Stanford University
Letter from Birmingham Jail: The Power of Nonviolent Direct Action
What strategies are most effective in changing an unjust law? Class members examine the tactics used in the Birmingham Campaign of 1963 (Project C) to achieve social justice and social transformation. After examining documents that...
PBS
“He Named Me Malala”: Understanding Student Activism Through Film
Malala Yousafzai has become the face of social activism. After watching He Named Me Malala and short student-made films about what young people can do to become instruments of change, class members reflect on what it means to be an...
Curated OER
Black Panther Party Lesson Plan
Why did the Black Panther Party feel colonized, and what methods did they employ to achieve empowerment? Your class members will engage in an online PowerPoint presentation, analysis of several documents, and discussion in order to...
Curated OER
The age of majority: How old is old enough?
Students research on the Web and in books the "age of majority" in general and how it applies in their particular states. Explore, too, "emancipation" and whether this is another way for teens to earn additional rights. Students write a...
Curated OER
Race, Education, and Income: Comparing Carter & Reagan
High school learners compare economic outcomes for 3 racial groups under the presidencies of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan by analyzing a series of graphs, answering questions from a worksheet, and participating in a discussion.
Curated OER
Thurgood Marshall Makes a Difference
Learners find information about the life and legal career of Thurgood Marshall, including the NAACP and its causes. They comprehend the issues and context of the Brown v. Board of Education case that Marshall argued before the U.S....
Curated OER
Right of Privacy: 4th Amendment
High schoolers are introduced to the 4th Amendment of the Washington state Constitution. In groups, they examine the Constitution of the state of Washington and compare it to the United States Constitution. They role play the role...
Curated OER
Bill O'Rights
Students discuss and identify the first ten amendments to the Constitution and apply their understanding of the material to how they currently affect their lives. They discover the rights and responsibilities of being a citizen, and...
Curated OER
Essentials of the US Constitution
Students determine how the content of the U.S. Government enables the U.S. Government to function. They examine the roles and functions of the three branches of government and how the separation of powers and checks and balances affect...
Curated OER
Just an Environment or a Just Environment?
This lesson explores the multiple causes of racial segregation and environmental racism, and helps students understand the perpetuation of institutional racism in the post-Civil Rights era. Students will perform a mock tribunal in which...
Curated OER
Hip Hop and Geography
Students study the various geographic regions of the U.S. and discuss how popular music is influenced by cultural/regional factors. Groups choose East Coast, West Coast, Midwest, or South in rap/hip hop music and create a PowerPoint or...
Curated OER
Whitewashing History
Students revisit issues of civil rights in the U.S. They use the recent national discussion of retiring Senator Strom Thurmond's 1948 Dixiecrat Presidential campaign as a starting point.
Curated OER
Whose God?
Students investigate religious freedom in the U.S. They watch and discuss a Bill Moyers NOW video, take a Freedom of Religion quiz, write an essay, and participate in a mock trial and debate.
Curated OER
Government by the People
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. For this service learning lesson, students examine primary documents regarding the founding of the United States. Students analyze section of the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of...
Curated OER
Looking for Heroes
Students explain the importance of the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery Voting Rights March and the long term impact in the US of non violent civic participation.
Curated OER
Mine eyes have seen...Union soldiers in the South
Learners examine letters written by Union soldiers fighting in the South during the Civil War, and write descriptions of the South using information found in the letters.
Curated OER
Supreme Court Decisions and Their Effect On Us
Consider five Supreme Court cases and how their outcomes have directly affected the American population. Government students research and compose a 1-2 page pager outlining the examples of our daily life that have specifically been...
Curated OER
the Rights of Detainees At Guantanamo Bay
Students identify the legal issues involved in the case of the detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay and surrounding the existence of the base itself. They explain the clash between civil liberties and national security during wartime.
Curated OER
The Battleground: Separate and Unequal Education
Students investigate the history of unequal education in the United States and the impact on African American history. In this unequal history lesson, students discuss the purpose of education and describe an ideal school. Students...
Curated OER
World War II Alien Enemy Control Program
Students become familiar with the concepts of human rights and constitutional rights. They have an increased awareness of the historical record as to the cessation of these rights, especially in regards to children during WWII. It is...
Curated OER
Ex Parte Milligan
Students reserach the case of Ex Parte Milligan. They explore the influence of the Supreme Court and the court decisions on the rights and responsibilities of citizens. They read Milligan's letter to Stanton and generate questions...
Curated OER
The Christmas Train to Ft. Lincoln
Students solve the mysteries of why Karl Vogt and Erich Braemer were on the Christmas Train. They review the definitions of the terms constitutional, human rights, due process, discovery, and the writ of habeas corpus. They review the...
Curated OER
Freedom of the Press
Tenth graders explain the "watchdog" role of the press. They identify varied roles that citizens, reporters, and editors play in maintaining a free press. They identify value conflicts between freedom of the press and other rights.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Plyler v. Doe: Can States Deny Public Benefits to Illegal Immigrants?
Illegal immigration is an ever-changing source of consistent controversy. A reading passage about the rights of undocumented workers and illegal immigrants—and the lack thereof—guides high schoolers into a mock trial activity. Three...