authored by Zachary Taylor, James Polk, and Abraham Lincoln to...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Proposition 8 Struck Down

For Students 9th - 12th
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....
Activity
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Curated OER

Express Yourself Lesson Seed 1

For Teachers 6th Standards
Make a study of the First Amendment and its relationship to freedom. Pupils rewrite the amendment and discuss the central idea before focusing on a specific phrase. After discussing, class members write a journal entry about the included...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson 1: The Importance of Rules in Our Country and in Our Classroom

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Explore the importance of rules in a community with the engaging first lesson of this series on the US government. To begin, children play a paper clip game that requires them to make up their own rules as they go, after which the...
Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

The Powers of the Executive

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Are executives as powerful as they sound? High schoolers find out about the US president and executive branch. A variety of activities include scaffolded reading sections, research assignments, and collaborative group work.
Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
The United States is built on the presumption of equality—yet we have not passed the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution. Using video clips featuring historians, a museum tour, and an interview with Ruth Bader Ginsberg, learners...
Assessment
New York State Education Department

US History and Government Examination: June 2011

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Those who lived during the Great Depression could clearly draw a line between the roaring 1920s and the desolation of the following decade. Class members examine these two periods and compare them using an essay question prompt and...

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