Curated OER
Judges in the Classroom Lesson Plan History Of The Bill Of Rights
Learners study the Bill of Rights and the US Constitution. They investigate the authors of the Bill of Rights and play a game based on the research.
Curated OER
Arguments Against Ratifying the Constitution
Pupils define federalism, Federalist, and Anti-Federalist, debate issue of ratification in classroom convention, and take vote on whether to add bill of rights. Three lessons on one page.
Curated OER
U.S. History: Our Constitutional Amendments
Eighth graders conduct Internet research about Constitutional Amendments and present oral reports on their findings. Their reports also include visual representations depicting their chosen amendment's focal point. Students discuss the...
Curated OER
Constitutional Issues: The Separation of Powers
High schoolers research and stage a debate on the question: RESOLVED that the Constitution should be amended to provide for a parliamentary system of government. They debate if a parliamentary system of government might be better.
Curated OER
The Constitution and The Bill of Rights
Studnets explore the events and issues surrounding the Constitutional Convenetion and the Bill of Rights through web-sites interacting with such topics as the framers, court cases, games and more.
Curated OER
US Government: The Checks and Balances System of the US Constitution
Students examine the responsibilities of the 3 branches of U.S. government. In this checks and balances lesson plan, students identify the powers of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. Students share examples...
Heritage Foundation
Procedural Amendments: Amendments III, IV, and V
So many US Constitution clauses, so little time. The 17th installment in a 20-part series teaches pupils about the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments. Learning through activities such as group work, connecting to current events, and...
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,...
Heritage Foundation
Congress's Territorial Powers, Implied Powers, Citizenship, and the Bureaucracy
An informative resource gives scholars a look into why the US Constitution placed certain federal powers over that of the state. A variety of activities about constitutional clauses helps to create meaningful learning.
Curated OER
Fair Housing Lesson 4: Constitutional Hearing
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...
Curated OER
The Constitutional Convention: Four Founding Fathers You May Never Have Met
Students read biographies of their assigned Founding Father. They present an oral argument that their assignee deserves to be better known by making connections between regional politics and postions defined by character.
Curated OER
Understanding James Madison The Father of the Constitution
Students research James Madison and create a table of his strengths and weaknesses. In this James Madison instructional activity, students read Jean Fritz's, The Great Little Madison, while developing their research skills, vocabulary...
Curated OER
Constitutional Resources
Students explore the REpublican Era and the writing of the constitution and Billof Rights through various links and activities included in this collection.
Curated OER
Constitutional Resources
Students survey information on the Constitution. In these history lessons, students explore the founding principle's of the United States.
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...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Naturalized Citizens and the Presidency
Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution takes center stage in a lesson that asks class members to assume the role of state senators, debate a resolution to amend the U. S. Constitution to permit naturalized citizens to run for...
National Constitution Center
Separation of Powers
Learners explore how the Constitution provides for separation of power and limited government, as evidenced by the three branches of government. They participate in role-playing situations, group discussions, and complete worksheets to...
US National Archives
We the People Focusing on Details: Compare and Contrast
Even the most inspiring documents in American history had to go through a few drafts before they were ready for publication. Reinforce the importance of the writing process, as well as the collaborative nature of democracy, with an...
Judicial Learning Center
Your 1st Amendment Rights
Why should classes care about the First Amendment? An engaging lesson serves as a powerful tool for answering just that. As all four cases in the lesson relate directly to freedom of expression in schools, young scholars explore the...
Judicial Learning Center
Article III and the Courts
What's the best way to make sense of the Constitution? A helpful lesson contains both the text of Article III and annotation of each of its sections, breaking it down into easy-to-understand parts. It also includes links to a...
Ashbrook Center at Ashland University
Bill of Rights
Do citizens need protection from the federal government? Scholars investigate why the framers of the Constitution created the first 10 amendments and what these amendments mean to citizens of the United States more than 200 years later....
Judicial Learning Center
Judicial Independence
Most people support the idea of an independent judiciary in theory until they hear about a court case that violates their principles. An informative resource explains why the concept is important. It also provides scholars of criminology...
C-SPAN
14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause
Two Supreme Court cases, Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education take center stage in a lesson about the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Class members research both cases to compare and contrast the rulings.
C-SPAN
Middle School Checks and Balances
Seven video clips reveal how the checks and balances built into the constitutional framework of the United states' government are designed to keep any one branch from becoming too powerful. After watching each clip, groups identify the...