Second graders explore the Louisiana Purchase. In this U.S. history lesson, 2nd graders examine the purchase of the Louisiana territory by the United States as they read text, take notes, complete homework, and take a quiz.

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...

Students explore the concepts of martial law, writ of habeas corpus, due process, discovery and human and constitutional rights during World War II. They assess the roles and responsibilities of government leaders and citizens during...

Students read about the role of the president. In this US government lesson, students read about the role of the president as stated in the US Constitution. Students examine issues of presidential power and identify various checks and...

Students engage in a variety of activities aimed at strengthening comprehension of the Constitution. The activities are part of a layered curriculum and students create a portfolio for assessment.

Pupils read excerpts from speeches made at the California Constitutional Convention. They predict what the state constitution say about slavery and other issues concerning race.

Students discuss the purpose of the Bill of Rights and the United States Constitution. In groups, they write about the ten amendments and their purpose. They re-word the Amendments in their own way and answer discussion questions to end...

Students discuss the U.S. electoral process and brainstorm solutions to increase voter turnout in their community. For this democratic citizenship lesson, students identify keywords in speech and video related to freedom of speech and...

"Without concerned citizen action to uphold them (human rights) close to home; we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world. . ." Eleanor Roosevelt's comment is used to set the stage for the conclusion of a five-lesson unit...

Students work in collaborative groups to research an amendment of the Bill of Rights. They then design and present a skit that demonstrates and communicates the core values and concepts of the amendment to the class.

In an engaging activity on universal and unalienable rights, learners work in groups to establish a democratic nation and determine what principles they want to protect to ensure a democratic society. They conduct a "rights auction" in...

Marbury v. Madison is arguably the most important landmark case in the history of the Supreme Court. A fact-filled lesson provides background information about the case and two others related to the concept of judicial review. Scholars...

Your pupils are all citizens of your classroom. Provide some more instruction on how people can be citizens with the reading passage included here. After reading, learners answer the five related questions.

How does a trial begin without a lawyer for the defendant? The 1963 Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright serves as the backdrop for the study of the rights of the accused. Scholars use a short video along with paired discussion and...

How can one court acquit someone of a crime, while another convicts the person of the same one? It's all because of the differences between civil and criminal trials. An informative resource provides scholars in the field of criminology...

A presidential election is a lot like the 2004 World Series, and it's also a lot like choosing an orange in a paper bag. Apply the process of the electoral college to these two analogies with a set of lessons about government...

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...

Americans love to learn about their rights, especially those that protect them from the government's power to invade their privacy. Young people are especially engaged by this topic. An informative lesson explores four Supreme Court...

Pupils investigate American slavery from colonial times through the Civil War. They incorporate primary sources, video clips, and firsthand accounts to understand how the slavery issue gripped the nation. Essays, presentations, and...

Students examine the pros and cons of state sovereignty vs. federalism, as argued by the Founding Fathers. They identify the basic positions of each side, complete a worksheet, and write a persuasive essay arguing for Jefferson or Hamilton.

Even though the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt ended over 100 years ago, we can still learn something from his stances and policies that is applicable today. Class members first look over a list of prevalent political issues from the...

Twelfth graders engage in the decision making process so as to encourage them to become active citizens upon graduation from high school.

In this United States history worksheet, middle schoolers utilize a word bank of 10 terms or phrases to answer 10 fill in the blank questions about the beginning of the War of 1812. A short answer question is included as well.

Fourth graders examine the role the President of the United States plays in American government and the order of succession of cabinet members. They explain about presidential qualifications and the path to becoming President.