iCivics
Constitution Day
Celebrate Constitution Day, September 17, with an activity that asks class members to identify the responsibilities of the three branches of the U.S. government.
Read Works
A Constitution for Kids
What better day to celebrate the US Constitution than on Constitution Day! After reading a short passage about the different understandings of habeas corpus and ex post facto, sixth graders respond to 10 multiple choice and short...
Curated OER
Constitutional Convention Simulation
Why did the Founders make it so challenging to amend the US Constitution? To gain an understanding of why the process is so difficult, class members engage in a Constitutional Convention simulation. Groups draft, propose, and debate...
Curated OER
How to Become a Member of Congress
High schoolers identify requirements for becoming a U.S. Representative or a U.S. Senator, explain procedure for running for representative or senator, and create an informational brochure.
DocsTeach
Comparing the Magna Carta and English Bill of Rights with the U.S. Bill of Rights
Just how alike are some historical documents? Discover the similarities between the Magna Carta and the United States Bill of Rights in a fast-paced activity. Historians learn the importance of both documents and the lasting impact they...
Curated OER
Documents and Symbols and American Freedom
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...
Curated OER
Bill of Rights: Rights and Responsibilities
Students explore the meaning of freedom. In this U.S. History lesson, students research the Declaration of Independence and how it relates to American freedom by completing activities and a mock trial.
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
"Whispering Wires": Public Law vs. Individual Civil Liberties
High school student love discussing controversial issues like those brought up in this fourth amendment case study. They examine the 1928 Olmstead vs. U.S. prohibition court case, applying the fourth amendment to determine whether...
Curated OER
U.S. Constitutional Facts and Figures
In this Constitution worksheet, students fill in the blanks to sentences with facts about numbers in the Constitution. Students fill in 12 blanks.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Alabama's 1901 Constitution: What Was at Stake?
Who should be able to vote? As part of a study of the 1901 Alabama Constitution, class members examine primary source document that reveal the reasons the authors gave to support their positions on this question and their assumptions in...
Curated OER
Government: Balance of Power
Fifth graders conduct Internet research about the governmental balance of power. They create Kidspiration projects demonstrating the workings of the three branches of government. They compare U.S. democracy with other forms of government.
Bill of Rights Institute
Interstate Commerce and the Constitution
Who had power over trade in the early days of the United States? Who has power now? Viewers investigate the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution. Using an AP Exam review video, learners examine issues surrounding authority...
Curated OER
Bill Of Rights
Students examine Supreme Court cases. In this U.S. government lesson, students watch a video about the Bill of Rights and then research 4 Supreme Court cases using the noted web site. Students analyze the presented information and write...
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...
Curated OER
U.S. Involvement in Nation-Building Before Iraq
Students analyze U.S. involvement in Iraq. In this foreign policy lesson, students listen to their instructor lecture on America's nation-building policies. Students respond to questions pertaining to nation-building practices.
Curated OER
U.S. Presidential Facts Activity
In this U.S. Presidents activity, students click on the links in the questions about U.S. Presidents to find the answers to the questions and then come back and answer the questions. Students answer 15 questions total.
Curated OER
A More Perfect Union
Fourth graders complete a unit of lessons on the development of the U.S. government. They examine the main ideas of the Declaration of Independence, develop a class translation of the preamble to the Constitution, create a flow chart,...
Judicial Learning Center
The U.S. Supreme Court
How do Supreme Court justices determine which cases to consider? What happens when the Supreme Court decides not to take a case? The lesson explores important questions and others in the field of criminology. It focuses on the...
iCivics
Sortify: U.S. Citizenship
What is the difference between a right and a responsibility? Scholars consider the question while sorting characteristics of citizenship into buckets using a video game. After playing, class members see how effectively they sorted the...
Curated OER
Democracy: An Introduction.
Students study the U.S. Constitutional System and how it compares with forms of democracy that developed in ancient Greece and Rome. They list and explain the requirements it takes to form a society to be considered a nation.
Curated OER
Our National Documents
Students explore the significance of National Documents. In this National Documents lesson plan, students read handouts regarding the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights. Students complete the provided...
Curated OER
The Bill of Rights: Debating the Amendments
Students explore the Bill of Rights. In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students participate in classroom debate regarding the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. Students then vote for the amendments they would like to ratify.
Curated OER
Launching the New U.S. Navy
Students analyze United States Constitution, locate general references to common defense, and specific references in document to U.S. Navy. Students then respond to questions on Document Analysis Worksheet, and discuss relationship...