Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Separate is Not Equal

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students use political cartoons and editorials to study Brown v. Board of Education. In this Brown v. Board of Education lesson, students read the background information on eight cartoons and editorials for a study on Brown v....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Democracy, A Basic Element In Our Society

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the concept of freedom with the context of the First Amendment. They research and take notes looking for the connections between democracy and freedom. They complete a writing assessment that includes naming all of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planetary Landers

For Teachers K - 8th
Students watch programs from a series titled "Planetary Landers". As a class, they view a poster of various vehicles that have made their way into space. In groups, they brainstorm the characteristics that should be included when...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ex Parte Milligan

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Trade Between The US and Japan

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners engage in a lesson plan that involves the trade relationship between the US and Japan. They research to find the history and facts concerning the current trends.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Navigating The Legal System

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Learners identify personal rights allowed under the law in the United States. An exploration of the legal process leads students to describe how the American legal system works. This lesson plan is intended for learners acquiring English.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Cost of Saving

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders compare accounts provided by the two newspaper articles with the visual account provided by Sue Coe. They articulate how those accounts are alike and different. Students consider the economic choices that made the Hamlet...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cultural America

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders investigate the cultural differences that can be found in America. They discuss what it means to be called an American. The patterns of migration to America are discussed with the use of maps and geographical terms....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The First American Party System: A Documentary Timeline of Important Events (1787-1800)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students conduct research on the events of the end of the 18th century in order to identify critical factors leading to the development of the Federalist and Democratic-Republican political parties. They summarize the key positions of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The First American Party System: Federalists and Democratic-Republicans: The Platforms They Never Had

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the beginnings of the political party system in the US. They determine the key positions of both the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. They compare the views of the early political parties with those of today.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Moot Court Preparation

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders prepare themselves for a mock moot court. In groups, they are presented with an overview of each activity and research appellate cases related to the topic given to them. They identify regions of the country that have...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Inquiry and the Nature of Science

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations, design and conduct a scientific investigation. They also use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data.
Article
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Constitutional Rights Foundation: How the First State Constitution Helped Build the u.s. Constitution [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Article describes how the written constitutions adopted by each of the 13 colonies were the seeds of the U.S. Constitution including the Bill of Rights. Includes questions for discussion and small group activity.
Primary
National Constitution Center

National Constitution Center: u.s. Constitution (In Japanese)

For Students 9th - 10th
The text of the U.S. Constitution in Japanese.
Primary
National Constitution Center

National Constitution Center: u.s. Constitution (In Simplified Chinese)

For Students 9th - 10th
The text of the U.S. Constitution in Chinese.
Lesson Plan
Other

Our Courts: Bill of Rights: You Mean I've Got Rights? [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A great, active lesson about the Bill of Rights. Students compare rights they think they should have with the rights in the actual amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The language of the amendments is broken down into simpler English so...
Primary
US National Archives

Our Documents: The Us Constitution (1787)

For Students 9th - 10th
See the original copy of the United States Constitution! This interactive page lets you point to the part you would like to see. Along with background information, you can also link to larger images, a typed transcript, and downloadable....
Article
US Government Publishing Office

U.s. Government Publishing Office: First Through Tenth Amendments: Bill of Rights [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
A discussion of how the First through Tenth Amendments to the Constitution came to be written.
Unit Plan
C3 Teachers

C3 Teachers: u.s. History Module: Did Founders Want Government to Work? [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A comprehensive learning module on the system of government established by the founders that includes three supporting questions accompanied by formative tasks and primary source materials, followed by a summative performance task....
Website
Digital History

Digital History: The u.s., Cuba, and the Platt Amendment [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
After the SpanishAmerican War the American occupation of Cuba and the adoption of the Platt Amendment, which was forced upon the Cuban government when it formed its constitution, showed the signs of imperialism on the part of the United...
Website
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Constitutional Rights Foundation: The War in Afghanistan: What Should American Policy Be? [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Article on American policy and the war in Afghanistan in which students read background history and assert an informed opinion about what they think the U.S. role in Afghanistan should be. Small group work and questions for writing and...
Article
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Constitutional Rights Foundation: The Cold War: How Did It Start? How Did It End? [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Article discussing 45 years of the Cold War between Russia and the U.S. Questions for discussion and small group activity.
Lesson Plan
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Constitutional Rights Foundation: Gibbons v. Ogden (1824): The Meaning of the Commerce Clause [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Lesson on the Constitution in which students study and analyze the Commerce Clause and the Supreme Court decision in Gibbons v. Ogden. Questions for discussion and guidelines for class activity provided.
Article
Cato Institute

James Madison's Vision of Liberty [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
An article by the CATO institute about James Madison's vision for his writing and contribution for the U.S. Constitutional Convention. Includes information on his views of a limited government for citizens' rights.