Read about the structure of the U.S. Constitution and the thoughts of the framers behind the formation of each branch.

In this lesson, students examine and debate the issue of same sex marriage by studying background information, news articles, legal arguments and the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. They then draft an amendment of their own to...

These step-by-step lesson plans help students understand the historical background to the U.S. Constitution. Students simulate a hypothetical situation where they must create their own rules and figure out how to work together. Links to...

See transcripts of the debates of the Federal Convention of 1787, the draft of the Constitution, or see the facsimiles of the original documents. Trace the progress of the Constitution using the historical documents themselves.

This activity can be used during a unit on the U.S. Constitution. Students will analyze the Senate Journal of the First Congress and identify how the document demonstrates content contained within Article II of the Constitution in...

This site from the United States Senate provides information about the evolution of the Senate as the Constitution was being written by the Constitutional Congress.

Beginning page of a Learning Adventure examines what parts of the Constitution give the branches of the Federal Government their specific powers. Those three parts are Article I, Article II, and Article III.

Read about the history of the United States Constitution, then try the multiple-choice quiz. Includes an audio narration of the text and a link to a biography of James Madison, as well as links to other resources.

This site contains a list of 43 words from The Articles of Confederation. Teachers can digitally assign this list to their students to reinforce the spellings, pronunciations, and meanings of these words

From the National Archives and Records Administration site, this lesson, focusing on a poster circulated in Philadelphia in 1839 to discourage the coming of the railroad, relates to the struggle to define the powers of the national and...

Scholastic offers a series of printable panels and classroom activities in PDF format that focus on a U.S. citizen's right to express his- or herself. Content focuses on the Bill of Rights and its provisions for freedom of religion,...

Find a large collection of internet resources organized around historical documents. Links to places to go, people to see, things to do, teacher resources, and bibliographies.

See how state constitutions were the incubator of ideas that eventually became embodied in the U.S. Constitution.

This resource from the Architect of the Capitol is a government site that focuses on art and architecture in the U.S. Capitol. Features a picture of a marble statue of Sherman.

Learn about the government of Lesotho in this article from the U.S. State Dept. Background Notes. Find a list of the current government officials and read about the political parties.

This Khan Academy resource provides video lessons, detailed notes, and practice questions for the AP U.S. History Exam. The years 1754-1800 are covered.