Curated OER
Documents and Symbols and American Freedom
Young scholars 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...
Curated OER
Constitution
Ninth graders simulate a U.S. Supreme Court hearing concerning a First Amendment case about school prayer by participating in a hearing.
Judicial Learning Center
Why Study Landmark Cases?
Why study landmark Supreme court cases? A helpful lesson offers a brief but valuable argument for the importance of these cases in the field of criminology. It introduces scholars to some key terms necessary for studying court cases and...
Curated OER
What is a Court?
Students examine and discuss the judicial branch of the U.S. government. They define what a court is, list three characteristics of a trial court and an appellate court, and analyze various trial and appeal situations.
Curated OER
Voters and Judges
High schoolers analyze the work on independent judiciaries. In this federal courts lesson, students listen to their instructor lecture on details of federal cases. High schoolers respond to discussion questions and participate in an...
Curated OER
Branches of Government
Students explore the three branches of government. In this government and U.S. history lesson, students listen to a story about a boy who attempts to sponsor a bill to ban cartoons. Students interview three teachers who each represent...
Administrative Office of the US Courts
Nomination Process
"I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States..." Scholars investigate the nomination process of Supreme Court justices when assuming office. Through examination of primary and secondary...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Read All About It! Supreme Court Case Makes Headlines!
Learners are assigned a landmark Supreme Court case to research. They construct a one-page newsletter on the case which include a summary of the case, two pictures and a short biography on one of the justices on the Court at that time.
Center for Civic Education
Matching Game with the US Constitution
In September we celebrate Constitution Day. Begin the celebration with a grand conversation about the US Constitution. Follow up the in-depth discussion with a learning game in which scholars match terms to images such as the...
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...
Judicial Learning Center
The Players in the Courtroom
Courtrooms are complicated. In addition to the many rules, there are a number of people whose jobs are not very clear to the casual courtroom observer. With the resource, individuals identify some of these roles and review more...
Judicial Learning Center
Your 1st Amendment Rights
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...
Curated OER
Chapter 2 – The US From 1789 to 1815
In this U.S. history activity, students read assigned textbook pages about the country from 1789-1815 and respond to 36 short answer questions.
Curated OER
The Judicial Branch
In this checks and balances in U.S. government worksheet, students read a 4-paragraph selection regarding the Supreme Court and then respond to 5 fill in the blank questions.
Curated OER
The Judicial Branch
In this U.S. branches of government worksheet, learners respond to 5 fill in the blank questions regarding the powers of the judicial branch of government.
Curated OER
Church and State Questions
In this U. S. government worksheet, students respond to 17 short answer questions about the first amendment and the separation of church and state.
Curated OER
The Bill of Rights is a-Rockin
Learners explore the U.S. Constitution through music. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students discuss a hypothetical case regarding lyrics by Madonna and the historical Massachusetts Blue Laws. Learners use the Bill of Rights to support...
Curated OER
Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
Young scholars examine the impeachment proceedings of Andrew Johnson. In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture on the details of Andrew Johnson's impeachment and Reconstruction. Young...
State Bar of Texas
Baker v. Carr
Can the federal government override the state government to protect the citizens of the United States? The 1962 Supreme Court case Baker v. Carr outlines the issue of equal protection under the law. Scholars investigate with a short...
Curated OER
US Civil Rights Movement: Beginnings through the 60s
A real find for a U.S. History teacher, this presentation could supplement many class sessions about the Civil Rights Movement. Pictures of events, major figures, and "Whites Only" signs are striking and effective for even your most...
Curated OER
Constitutional Amendments and Gay Marriage
High schoolers study the legal battles involving same-sex marriage. They examine primary sources and a video regarding the 14th amendment and its implications for gay marriage. They analyze a report of a California case that was sent to...
Curated OER
Baseball Challenge: 5th Grade Social Studies
Quickly review facts relating to U.S. History in a Baseball Challenge presentation. The information relates to branches of government, the Vietnam War, WWII, and other key events.
Curated OER
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
Students examine state rights and the commerce clause. In this Supreme Court lesson, students examine primary documents from Gibbons v. Ogden and discuss the implications of the decision.
Curated OER
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
Students examine federalism and judicial review. In this Supreme Court lesson, students examine primary documents from Marbury v. Madison and discuss the implications of the decision.